HO HO is it HI HI or HEE HEE

I wrote an article about this 25 years ago which was recently rewritten and republished.
http://ka8vit.com/special/Why-HI-01.pdf

73 - Bill KA8VIT

Here is an interesting article along those lines for laughing on the internet:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/12/55555-or-how-to-laugh-online-in-other-languages/266175/

Obviously the internet is newer than ham radio, but the international aspects certainly apply similarly.

Note that Danish, French, Icelandic, and Russian all use hihi as an alternate.

Of course in every language but English, this would be pronounced "hee hee", so it makes sense.

Most of the old wire telegraphy abbreviations I've seen are "ha" for laughter, I have not seen "ho" listed in any contemporaneous source but would love to be proven wrong.

Bill Fahle

[slowspeedwire] American Morse on TV

Last week I watched a 1932, John Wayne movie, "Hurricane Express."
There was some telegraph in that movie at 11 Minutes 55 seconds in.
There were several loud people in the room when I watched it, so I could barely hear it, but I have a copy and plan to go back and try again on it.
On youtube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_VjiNm1w3w

if anyone wants to check it out.
Steve Bartlett

How about the movie Western Union.

Did you ever try to copy the telegraph from that movie.

Western Union 1941 Randolph Scott , Robert Young Full Length Western Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EXCF0Goltc

JMJT

Yes..you can copy.

Lots of it.

Good Morse.

They stll knew how in 1939.

Ed. FB

Do you hate dual paddle keys?

I bought a new key recently and was discussing it with other hams.

Turns out a lot of people don't want to do iambic keying.

If you are using a Winkey compatible keying, there is another option that does not behave the same way as Iambic A or B.

That mode is Ultimatic.

This link has a description;

http://fermi.la.asu.edu/w9cf/articles/ultimatic.pdf

Try it, you might like it.
73, Tom - N1MM

I understand that you are jut trying to re-introduce Ultimatic keying.

Its an interesting idea.

Here is a link to some more Ultimatic information.

http://wb9kzy.com/ultimat.txt

At the bottom is a bibliography that dates it back to the 50's.

But why would you hate dual paddles for a mode (Iambic A/B and Ultimatic) that is dependent on the keyer and the whim of the user?
I bought my first dual paddle around 1981, while I was living in Germany and operating as DA2EU.

The keyer I had was capable of Iambic A or B.

I researched the Iambic modes, but I didn't like either one.

So I chose not to use them.

Now I have several different dual paddles and keyers.

Some of the keyers can do Iambic A and/or B, and Ultimatic.

But I choose to not use any of them.

They all work just fine without those keyer modes.
Martin - K7MEM

In reference to K7MEMs' post, I also do dual paddle and non-iambic.

But ... give me a single lever paddle and it's QLF time.

I have never figured out why.

Perhaps the wide track requires less finger movement.

Having used a bug as a kid, there's another skill hopelessly lost.
NS2N ex WB2ABD

Not sure what the "wide track" means.

In the 50's, I modified my Lionel J-36 to bring out the dot and dash contacts separately and, with the weight tied down to the damper, made a single-lever paddle for my homebrew keyer [9 or 10 dual-triodes].

Later dual lever paddles came along, I got a few, but never became iambicized so one or two levers didn't matter.

I tried Ultimatic on a friend's keyer but since I never squoze [past tense of squeeze] there was no difference.
Then I acquired some hand injuries in my mid 20's and began to accumulate birthdays.

After a sufficient number, I found the fingers of both hands were losing their dexterity. I'm left-handed but send with either, more often right so I can write.

I finally contacted N3ZN via PayPal and began using one of his single lever paddles.

Made a big improvement in my safe sending speed.
I think it's cool that the Winkey offers several modes even if I don't use any but thumb and fingers.
73, Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW

I've preferred dual paddles for decades, finding them more forgiving of minute timing errors than single paddle.

For many years, I made no attempt to actually send iambic-style (holding both paddles closed while a character is alternating dits and dahs).

Slowly, I taught myself how to send a few characters at a time in iambic style - Q and Y are very easy, K and C pretty easy, L and F more difficult, characters like N, D, B, A, W, J, and numerals don't actually benefit from "iambicism," etc.

