CW vs SMS

[Panteneman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH_KKa8v ... ed&search=

This is well funny, SMS vs CW.

In your face, modern technology LMAO

[ryan_paul]

Nice one
radio telegraphy is Cleary more suited to both speed and distance.
In an emergency CW can often get through when other forms of communication cant.

On coast last night on BBC 2 they pitted optical telegraph against Text messaging.
Optical telegraphy 27 seconds, mobile phone 4 minuets.

[Andrew]

My arguement would be I don't know how to translate Morse, so sms would always be quicker. SMS basically is late 20th century Morse. Instead of firing out dots and dashes one by one, you store the same on a screen and send them all at once.

If the buttons on the phone were bigger, it would also be possible to send messages quicker. Try sending the same message on a Morse key the same size as the phone, see what happens.

Can you fit a Morse key in your trouser pocket, without looking suspicious, or aroused? Or any pocket for that matter.

I can send a text message to almost anywhere in the world, even when parked on the toilet.

A mobile phone can operate without being 'wired to the wall' or to a big heavy battery.

You can back delete a text message, and change what you are going to say before sending it. How do you back delete a Morse message?

Morse may be able to work in more conditions, but what if their is a power cut?

I can store a text message to send later, or send it to everyone on my contact list, at the same time, for them to read when it suits them.

There is probably more.

[Panteneman]

Morse may be able to work in more conditions, but what if their is a power cut?

Very well answered and some well defined points. But the "Ministry of Pedantry" clearly overlooked that fact that when there is a power cut, they clearly forgot about battery power. Providing they had battery power to hand for the communications needed.

[Andrew]

I mentioned batteries!

[ryan_paul]

Ok Andrew

You have made a very valid point and I have to admit to being a technophobe (this comes from working in IT).

Having said that I would still like to make the below points.

- You cannot always rely on a mobile phone in an emergency because of coverage and quality of service.
- CW or Morse code is very power efficient and can penetrate background interference much better than other modes such as FM or AM.
- Low power CW (about ? to 1 watt) have been known to be received thousands of kilometres away.
- I am a strong believer that simple is best. In an emergency I could probably build a CW Transmitter from a transistor radio.

The link below shows a very simple CW transmitter
http://cs.okanagan.bc.ca/ve7ouc/eng/kc6 ... itter.html

cheers.

[kc]

Don't forget 7/7
What happened was that the mobile phone system crashed. Also don't forget that Morse is low tech & thus capable of beating the electromagnetic pulse bombs so in a emergency I know which I would trust the most.
Also remembering 7/7 don't forget that Morse sets can have a long cord (it's called coax,) fitted between TX & Antenna thus allowing good comms from below ground, something that phones can't often do.
Another point to remember is that text messages can at times of high usage take a long time between being sent send & arriving, something that Morse does not need.
Also with Morse the whole system can be operated portable using batteries does the same apply to mobile phones ??.

[Panteneman]

Good god, it was only a humerous web link

Enough already!

[kc]

Last year on a local RAYNET exercise a RAYNET member found an unexploded bomb in a very thick wooded area. Having marked the location he retired to a safer distance & radioed it in.
A fireman arrived, went to have a look & returned talking on his mobile phone, their radios being so #### that he could not use it..
A copper arrived & returned talking on his mobile phone, for the same reason.
Every year weekend sailors get into all sorts of trouble because they ignore Coastguard advice & go to sea with no marine radio, which can be DF'ed, but instead rely upon a mobile phone.
The sad reality is many that many individuals do see mobile phones as emergency comms & many so called emergency services have radio systems that are so poor that they have no option but to use mobile phones in certain locations, even now.
During a conversation yesterday a RAYNET member asked the question. Who runs the Police radio system ?.....H2O. And what happened during 7/7 ?.... The mobile phone system crashed. Just the mobile system or all of the mobile phone companies radio systems ? ...Ummmmm.
The answer it seems is that the whole system went into over load & that it was not only the mobile phone system that was effected.

[Guzzy]

All I know, is that if I'm ever stuck in the engine room of an upside down, slowly sinking passenger cruise ship.

I will be FAR better off knowing morse (CW) than having a mobile phone in the middle of the pacific...