RadioBanter - View Single Post

February 3rd 05, 11:09 PM

In article .com,
writes:

The big question is: what does it matter if Morse is binary or not?

. . . finally . . of course not. But you already knew that . .

Quite true. The coslonaut (reaching for the threashold of space
through surplus helium balloons) originally posted a troll message
to liven up this "members-only" chat room cum group blog.

Webster's New World Compact School and Office Dictionary
(1989) has the definition of BINARY as following:

"1. Made up of two parts: double 2. designating or of a number
system in which the base used is two, each number being
expressed by using only two digits, specifically 1 and 0."

As used in all electronics, the first definition is used with an
emphasis on STATE of something, such as on or off, there or
not there. Two-state.

In on-off keying (OOK) CW the carrier is either present or not
there. Two states.

In PSK morse code, the carrier is either phase-shifted or not
phase-shifted. Two states.

In MCW the tone is either there or not there. Two states.

In the original Morse-Vail Telegraph System (beginning 1844),
there was either current flowing in the wire lines or not flowing.
Two states.

In later "polar keying" telegraphy, the current was either flowing
in one direction or flowing in the opposite direction. Two states.
However, such "polar keying" (originally "polarized keying"), those
are implemented as TRINARY since there is the state where no
current is flowing in the loop.

It is not known if Reggie Fessenden invented polarized keying in
1900 (Rev. Jimmie Who will be sure to sermonize on that later),
but polar keying was often used in old teleprinter wired systems.

Morse code is definitely BINARY. Binary does not refer to the
time or duration of maintaining either of two states.

None of that really matters to any policy discussions. It matters
greatly to those chat-roomers or morse-bloggers who MUST fill
space with all kinds of miscellaneous dreck subjects reveling in
the sanctity, efficacy, nobility of an archaic communications
system coming up on its 161st anniversary of existance. It's so
damn good that every other communications service uses morse
code, right? :-)

Meanwhile, let's all give hearty congratulations to the coslonaut
for having achieved a 100,000 foot attitude!