Avery Fineman wrote:
The dit-dah-dit of "R" has a nice little pattern to it and
is intuitive for that. It continued on into radio after 1896..."R"
meaning
"okay" or "all right."

"R" takes on extra significance in meteor-scatter and moonbounce
communication. Meteor-pings can be so fleeting, and moonbounce is
generally so weak, there have to be specialist QSO procedures.

These procedures strip the QSO down to its bare essentials. They involve
lots of repetition, but they are very strict about requiring full
confirmation both ways. Both stations must copy both callsigns, a signal
report and the confirming "R" - if any of that is missing, it doesn't
count as a QSO.

You and the other station might each have to sink a half-hour or more of
concentrated effort into a single MS or moonbounce QSO... and in spite
of the tenuous communication, there's a lot of satisfaction in knowing
that the other guy is trying just as hard as you are. But in the end,
the whole effort hangs on copying that final "R". There may be only one,
and it may be only just above the noise level... but you *must* hear it.

So when it finally comes, that "di-dah-dit" pattern means a lot more
than a casual "OK": it says "We-nailed-it!"


--
73 from Ian G3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
Editor, 'The VHF/UHF DX Book'
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

In article , "Ian White, G3SEK"
writes:

Avery Fineman wrote:
The dit-dah-dit of "R" has a nice little pattern to it and
is intuitive for that. It continued on into radio after 1896..."R"
meaning
"okay" or "all right."

"R" takes on extra significance in meteor-scatter and moonbounce
communication. Meteor-pings can be so fleeting, and moonbounce is
generally so weak, there have to be specialist QSO procedures.

Roger that, Ian. :-)

I meant no disrespect for moonbouncers or scattered scatterers, was
just ruminating on the mass of jargon and phrases that have become
commonplace in radio communications in many radio services, both
civilian and government. "Roger" as an affirmation word has been
with us for six decades and seems entrenched as an equal to "okay"
over radio.

Using "roger" instead of the word "okay" (common in several
languages, not quite as common as "hamburger") seems a sort of
tribal speak kind of exclusive jargon. The same with vocalized "73"
instead of saying just "best regards." Same number of syllables
and takes about the same time to pronounce. :-)

Len Anderson
retired (from regular hours) electronic engineer person

Len wrote:

Roger that, Ian. :-)

I meant no disrespect for moonbouncers or scattered scatterers

Don't worry, Len, I never imagined that for even a moment.

, was
just ruminating on the mass of jargon and phrases

Likewise... although this really isn't a topic for r.r.a.homebrew.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK

On 09 Mar 2004 22:37:12 GMT, (Avery Fineman)
wrote:

Using "roger" instead of the word "okay" (common in several
languages, not quite as common as "hamburger") seems a sort of
tribal speak kind of exclusive jargon. The same with vocalized "73"
instead of saying just "best regards." Same number of syllables
and takes about the same time to pronounce. :-)


An old G3 chum of mine goes *nuts* if anyone uses these CW
abreviations on phone.
--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.

Len wrote:

Roger that, Ian. :-)

I meant no disrespect for moonbouncers or scattered scatterers

Don't worry, Len, I never imagined that for even a moment.

, was
just ruminating on the mass of jargon and phrases

Likewise... although this really isn't a topic for r.r.a.homebrew.


--
73 from Ian G3SEK

On 09 Mar 2004 22:37:12 GMT, (Avery Fineman)
wrote:

Using "roger" instead of the word "okay" (common in several
languages, not quite as common as "hamburger") seems a sort of
tribal speak kind of exclusive jargon. The same with vocalized "73"
instead of saying just "best regards." Same number of syllables
and takes about the same time to pronounce. :-)


An old G3 chum of mine goes *nuts* if anyone uses these CW
abreviations on phone.
--

The BBC: Licensed at public expense to spread lies.

In article , "Ian White, G3SEK"
writes:

Avery Fineman wrote:
The dit-dah-dit of "R" has a nice little pattern to it and
is intuitive for that. It continued on into radio after 1896..."R"
meaning
"okay" or "all right."

"R" takes on extra significance in meteor-scatter and moonbounce
communication. Meteor-pings can be so fleeting, and moonbounce is
generally so weak, there have to be specialist QSO procedures.

Roger that, Ian. :-)

I meant no disrespect for moonbouncers or scattered scatterers, was
just ruminating on the mass of jargon and phrases that have become
commonplace in radio communications in many radio services, both
civilian and government. "Roger" as an affirmation word has been
with us for six decades and seems entrenched as an equal to "okay"
over radio.

Using "roger" instead of the word "okay" (common in several
languages, not quite as common as "hamburger") seems a sort of
tribal speak kind of exclusive jargon. The same with vocalized "73"
instead of saying just "best regards." Same number of syllables
and takes about the same time to pronounce. :-)

Len Anderson
retired (from regular hours) electronic engineer person