Trials and Errors #60: How Shorthand Moved from Telegraphy to Ham Radio

This is the forum discussion for the "Trials and Errors -- Ham Life with an Amateur" column, on the topic of how our CW has integrated codes from telegraphy to texting. If you have some comments about this topic, or anything that would help us improve the content, please post a note here. All comments appreciated, both positive and negative. VY 73, Dave W7DGJ

 

Would have deserved the explanation that 30 from the 92 code is also still with us, being the sound equivalent in American Morse to di-di-di-dah-dit daaaaaah, which ITU today lists it as <VA> (di-di-di-dah-di-dah, end of work, often written in guides as <SK>).

 

That's a great article, Dave. I've often wondered what life would have been like for a professional telegraph operator. Thanks for another glimpse!

 

I know that ROFL was Rolling On the Floor Laughing and the slightly more profain ROFLMAO. There are humerous ones that do the rounds as being medical abreviations like NFN as Normal For Norfolk, FUNDY is Fowled Up Not Dead Yet (Fowled is the polite version...) and GOFP as Good Only For Parts. Then there are ones used in engineering such as SNAFU as Situation Normal All Fowled Up (again Fowled being the polite version). Then there are ones from the postal service like RTS being Return To Sender and SWALK being Sealed With A Loving Kiss. I'll leave people to figure out NORWICH, a quick web search will give you the answer...

We probably see and understand many abreviations as we go about our daily lives.

Dave (G0DJA)

 

I've just remembered another set of codes that are used mainly at motorbike races by the marshals to report on various issues on track or about a casualty. These are 'Kilo' codes, so "Killo 19" means that the rider who has fallen off is up and looks to be OK.

Here's a link to the full set.

https://data.app.sportity.com/257f9...6c-5247-4e49-9d1c-0f2cb6e0e94c_kilo-codes.pdf

 

Dave, I'm personally glad the Phillips code didn't translate to Amateur Radio!
Outside of its intended purpose, it was essentially a nod to Samuel Morse's symbol code where you needed a book to decipher it.
Abbreviating everything to obtain speed is like a bad joke. If you have to explain it, it becomes a bother than it's worth.

Those here who have had to decode a standard format METAR report on a particularly active weather day, thank the FAA for making the METAR available in Plain English format in the 90's.

Texting abbreviations have made it to Amateur Radio.
Thankfully though, most operators seem to prefer HIHI over LOL! because they'd have to learn more punctuation

Seriously though, IMO Non-Standard abbreviations are part of what we do. Why spell out a word when you can abbreviate it by dropping vowels and not loose the meaning? I don't do it alot, but I do it often enough; I just make sure the word sounds the same if pronounced.

 

Communications in the Air Force were a little different. We used "Z" codes. zes1=incomplete message, zes2=garbled, ZAL is QRT, just Google military Z codes.
Another comment - I have an old sounder and was wondering how they copied code using only clicks. Thanks vry interesting thread. 73

 

Jim ... do you know any Z code that worked its way into Morse? I wasn't familiar with them, thanks. Dave

 

All of them, both in NATO and Warsaw pact countries but on either side with different meanings.
As for amateur radio - ZUT is well-known, an inofficial code for "CW forever" (much more often "cwfe" can be observed though).
ZAP is used mostly by German-speaking amateurs for confirming bulletins after the transmission, like a net checkin. The station logging the reports starts out with ZAP de <callsign> K.

 

During the code/no code wars of c. 1990-2007, younger no-coders often made fun of the CW ops’ “stupid, ancient” abbreviations. It amused me that a few years later, many were using texting abbreviations. Many of which were created on dial-up BBSes and services that used glacially slow 110 and 300 baud modems. Same needs, different times, different letters, and each group going all patriotic about their shorthand. People are funny. LOL.

 

As always, a very interesting article...and extremely daunting! My next big goal is to learn CW, and I'm getting all my ducks in a row to tackle it this winter (not a lot to do on the long, cold, snowy PA days). Now you're telling me: in addition to learning the Morse code alphabet and numbers, and learning how to translate those dits & dahs into actual words...now I also have to learn/memorize a bunch of code abbreviations?! OMG...STFU!

To some of you this is probably NBD, just another day in the park...but TBH, I'm feeling a bit intimidated at the prospect; SMDH at the thought. I'm NGL...real FOMO. I visualize a bunch of you OG's ROFL as I try to muddle my way through.

Oh well...YOLO. My success or failure at becoming a CW op has yet TBD. Practice makes perfect, and all that stuff, right? Nobody ever died from a little embarrassment, AFAIK. Chin up; KCACO. THX for the heads-up.

TTFN; 73
Brando

 

Brando, that's hilarious. I "got" about one third of what you said. Dave W7DGJ

 

Dave, belatedly, as usual a good read. And "who knew" I might have a relative who worked for Samuel Morse! Orrin Wood very well could be down the line of the past on my paternal side (Grandmother's kin). Now I'll have to go digging just for the laughs.
Thanks & 73,
Mac

 

Thanks Mac. let us know what you come up with! Dave, W7DGJ