At this point, I send many, but not all iambic-friendly characters that way, but with no guarantee that I'm totally minimizing paddle movements. In fact, I'm not close to "optimal."

But it works for me.

I haven't used a single lever paddle since I gave up on a modified bug and bought my first dedicated keyer paddle, a Bencher BY-1, perhaps 30 or 40 years ago. I still have that bug, long since converted back to semi-automatic, vibrating dots operation and overhauled to near perfection.

I enjoy playing with it, but it's hard work.

BTW, the Bencher is long gone and I love my current arsenal of dual lever paddles - N3ZN-8, Begali Simplex, Sure Profi, Elecraft HexKey.

Plus a few other less favored portable and homebrew paddles, all dual-lever.

I am determined not to become a collector, but there are a few more I'd really like to have...

73, /Rick N6XI

I created a quick YouTube video 9 months ag that shows why I prefer Iambic keying...

and why keying the iambic 7 letters is so nice.

I can switch back and forth, but I do prefer iambic B hands down:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVnTMsqFBzg

Maybe someone will find that useful if you ware wondering about Iambic B keying... C,Q,Y,F,L,R and K.

I have been surprised at how many views the video has had.
Max NG7M

Hello Friends

Received the message below from Dick – K6KSG.

A bit off topic but the info is likely to be of interest to you.

BTW, Meudon observatory (Paris) ceased CW transmissions of URSIGRAM bulletins long time ago.

Solar and geomagnetic data are still transmitted in CW by DK0WCY:

http://dk0wcy.de/schedule_en.html

FY 2019 Budget Would Eliminate WWV and WWVH

08/11/2018

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FY 2019 budget request includes shutting down “NIST radio stations in Colorado and Hawaii” — in other words, WWV and WWVH. Radio amateurs, HF listeners, and others around the world routinely make use of the time and frequency standard signals, which also include propagation information. NIST said eliminating funding currently “supporting fundamental measurement dissemination” would include putting WWV and WWVH off the air for a saving of $6.3 million. The overall NIST FY 2019 budget request is $127 million, which, the agency said, is a net decrease of $49 million from FY 2018 levels.

“The proposed reductions will allow NIST to consolidate and focus on narrower core [fundamental] measurement programs while meeting budget levels,” the agency said in its FY 2019 budget summary. “NIST will focus on basic research while reducing funding for efforts applying some of its breakthroughs into new measurement applications.

The FY 2019 proposed budget cuts developed earlier this year came to light via Tom Witherspoon, K4SWL, who maintains The SWLing Post website, after a number of viewers called it to his attention. He posted an article on his blog.

“I’ve always considered WWV and WWVH to be the heartbeat of the shortwaves here in North America — a constant, timely companion and brilliant gauge of HF propagation,” Witherspoon wrote. I assumed both stations would be some of the last to go silent on the shortwaves.”

NIST said other “illustrative” cuts in the FY 2019 budget include:

· $3.5 million for Lab to Market, which seeks to accelerate technology transfer from federal laboratories

· $6.6 million in environmental measurements projects across NIST laboratories, including work measuring the impact of aerosols on pollution and climate change, and gas reference materials used by industry to reduce costs of complying with regulations

· $5.8 million eliminating the NIST Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Measurements program, including Urban Dome research grants to advance the direct measurement of GHG emissions on the scale of cities or regions.

· $6.7 million in forensic science, reducing the program size to $7.3 million by prioritizing measurement science in the NIST labs and eliminating program management functions and external grants for the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science and the Forensic Science Center of Excellence

· $4.1 million in R&D targeting application of NIST quantum breakthroughs to applied measurement needs, including temperature and atmospheric gas metrology

“I find this budget request very disappointing,” Witherspoon said with respect to the proposed elimination of WWV and WWVH. “Let’s hope, somehow, this does not come to fruition.” He said The SWLing Post would be tracking and posting any new developments

Well, aside our small problem with WWV/WWVH........

