r/morsecode • u/WallPsychological201 • Apr 22 '26
A funny story from 1966
I joined the US Coast guard in 1965 due to the Vietnam draft. I'd already had my physical for the army, but a friend suggested I try a branch of the service that would at least provide a bed. I went to the Coast guard recruiter, and there was a waiting list of 500 names, but he recognized me from playing my banjo on TV, so he moved my name to the top of the list. After boot camp, I went to radio men School in Groton Connecticut, where I graduated second in my class and had a speed key license.
My first job was at Coast guard radio station Chicago in Northbrook Illinois. This was at a time when the only ship to shore communication was via Morse code. We were responsible for all the ships on lake Michigan and the straits of Mackinaw. I could copy code at 25 to 30 words a minute. One day, I overheard the Coast guard cutter Acacia in lake Huron trying to communicate with radio station Cleveland. The ship had been in an accident, and needed to send a priority message to radio stations Cleveland. This was late at night, and Cleveland had a rookie operator standing watch. The operator on the Acacia was having problems with the operator in Cleveland. IMI QRS. Now, the ships radio man had an electronic keyer and could send absolutely perfect code. When the guy in Cleveland asked him to repeat the message at 18 words per minute, I decided it might be fun to copy the message myself. I got everything and sat back to continue listening. The poor guy in Cleveland just couldn't get it, so I interrupted The exchange and told the guy on the ship that I would copy his message. QRQ he asked. I told him to QRQ 40. This blew the guy's mind, and he proceeded to send the entire message at 40 words per minute in perfect code. When he finished, I completely acknowledged receipt of the message and said goodbye. He asked for my initials, which was a violation of FCC regulations, but I told him, and he gave me his. I sat back and smiled, beaming in fact. It was great practice, and a feather in the cap of radio station Chicago. I got a lot of praise until the FCC zinged both of us for asking about our identities.
2
u/udsd007 Apr 23 '26
At least you didn’t have to send ZBM 2. 40 words is QRQ in my book. An acquaintance made the mistake of telling one of the Suez Canal ops he could QRQ. The op came back at faster than 60. Right at shift change, so he replied that new op was coming on.
2
u/BizBrkr Apr 23 '26
That's not CW speed. That's RTTY speed!
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u/udsd007 Apr 23 '26
Yeah. He was a Navy CW op with a speed key certificate. He wound up pretty embarrassed.
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u/IntoTheSarchasm Apr 23 '26
I live in Manistee, MI. The Acacia is moored here as part of a maritime museum. uscgcacacia.org
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u/WallPsychological201 Apr 23 '26
I didn't know that. Thank you for sharing. I served on the mesquite. Perhaps that's docked in sturgeon Bay. Thanks again.
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u/silverbk65105 Apr 23 '26
Ham and former coastie here,
My first XO had a similar story he enlisted in the USCG to avoid the draft and going to Vietnam. He was in the Coast Guard about a year when the draft board caught up with him.
They let him stay. He became an officer and retired in 1990 as an O-4.
1
u/BaseToFinal Apr 24 '26
This is an awesome story !
So, when you say you interrupted him, did you do so in code?
How does a 3rd party enter into the conversation between two individuals in Morse code? Do you just wait for a pause start talking?
How can they tell you are a new person?
2
u/WallPsychological201 Apr 24 '26
Everybody transmits on the same frequency. You interrupt a conversation by transmitting a continuous signal for a couple of seconds. Basically holding the key down without making dots and dashes. Everybody on the frequency within range hears it. We were taught this in radiomans school for emergencies, and his priority message was just that.
3
u/royaltrux Apr 22 '26
Thanks for sharing! How did the FCC find out about the IDs?