We sign with SK at the end of a CW QSO. Not VA.

SK: ... _._

VA: ..._ ._

They sound very similar.

73 is used because of the way it sounds....

dah dah di di dit di di dit dah dah

dit dit

"Paul Burridge" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 15:29:35 -0600, Dennis Howdy
wrote:


Yes, but why "73", why not "74", or even "69".

When keyed in Morse code it has a certain characterstic 'ring' to it
that few other two-number combinations do. Another one is "VA"
(message ends). Keen CWers will no doubt be able to think of a few
more that fall into that category...
--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.

Paul Burridge wrote:

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 15:29:35 -0600, Dennis Howdy
wrote:

Yes, but why "73", why not "74", or even "69".

When keyed in Morse code it has a certain characterstic 'ring' to it
that few other two-number combinations do. Another one is "VA"
(message ends). Keen CWers will no doubt be able to think of a few
more that fall into that category...

Another neat thing: message ends ("SK" or "VA" run
together) can be, and sometimes is, spoken as
"diddleedadeda" - pronounced diddle e dah de dah
and that has a certain "ring" to ir.

--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.

7 = G ood
3 = C heer

7 = G ood
3 = C heer

Paul Burridge wrote:

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 15:29:35 -0600, Dennis Howdy
wrote:

Yes, but why "73", why not "74", or even "69".

When keyed in Morse code it has a certain characterstic 'ring' to it
that few other two-number combinations do. Another one is "VA"
(message ends). Keen CWers will no doubt be able to think of a few
more that fall into that category...

Another neat thing: message ends ("SK" or "VA" run
together) can be, and sometimes is, spoken as
"diddleedadeda" - pronounced diddle e dah de dah
and that has a certain "ring" to ir.

--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.

Dennis Howdy wrote:
In article ,
says...


On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 13:51:26 -0600, Dennis Howdy
wrote:

Serious question. What does "73" mean?

I have a stack of "73"mags. I'm not a ham however.
If I was, I of course would know.

"Best wishes" or something of that nature.

Yes, but why "73", why not "74", or even "69".

The American Radio Relay League published, some years back, a list
of frequently-used expressions. These were numbered, so that "Best
Regards; Love and Kisses" could be encoded as "73;88".

"Best Regards" (or whatever it is) just happened to be number 73
in the list.

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lacks various commands that can be potentially damaging if used in
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solutions. -- support.microsoft.com

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 15:29:35 -0600, Dennis Howdy
wrote:


Yes, but why "73", why not "74", or even "69".

When keyed in Morse code it has a certain characterstic 'ring' to it
that few other two-number combinations do. Another one is "VA"
(message ends). Keen CWers will no doubt be able to think of a few
more that fall into that category...
--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.

In article ,
says...


On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 13:51:26 -0600, Dennis Howdy
wrote:

Serious question. What does "73" mean?

I have a stack of "73"mags. I'm not a ham however.
If I was, I of course would know.

"Best wishes" or something of that nature.
--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.


Yes, but why "73", why not "74", or even "69".


-Dennis

BEST REGARDS

"Dennis" Howdy wrote in message
...
Serious question. What does "73" mean?
Dennis

In olden days when sending messages via Morse code (CW) there were many
messages that were the same. There were many greetings and endings which
were also the same. It saved time to have a standard list of message numbers
and just send the numbers.

88 = Love and Kisses

There are all kinds such as "I'm OK. Arrived safely" and the like. I have a
list @home. arrl.org probably has the whole list on their web pages
somewhere.

I don't know what 74 is, but my dad (W9EHS) always said "74, one better than
anybody else".
--
73, Steve N, K,9;d, c. i My email has no u's.

As others have mentioned, 73 means "best regards" in hamspeak.

It comes from the days of the telegraph, when a group of numbers were
used as a sort of shorthand for common phrases and functions. The number
73 meant that the signature immediately followed, sort of like:

73,
Roy Lewallen, W7EL

A lot of hams like to say "73's" which of course means "best regardses",
an endearing and Gollum-like affectation. These are, I suspect, the same
general group that go to ATM machines, use TTL logic, and watch LCD
displays. . .