I've got to remember that long comma bit - though a bit difficult with a
keyer -- that old commercial system with the first-second-third phone and
first-second-third CW and AT(aircraft telegrapher with 25 wpm) wasn't bad.
I too found the phone and second CW licenses no worse than the amateur tests
of the time.
These days it's all new: the MROP (marine radio operators permit) - short,
and all regs requiring memorization, but quick and easy, the GROL (general
radio operators license) which takes the place of the old 2nd and first
phone and is a lifetime license; the ship radar endorsement, not too rough,
and the new GDMSS maintainer and operator (two tickets) with very long tests
which invariably require study, needed for the current low-hf-vhf distress
equipment.
The AT test is no more. When I got the 2nd CW it was 16 wpm code group,
which of course was credit for General. First CW needed a ship master's
endorsement of 6 month(?) on-the-job expericence before you could take the
test.
I often considered trying commercial ship radio officer work for a bit - but
never did anything about it - maybe my time as RT in USNavy was enough of
that which pertains to boats. K3TX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson" <geraldj@storm.weather.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] List Abbreviations
On Tue, 2007-12-04 at 21:49 -0600, Kim Elmore wrote:
Great! My Dad, W5JHJ (SK) had told me about this shortly after I got
my Novice ticket in 1970. I'd never heard or read of it anywhere.
Now, the long comma -- that's a great one!
I have my 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, mainly because I saw that it was
still available. For some odd reason, the FCC hasn't done away with
it. I took my 20 wpm Extra test before the FCC, so I qualified by
taking only the written portion. The written is pretty arcane (and
hasn't been updated for many years), asking lots of questions about
super-regen receivers and message handling protocols. I learned those
on CW traffic nets, so it wasn't too bad.
Those should have been straight regen receivers used on ship for LF for
a very long time. Might still be some Liberty ships from WW2 in freight
service still using the 30's vintage designs slightly modified with a
couple RF stages so keep them from being heard by submarines. One of the
local hams (moved away and probably SK W0NJ) was in the US merchant
marine during all of WW2, and transmitted once and then the ship was in
port.
I took the 2nd Telegraphy test in the summer of 1958, the FCC wouldn't
let me take the extra test yet because I hadn't had the general two
years. And when I went for the extra in the fall noting having the 2nd
telegraphy, the examiner said, "You'd better pass the code test!" which
I did. I took the first phone that summer too and it was far behind the
extra written in modern technology. The extra covered TV, RTTY, FM, and
stuff that the first phone didn't. Haven't renewed the commercials in
about 40 years, and it hasn't made any difference to my income either.
73, Jerry, K0CQ
Kim Elmore N5OP
At 08:57 PM 12/4/2007, you wrote:
>On Tue, 2007-12-04 at 20:26 -0600, Kim Elmore wrote:
> > Is this one that anyone else has heard of?
>
>Yep. I use that frequently. Sometimes I get a dit, sometimes not. If
>not then I follow up with a full "QRL?". I figure it gives the guys who
>know a chance to stop me without having to endure a full Q signal query.
>
>Been doing that for years and I don't remember who taught me the
>technique.
>
>I was a ship Radio Officer for some years and used CW extensively. And,
>I never heard the "didit dit" sequence while out there.
>
>OTOH, whilst sailing the high seas, a long drawn out comma character,
>"daaaah daaaaah didit daaaaah daaaaaaaah" was a serious insult, roughly
>equivalent to "F*** YOU". I didn't see that on the list. Heh.. Those
>were some fun times!
>
>73 & BCNU,
>-Doug, W7KF
>
>
>_
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