[K urgess]

I'm surpirised that no-one has commented on today's anniversary.
Even Google has the title in morse code today.

Small pedantic point.
Has Google got it wrong?
Are they showing it in modern morse code and was Samuel Morse's code largely different to the morse we all know and love?

[davetodd]

You are the expert Kris, tell us.
By the way, how did you transmit dit-dah's etc. in different colours???
Clever Google has done it!!

[K urgess]

Originally Posted by davetodd

By the way, how did you transmit dit-dah's etc. in different colours???

Only under the influence of various noxious substances, Dave.
Alcohol being the principle culprit.

Here's someone who appears to have had a good time on the happy juice.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...num=6&ct=image

[salvina]

I did notice the google logo in morse code today but didn't know it was his birthday. I'll sink one for him tonight!

[David Davies]

I have found several sites on the net devoted to audio morse but none to visual. Does any one know of one?

[K urgess]

How do you mean, David?
The code was the same, do you just mean one that shows a blinking lamp?

[davetodd]

Originally Posted by Marconi Sahib

How do you mean, David?
The code was the same, do you just mean one that shows a blinking lamp?

Then that would be the AL DIS 'n DAT lamp eh

[David Davies]

Chris, thanks for reply, I do mean the same code with a flashing light i.e. Aldis or 10 inch projector, and not the flag method, semaphore B for dot and D for dash?

[gwzm]

Hi Marconi Sahib

Morse's code was used on landline and was bit different from what we used (and still do) on radio. On landline:

C = . . .
F = . _ .
J = _ . _.
L = ___
O = . .
P = . . . . .
Q = . . _ .
R = . . .
X = . _ . .
Y = . . . .
2 = . . _ .
3 = . . . _ .
5 = - - -
6 = . . . . . .
7 = _ _ . .
8 = _ . . . .
9 = _ . . _
0 = ___

Full stop = . . _ _ . .
Comma = . _ . _
Question mark = _ . . _ .
Colon = _ . _ . .
Semi-colon = . . . . .
Dash = _ . . . _ . .

Quite a few differences and room for confusion if the spacing/length is wrong, e.g. T and L, also L and 0 are the same. some of this stuff carries over into today's code used on radio. For example

AF (all finished) in landline = AR in today's code
HO HO (laughter) = HI HI (with long space between the dits in the Is) in today's amateur usage
& = ES in landline, that's why amateurs use it for "and", whereas we used ET in marine radio.

So GOOGLE would have been _ _ . . . . . _ _ . ___ .

Hope this helps,

gwzm

[andysk]

Just logged on and seen it, good one Google !

[djmorton]

Pity Inspector Morse is not on TV tonight when we'd have heard the programme signature tune - M O R S E (morse code music).

._ ._.

[K urgess]

That was what I was looking for, GWZM.
I'd seen it before but couldn't find it again.
It was bugging me.

Had very little to do with semaphore after leaving school, David.
Morse code for the lamp is the same as for radio.
Calling was AAA and acknowledge was TTT, I think. No doubt I shall soon be corrected if it wasn't.
Such a long, long time since I've had to read a lamp.

Cheers
Kris

[trotterdotpom]

Pretty sure the acknowledgment was one long dash, Marconi Sahib. It was also sent to confirm reception of each word.

John T.

[R651400]

Agree with t.p. I did a lot of aldis work when freelance mostly between ships en passant and that's how I remember it.
From Morse's original code apart from some derivations developed the world standard.
Japanese ships sending in katakana has to be heard to be believed.

http://homepages.cwi.nl/~dik/english/codes/morse.html

[King Ratt]

Calling was AA AA sent until a reply was received from the ship being called. Acknowledgement was T as Trotterdotpom says, sent after each word was received.

[David Davies]

AA AA call up, T reply, then BT reply BT then message "what ship" AR to end and R received BT Read name (unless Blue Flue), from, to, end AR .
Have downloaded audio morse from net but found after much practice at a speed of 15 words a minute I can't write down fast enough to keep up. But being a 77 year old ex deck I am probably past it.

[R651400]

Originally Posted by David Davies

AA AA call up, T reply, then BT reply BT then message "what ship" AR to end and R received BT Read name (unless Blue Flue), from, to, end AR .

Not if your trying to keep up with the speed of a USN signalman on Aldis!
The thread is the anniversary and sanctity of Samuel Morse and the Morse Code.
Your quotes (unless Blue Flue) a tad out of context.

