[GreenKeys] FIGS-BLANK-H

[Jim Haynes]

On Tue, 30 Nov 2021, Ralph   Irish wrote:

> Tom & Group
> 
> "Figs-Blank-H"  was a sequence used by some to initiate what was called a
> 'Fast Break' 
> change-over of operators.  
> 
I guess I was never aware of Figs-Blank-H for the fast break function
you mention, but before that there was what we called "bellbreak" which
used the bell code to switch from transmit to receive and vice versa.
This predated the wide availability of Model 28 equipment among hams.
One reason for the choice of bell for the switch was that the bell
mechanism on Model 15s and 26s and such was powerful enough and easy to
get to so it could operate a Microswitch to control the flipflop relay.
The other reason was that bell was noisy enough for the operator to be
made aware that his transmitter had just been turned on by the station
he was in contact with.

See April 1958 issue of RTTY article by Bob Weitbrecht W6NRM (who, being
deaf, didn't gain anything by having bell be the switchover signal).
Couple of FCC comments in the Feb 1956 issue indicate that the scheme
was probably in use well before Bob's article.