more importantly it seems that these cuts are directly in the line of President Trump cuts in environmental research and denying greenhouse effects...
To be very honest and looking to what is really used, (may be I'm wrong, but our US friends may correct me) I do not think that WWV/WWVH are very much used, at least for precise timing and propagation data.
There are lot of time reference by NIST on the net (I discovered this with Logger32 automatic time setting), and propagation data are also clearer and easy to work up with internet sources (including NIST and/or other US agencies).
But as usually, our hobby is "officially" going down... Too bad.
DK0WCY could be the last one to transmit propag data by the way of CW/RTTY... but it's also on the net (once again lot of cluster software, like the one in Logger32 use WCY web link to update data).
It's up to us to carry the CW flag, QRQ or QRS, with cootie, bug or keyer, but always with great fun and lot of friends.
Keep your ears and fingers fit, i.e. no decoder...
BCNU

73 de Gerard, F6EEQ

Yann,

In what year did Mendon Observatory stop sending URSIGRAMS and what was the callsign and frequencies?
I read about them but I don't believe I ever copied one.

73, David

Thanks for the note David.

I have a very faint recollection of these transmissions I'm afraid.

I don't remember the call sign of the station.

I think the QRG was in the 13 MHz band (?).

If memory serves me right, this station ceased broadcasting the URSIGRAM messages in the 1990's.

The bulletins were then available via snail mail for a while.

Radio REF magazine published a series of very interesting articles devoted to the URSIGRAM service in 1984 or 1985 (?), can't check at moment

Yann

You can still get them!

http://sidc.oma.be/products/meu/

SIDC Ursigram

3-day-forecast of solar and geomagnetic activity.

Archive

Latest issue

:Issued: 2018 Aug 16 1230 UTC

:Product: documentation at http://www.sidc.be/products/meu

#--------------------------------------------------------------------#

# DAILY BULLETIN ON SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY from the SIDC     #

# (RWC Belgium)                                                      #

#--------------------------------------------------------------------#

SIDC URSIGRAM 80816

SIDC SOLAR BULLETIN 16 Aug 2018, 1230UT

SIDC FORECAST (valid from 1230UT, 16 Aug 2018 until 18 Aug 2018)

SOLAR FLARES  : Quiet conditions (<50% probability of C-class flares)

GEOMAGNETISM  : Quiet (A<20 and K<4)

SOLAR PROTONS : Quiet

PREDICTIONS FOR 16 Aug 2018  10CM FLUX: 069 / AP: 013

PREDICTIONS FOR 17 Aug 2018  10CM FLUX: 069 / AP: 012

PREDICTIONS FOR 18 Aug 2018  10CM FLUX: 069 / AP: 007

COMMENT: The solar activity has been quiet over the past 24 hours. The

sunspot group (NOAA 2718) remained stable and no significant flare has been

recorded. Quiet flaring conditions are expected for the next 24-hour

period.

No Earth directed Coronal Mass Ejection has been observed. The solar

protons flux remained at nominal levels over the past 24 hours and is

expected to remain so.

Over the past 24 hours, the solar wind measurements continued to be

enhanced with the solar wind associated to the Coronal Hole (which has

crossed the central meridian on August 11). The wind speed increased from

450 km/s to about 500 km/s; The interplanetary magnetic field strength

fluctuated between 3 and 13 nT; The Southward magnetic component fluctuated

between -8 and 10 nT. The enhanced solar wind conditions are expected to

persist for the next 24 hours and start to decline on August 18.

Due to the enhanced solar wind conditions, the geomagnetic conditions was

unsettled to active (K-Dourbes and Kp were ranging between 2 and 4).

Unsettled conditions is expected until while the Earth remains under the

influence of the solar wind associated to the coronal hole. Active

conditions are likely especially if the southward magnetic component

remains negative for longue periods.

TODAY'S ESTIMATED ISN  : 013, BASED ON 18 STATIONS.

SOLAR INDICES FOR 15 Aug 2018

WOLF NUMBER CATANIA    : ///

10CM SOLAR FLUX        : 069

AK CHAMBON LA FORET    : 030

AK WINGST              : 020

ESTIMATED AP           : 020

ESTIMATED ISN          : 013, BASED ON 19 STATIONS.