[K urgess]

I knew I'd get it wrong.
Such a long time ago and latterly the only reply you got, without any of the AA T BT etc., was a quick flash of VHF!
I suppose, David, that you didn't need to ask another Blue Flue where from and to because everyone knew already. Wasn't any different in any of the "liner" cargo companies that I sailed with.
Keep up the practice. It normally took us sparkies two years to get it cracked, and that was full time.
Interesting to see that there were some carry-overs from Morse's original code.
Morse code sounds so much better than something like "International audio and visual signalling standard code for Merchant ships" or something similairly European.

[R651400]

Originally Posted by Marconi Sahib

I knew I'd get it wrong.
I suppose, David, that you didn't need to ask another Blue Flue where from and to because everyone knew already. Wasn't any different in any of the "liner" cargo companies that I sailed with.

GTZM-S Thanks for your Google observance and thread.
Unnecessarily a shipping company has been drawn into the thread for what reason I'm not sure.
Do I understand your last sentence means you would be able to recognise another passing company ship you sailed with in pitch darkness without Aldis?
Please allow a SN member the moderation you exercise and request keeping the thread to the anniversary of Samuel Morse.

[K urgess]

The point was that once you had ascertained the ship's name you did not need to enquire as to where from or to if it was a vessel of the same company.
Since all the posts involve the use of morse code and can be interpreted as a celebration of his birthday I see no problem.
After all, how better to celebrate such a person's anniversary than to reminisce about how he has affected our lives.

[mikeg]

Originally Posted by Marconi Sahib

The point was that once you had ascertained the ship's name you did not need to enquire as to where from or to if it was a vessel of the same company.
Since all the posts involve the use of morse code and can be interpreted as a celebration of his birthday I see no problem.
After all, how better to celebrate such a person's anniversary than to reminisce about how he has affected our lives.

R/O's who kept company scheds. usually knew which ship anyway. Was brave once and got most of a staff list send/received by Aldis because a deck cadet on the another ship said (on the VHF) he wanted some lamp practice and the watch called me

I'm doing my bit to keep morse going, I'm teaching classes at the Highland Aero Club every wednesday evening. Fliers like to recognise VOR's & NDB's without peeking at the chart - more power to them I say...

[Ron Stringer]

Originally Posted by Marconi Sahib

Keep up the practice. It normally took us sparkies two years to get it cracked, and that was full time.

Kris, I understand that you are being supportive and encouraging, but the actual process is somewhat shorter. When I was at radio college, the course for 2nd Class PMG was 2 terms; for 1st Class it was 3 terms i.e. 1 year.

And I am sure in WW2 the guys had to get there much quicker than that.

Having said that, I was there 1 year for 2nd Class but had a term out being treated for TB.

[K urgess]

I'm probably a slow learner, Ron.
I was at college for two years with one term out for BOT Radar.
The initial learning wasn't the hard part and neither was reaching a reasonable speed but the longer I practiced the faster I got.
Mostly from translating the advertising hoardings into morse and trying to interpret the squeaks from the bus springs.
The biggest hurdle was making the translation totally automatic. Like speaking a second language.

[andysk]

Originally Posted by Marconi Sahib

..... I'm probably a slow learner, Ron.
I was at college for two years with one term out for BOT Radar ..... The biggest hurdle was making the translation totally automatic. Like speaking a second language.

I found that the shift to totally automatic translation happened overnight, the brain obviously got fed up with resisting the (almost) inevitable, and decided to co-operate ! As you say just like learning a foreign language.

I seem to remember being at Norwood Tech for 7 terms for my PMG2 and (failed) BOT radar - Sept '68 to Dec '70. I think 4 terms for the 2nd class, took me 5 as I had to repeat the second one, then 2 for the radar. On the way I picked up the C & G Tels (Cse 49) Intermediate. PMG First Class was not offered due to the change to PMG General that happened about then.

[Naytikos]

Until the syllabus got changed a couple of years ago, I used to give a lecture to the final year social studies class at the local high school on Morse's birthday each year (if a weekend, then on the preceding Friday). The teacher christened it: 'From smoke signals to the internet in 45 minutes'. At the end I offered a prize of $25 to the writer of the best essay on the subject. One year I received a two-page effort describing the career of 'Samuel Morris, railway engineer'!