Morse Code on Tonight Show - Friday, May 13

I was pleased to see the 'plug' for HAM radio on
the tonight show....I prefer SSB but kudos to the
CW duo who did telegraphy proud.

My feeling was that this could cause a resurgence
of interest in our hobby.

It was a very good bit and I would like to see
Mr. Leno do some more 'comparisons.'

Sorry I missed the QRZ-heads up but enjoy the
opening of the Tonight Show and was quite surprised.

-0-

 

Very nice demo but again shows that Morse code has to have 2 highly trained experts running it to win. One to send and one to receive. ANY two people can do text messaging! Just have to know how to type and read! Wonder if the text message guy had his phone set to "autospell"? That way the phone knows the word you are starting to type and finishes it for you! He probably didn't have it or he would have won!

Then again if he had a Nextel he could have just keyed up and read the message to his partner! That wonderful DIGITAL technology is why Amateur Radio is no longer used at events like the Tournament of Roses Parade! Nextels are there, and yes they can be used as 2-way radios between each other even if the cell network goes down! Plus they are digital so the transmissions are encrypted and secure! Great for emergency communications!

Morse code is a nice "mode" of Amateur Radio, but should in no way be a requirement to talk phone on HF! The 2 have nothing to do with each other. Morse Code should be an option in Ham Radio just like the CW keys for HF radios. They do not come with the radios, only the mics do for talking phone. Keys are sold seperately as an OPTION!

We need to attract more people to our hobby as we cannot afford to lose people to such services as Verizon & Nextel PTT phones, MURS, GMRS, FRS and all the other free radio non-license & code free services out there. People just want to talk, it is that simple. If we make our hobby too confusing to get in to because of some stupid, old-fashioned code requirement they will just go somewhere else. Smoke signals, drums, cave engravings, crank-up telephones..., etc. have all been replaced by modern technology. It is about time Amateur Radio caught up with the times too. Drop the CW requirement for phone HF privlidges! Before it is too late for the Hobby!

N1IRL

Rick Fiorey

 

There's already a mode for these people who "just want to talk", it's called a cellphone.

 

I watched the clip several times and the alleged "bad editing" you refer to isn't apparent. The young man sending the SMS was in a blue t-shirt and the young man receiving was in a brown polo shirt. There was no other shirts between the two of them.

73
Ed

 

Perhaps too many assumptions are being made here. It says that the operators were given something like 1 day notice. Not exactly a lot of time to round up the blazing fast operators that could have been had on more notice. If I can copy parts of it, they can't be sending all that fast. The download I saw takes a horribly long time so I don't want to do it again, but if you want to find out how fast they were sending, the clip gives you the message and you can time the duration of it. Divide characters by 5, then by duration in minutes and you have words per minute. I would guess just under 30 WPM. The emphasis here was old technology versus new. Chip probably had to squeeze in his plug for ham radio as the Leno people weren't likely aiming at that connection. Ham radio is much newer than morse code. Like one person mentioned, the network may have provided the costumes and it may not have been by any choice of the operators. The costumes would have been maybe more appropriate at an old-time piano players contest. Anyway, congrats to the operators for an error free message while under the spotlight. Well done!
73,   Clay  W0FS

 

My two cents worth...

With all these messages here, not a single marketing suggestion, so I will make one.

All this proves (conclusively) is that a message can be sent faster with morse than by keypad, which is not an efficient method of entering text. The test did show that morse beat keypad hands down. Contrary to the uneducated here, the code sent wasn't even that fast. (It would be interesting to see how fast you have to send morse to beat the average texter...)

Perhaps this test will induce one or more handset manufacturer to interface a keyer paddle as an input device to their cell phones. You know, headset and paddle as an alternative to or addition to headset and microphone. Keep all the other features of text messaging the same, just add a new input device.

You just might see a new generation of people using code and subway cars full of people in Japan with paddles strapped to their knees. The kids who got beat in this test might learn it to. Not for receiving, but for efficient text messaging.

And, not as any licensing requirement, but as a useful, time saving tool.

Bruce, K1BG

 

However,
If anyone noticed that the reading of the message at the end was far faster than the time to send it CW or SMS

Fred

 

FYI, text messages on Cellular are sent by what is known as "SMS" which stands for "Slow Message Services". The actual transfer rate of these messages is like like 1200bps or less. They are transferred as part of the overhead data messages in parts kinda like a packet signal.

It's been 10 years since I played with SMS but I am sure someone could give us the exact info. I worked on some of the original OTA via SMS software. Seems like a loooong time now!!

 

Nice to see CW kicked butt. Currently working on my code. I couldn't understand what was sent but it sounded great!


I guess to send phone messages fast you have to use U for you, R for are. Nice to see CW kick butt sending the entire word.

 

Morse code is a very useful mode. If you know it your far better off. Say the conditoins are horrible and phone wont get through, CW most likely will. Or you arnt even near a radio but somehow need hlep like your trapped somewhere you can bang on a wall or something lol. Proved it last night too, I was talking to a friend on 80M at midnight and with 100W output on 75M we had weak signals to the point that we had to stop but once we went to CW on 80M I could work him 599 with 3 watts! Long live code, it may even save you life. Other than that congrats to the guys on Len, watched it and had to laugh when the crowd and the girl who got the gift were so confident that sms would win! they obviosly never heard morse code for real! Good Job guys!




73's
KB1LQC

 

Now Bill, you know whenever I make funnies about NCTs that I don't mean you. You are exempt from my humor.

Notice a pattern here? Come on, lets get those dour expressions off your faces little NCTs. Lets have a nice sweet cuddly smile....come on, I know your WANT to smile...I am seeing teeth....ahhhhh, there! There's a nice big sunny smile! Lets not have any more "Gloomy Gus" from you fellas now. LOL

 

Just saw the clip because I was asleep when it aired....I thought it was great! I love the code even though I am jealous as heck that those guys are much better than me! Notwithstanding all the banter whether it was a good demonstration or not, ham radio got a boost on Friday the 13th!! Way to go!

 

It is an interesting study to see that nearly all the negative remarks are made by persons on one of the left coasts. It seems pretty clear that they don't really get it (either).

Congratulations to our CW representatives on a find job; but of course you beat them. Was there ever a doubt?

KD5PSH

 

Seeing no hands? Mine is up!