NOTICEABLE EVENTS SUMMARY

DAY BEGIN MAX  END  LOC    XRAY OP  10CM Catania/NOAA RADIO_BURST_TYPES

NONE

END

BT

#--------------------------------------------------------------------#

# Solar Influences Data analysis Center - RWC Belgium                #

# Royal Observatory of Belgium                                       #

#                                                                    #

# Website         http://www.sidc.be.                                #

# E-mail          sidc-support@oma.be                                #

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#                                                                    #

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# - Use and processing of your personal information:                 #

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#--------------------------------------------------------------------#

Details

The SIDC ursigram starts with the code SIDC URSIGRAM YMMDD, where
Y is the last digit of the year number,
MM is the number of the month,
DD is the day of the month.

A forecast is given on:
the global flare probability,
geomagnetic disturbances,
solar proton events.
PREDICTIONS FOR "today" : 10CM FLUX: xxx / AP: xxx
PREDICTIONS FOR "today+1": 10CM FLUX: xxx / AP: xxx
PREDICTIONS FOR "today+2": 10CM FLUX: xxx / AP: xxx
COMMENT
ESTIMATED ISN : xxx, based on xx stations.
where ISN stands for International Sunspot Number.

OBSERVED SOLAR INDICES FOR THE DAY BEFORE
SUNSPOT INDEX : xxx, the Wolf number observed by Catania
10CM SOLAR FLUX : xxx,
AK CHAMBON LA FORET : xxx,
AK WINGST : xxx,
ESTIMATED AP : xxx,
ESTIMATED ISN : xxx, based on xx stations.

NOTICEABLE EVENTS SUMMARY
DAY BEGIN MAX END LOC XRAY OP 10CM TYPE Catania NOAA NOTE

DAY gives the day-of-the-month.
BEGIN, MAX and END give the UT time of the different phases of the X-ray output of the event.
LOC gives the location of the event in heliographic coordinates.
XRAY gives the GOES X-ray class of the event.
OP lists the optical flare class.
10cm gives the 10.7 cm radioflux output of the event.
TYPE specifies the type of radiobursts observed.
Catania gives the Catania sunspot group number where the event happened.
NOAA is the corresponding NOAA active region number.
NOTE is the header of any other type of information, e.g. if a CME was observed associated with the event.


Check the ISES code book for information on ISES codes.

David

Hello David and the group,
Thanks very much for the information David.

Too bad these bulletins are no longer broadcast in CW by the Observatoire de Paris/Meudon.

These transmissions are regarded as totally obsolete, too bad... Well, I'm behind the time.

These data are still transmitted in CW by DK0WCY, very good signals in EU on 80 and 30m QRGs, long may it continue.
Thanks again David, take care mate.
Yann, F5LAW.

From Dr. Tamitha Skov:
A Pair of Coronal Holes & a Probe: Solar Storm Shortie 08-14-2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl325AOjItM&feature=em-uploademail

"... The news for amateur radio operators is not so great, as the last remaining bright region on the Earth-facing Sun rotates to the Sun's backside out of view. Solar flux has dropped and we are back at poor levels for radio propagation on Earth's dayside. Unfortunately, these conditions could easily continue over the next week or more. ... "CW" for amateur radio operators may be the mode of choice."

Dr. Tamitha Skov:
A Stormy Solar Minimum : Solar Storm Forecast 08-18-2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=807YbZhxEiY&feature=em-uploademail

"... Amateur radio operators might be struggling this week despite a new active region emerging into Earth view. Low solar flux remains on Earth's day side and disruption from the solar storms could make the bands noisy on the night side. ..."

"... Poor radio conditions for the foreseeable future. ..."

Cheers, Darrel, aa7fv.

Have a nice day / week(end) gents, BCNU.

73, Yann, F5LAW

http://www.sideswipernet.org/

By OM Yann F5LAW SideSwiperNetGroup

73, from the town at the rivers "De Bergsche Maas" and "De Dongen" Geertruidenberg (800+ years city rights) at: 51.702211N 4.853854E

Editor Jan Pieter Oelp PA3CLQ

-30-

pa3clq@casema.nl

My simple website about Gigantic DF-Antennas

Part 1 "DF-Antenna Wullenweber Array"

Part 2 "DF-Antenna USSR Variants"

Part 3 "DF-Antenna USA Variant"

Next Part 4 "USSR OTHRA DUGA 1,2 & 3" at:

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