[MRCG] TG-34 on TV

[Jerry Foster, AG6ER]

The Navy, back in the days when it used Morse, taught the Radiomen to 
take code directly into a typewriter.  They learned to associate the 
sound of a letter with a keystroke.  Interestingly, they did not learn 
to read Morse into letters (either with a pencil or in their head) or to 
type (learn to associate a letter with a keystroke).  And the standard 
speed the Navy used was 45 wpm!

On 07/10/2014 11:20 PM, Marc Goldman wrote:
> Ha Ha Ha Ha   Har De Har De Har...
>
> Gentleman:
>
> On the TV show  Pawn Stars this evening....  This guy brings in a 
> TG-34  and says its a rare code reading machine  !! no tapes... well 
> the pawn shop guy calls in this consultant guy. (I have seen him 
> before on the program)  and he brings a brand new paper tape in the 
> box.. no reel.. he had it in his garage..  so the bad new is it  does 
> not decode Morse code..  it is a classroom training aid !!  i think 
> there are a lot of them around.. there is one in a display case in a 
> mini museum at Hollister Airport.. just saw it a few weeks back .. so 
> not worth the $2000 he was originally asking..   the amusing part is 
> he still gets $200 for it at the pawn shop!!   i think if this showed 
> up at Foothill Swap meet ya might get $25 for it !!  way way 
> overpriced..   if you had a bunch of tapes it could still be used for 
> Morse code training...  but who is using Morse code these days... the 
> subset of Ham Radio Operators that are DXers on HF.... and identifiers 
> for repeaters and the MRHS folks... All this box does is  send  Morse 
> code... most likely random letters and numbers and maybe punctuation 
> marks... and the student  writes it down with a pencil and paper.. and 
> eventually a typewriter...
>
> i believe in the very early days of Morse code a machine was invented 
> to copy it... and than it was discovered that the operator would learn 
> the code by listening to the sounder clicks... and not need the 
> invention. much to the consternation of its inventor !!    i am pretty 
> sure this was telegraph days.. before  radio.. very likely  American 
> Morse
>
> 73
> Marc Goldman
> WB6DCE
> Seaside,CA
>