I have collected more than just a few merchant marine and military survival sets, including one made during WWII by Federal T&T that has the selectable SSS (Attack By Submarine) auto keyer.

 

Almost all have an SOS auto keyer, but sometimes SOS is sent incorrectly. 

 

SOS is NEVER to be sent SOS, i.e.:

dit dit dit space dah dah dah space dit dit dit

SOS is always to be sent as one continuous prosign:

dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit

 

SOS was selected in 1905 as a distinct-sounding prosign unlike any other prosign or signal when sent correctly.  That quality is lost if it is sent as SOS.

 

USAF emergency auto keyers like the AN/ARA-26, used with AN/ARC-21, AN/ARC-65, and AN/ARC-58 HF sets, send the incorrect "child's comic book" version of of SOS. :-)

 

Mike / KK5F

 

-----Original Message-----
From: W2HX <w2hx@w2hx.com>
Sent: Sep 27, 2022 12:33 PM
To: Thomas Chirhart <k4ncgva@gmail.com>, Charles Pfister <crp.wd8axb@comcast.net>
Cc: mrca <mrca@mailman.qth.net>, MMRCG@groups.io <MMRCG@groups.io>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] SSS vs SOS?

 

Thanks everyone.  Very interesting history
 
Sent from Nine
From: Thomas Chirhart <k4ncgva@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2022 7:49 AM
To: Charles Pfister
Cc: W2HX; mrca; MMRCG@groups.io
Subject: Re: [MRCA] SSS vs SOS?
There were several different suffix code warning signals that were used in WW2.
SSS. Was submarine
RRR. Was surface raider as in decoy freighters with false deck cargo crates hiding weapons.
QQQ, (Q ship) WWW, AAA etc.
 I remembered some of them from my Radioman days and reading about them.
This link has great information… under Later Developments..
 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS
 
73 de K4NCG 
Tom

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 27, 2022, at 12:32 AM, Charles Pfister <crp.wd8axb@comcast.net> wrote:

SSS is the WW2 distress call when the emergency
involves an attack by enemy submarine. 
(I hope my source is correct.)
 
Charlie Pfister WD8AXB 
 
 
On 09/26/2022 9:05 PM W2HX <w2hx@w2hx.com> wrote:
 
 

I came across this item on ebay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265903930626

 

On the right, it seems there is a selector for “SOS”, “SSS” or “KEY” I am making an assumption that KEY allows a person to transmit a message of their choice using a KEY. The SOS I assume sends an automated SOS signal. What is SSS? I know earlier in morse CQD was a distress signal. What is SSS?

 

73 Eugene W2HX

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/w2hx-channel/videos

 

 

 



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