Ham Radio Aero Mobile & Morse Code

Thanks for the info, Jim. I have a "No Clue Tech" license and some
two-meter band radios. I'd thought about expanding my horizons but had
no desire to learn code.

Got kind of semi-learned in it several decades ago. IIRC, it was
because we had to learn how to use Consolan (sic, I can't remember how
to spell it) and it required knowing code. We never used it because
none of the airplanes I flew had the equipment, and it was being phased
out anyway. It was LORAN, and that old standby, celestial navigation,
followed by a really good DR position.

I need to start getting involved with the local ham radio club. Haven't
done that yet.

--Walt


RST Engineering wrote:
I think most of you know that I've been operating aircraft ham radio mobile
since the days of dynamotors and vacuum tubes (yes, I put a Heathkit "Twoer"
in the Cessna 120 using a surplus wwii dynamotor back in 1968).

For those of you who have been sorta thinking that some day it would be nice
to have a ham rig in the airplane, for emergency if nothing else, but that
the morse code requirement kept you away, the FCC just did away with the
morse code for all license classes. Read about it he

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/12/15/104/?nc=1


No more excuses for not having that ticket now, is there?

{;-)


Jim

(Of course, for those of us who thought that the code was long since
anachronistic, it is sort of like the FAA dropping the requirement to know
how to manipulate the manual spark advance on the magneto.)

Just remember, CW will cut through the static better than phone.
There are many times I have turned the squelch off to listen for an
identifier and been able to copy it through the static.
Others with me could often not detect it because they did not have the
training and experience.

Don Tuite wrote:
Makes me think of the limerick about the telegraphers
daughter.


Did it?


-.. .-. .. -. -.- -- --- .-. .

--- ...- .- .-.. - .. -. .


:^)

Makes me think of the limerick about the telegraphers
daughter.
Did it?
-.. .-. .. -. -.- -- --- .-. .

--- ...- .- .-.. - .. -. .

I can decode it, but I don't get it.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 17:41:22 -0500, Jose
wrote:

Makes me think of the limerick about the telegraphers
daughter.
Did it?
-.. .-. .. -. -.- -- --- .-. .

--- ...- .- .-.. - .. -. .

I can decode it, but I don't get it.

Maybe you're not old enough to have listened to Captain Midnight on
radio.

Don

Maybe you're not old enough to have listened to Captain Midnight on
radio.

I've never listened to Captain Midnight. We won't talk about my age.
However, I am familiar with the fact that Ovaltine was touted on the
radio. Who is the telegrapher's daughter (and who is the telegrapher?)

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:58:58 GMT, Jose
wrote:

Maybe you're not old enough to have listened to Captain Midnight on
radio.

I've never listened to Captain Midnight. We won't talk about my age.
However, I am familiar with the fact that Ovaltine was touted on the
radio. Who is the telegrapher's daughter (and who is the telegrapher?)

The version I know isn't a limerick. It goes:

She was just a telegrapher's daughter,
But she did-it, did-it, did-it.

I did have Captain Midnight secret decoder, too. (The 1949 model, with
the crossed rockets), but it was just a two-wheel
alphabet-substitution gizmo. You got it for two bits and the
waxed-paper seal from the top of a jar of Ovaltine. The daily
messages, alternated Ovaltine blather with warnings about Ivan Shark.

Don

Don Tuite wrote:

I did have Captain Midnight secret decoder, too. (The 1949 model, with
the crossed rockets), but it was just a two-wheel
alphabet-substitution gizmo. You got it for two bits and the
waxed-paper seal from the top of a jar of Ovaltine. The daily
messages, alternated Ovaltine blather with warnings about Ivan Shark.


And that is what was behind the "secret message". Who hasn't watched
"A Christmas Story" on TV at least once? I never listened to captain
midnight but I have seen this movie... the littel boy finally gets
his super "decoder' ring in the mail, decodes one of the secret Captain
Midnight messages he has saved and it says: "Drink more Ovaltine". haha

All the effort and that cool ring just to get an ad for ovaltine.
Maybe learning to read code is the "decoder ring" of the 21st century....

"RST Engineering" wrote in message
...
the FCC just did away with the morse code for all license classes.

I think I feel a sudden cold breeze from the general direction of Hades! I
honestly thought I would never live long enough to see that happen.


By the way; I am also both a ham and a pilot, but I have never felt the urge to
combine the two activities. When the Hobbs is clicking, I want to be flying, I
can play with radios on the ground.

Vaughn (WB4UHB)

"RST Engineering" wrote in message
...
I think most of you know that I've been operating aircraft ham radio
mobile
since the days of dynamotors and vacuum tubes (yes, I put a Heathkit
"Twoer"
in the Cessna 120 using a surplus wwii dynamotor back in 1968).

For those of you who have been sorta thinking that some day it would be
nice
to have a ham rig in the airplane, for emergency if nothing else, but that
the morse code requirement kept you away, the FCC just did away with the
morse code for all license classes. Read about it he

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/12/15/104/?nc=1


No more excuses for not having that ticket now, is there?

{;-)


Jim

(Of course, for those of us who thought that the code was long since
anachronistic, it is sort of like the FAA dropping the requirement to know
how to manipulate the manual spark advance on the magneto.)


Oh Drat! I was really depending on that excuse.

I tried to learn code a couple of times, and even made the mistake to trying
to listen to code tapes while falling asleep. It during a period that I had
suffered from some imsomnia and had difficulty dropping off to sleep--a
problem which was instantly cured!

Peter