Remember these.? All our yesterdays

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 26252
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 11:40
x 7083

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by NewcastleFalcon »

Image

Having edited slightly the old TV announcement for POTD, I went on a bit of a search and found this specialist interest, but quite unique little find, which may interest the former TV engineers on the Forum.

Contains the story of an audio tape relating to Old TV Transmission announcements/ music etc during outages or reduced power...enough to interest me as a casual observer, but plenty more I would have thought for others with more knowledge than me on such things....



Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 51526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
x 6828

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by CitroJim »

We used to have something similar at our transmitting stations, except ours was in the form of a long loop of 5-unit punched tape and put into use if communications with our control stations were lost. Most unlikely as everything was duplicated in some way or another.

As I recall, it contained the station callsign followed by a number of 'Q' codes to convey the required message... This would repeat over and over.

'Q' codes were used as the message would be transmitted both as morse and each mode of machine telegraphy in use...

To my knowledge, it was never needed in 'anger'...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Hell Razor5543
Donor 2023
Posts: 13906
Joined: 01 Apr 2012, 09:47
x 3086

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by Hell Razor5543 »

I was passing through Ferndown on Sunday, and I saw these;
Attachments
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
Own work
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
ex C5 2.2HDi VTX+

Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 26480
Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 14:30
x 5136

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by myglaren »

CitroJim wrote: 14 Nov 2023, 06:59 We used to have something similar at our transmitting stations, except ours was in the form of a long loop of 5-unit punched tape and put into use if communications with our control stations were lost. Most unlikely as everything was duplicated in some way or another.

As I recall, it contained the station callsign followed by a number of 'Q' codes to convey the required message... This would repeat over and over.

'Q' codes were used as the message would be transmitted both as morse and each mode of machine telegraphy in use...

To my knowledge, it was never needed in 'anger'...
An odd coincidence there Jim.

I was reading just yesterday of a dad teaching his young kids the Morse code and the 'Q' codes. He was ex-military and a radio ham.
Kids had two-way radios and would practice all the time.

One day they were with him shopping and doing it out of sight of one another in the shop when a third 'voice' broke in and was asking and answering .

Turned out to be another ex-military radio operator, long retired, who was both amused and impressed with the kids ability.
They made a friend that day,
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 26252
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 11:40
x 7083

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by NewcastleFalcon »

A quest.

Bring to the thread an original photo of a piece of Meccano :!: :-D

On a slight morse code tangent at some time or other I thought I had some sort of electrical set with a morse code tapper thing, mistakenly thinking it was part of a meccano set and was led to this....

ImageMorse code machine 1 by Gary Higgins, on Flickr

...which led on to this, what a joy to see that green tin, the spanner and the screwdriver again, first time in decades!
temp2.jpg
Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 51526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
x 6828

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by CitroJim »

myglaren wrote: 14 Nov 2023, 11:20 An odd coincidence there Jim.

I was reading just yesterday of a dad teaching his young kids the Morse code and the 'Q' codes. He was ex-military and a radio ham.
Kids had two-way radios and would practice all the time.

One day they were with him shopping and doing it out of sight of one another in the shop when a third 'voice' broke in and was asking and answering .

Turned out to be another ex-military radio operator, long retired, who was both amused and impressed with the kids ability.
They made a friend that day,
That is utterly magical Steve :-D
NewcastleFalcon wrote: 14 Nov 2023, 12:14 A quest.

Bring to the thread an original photo of a piece of Meccano :!: :-D
I can't. Unusually perhaps, as a kid I never had Meccano. Mainly because I had enough of the real thing to play with and learn on!

I do like that morse machine... It looks very much like an inker to me... It would convert the incoming morse into a representation of dots and dashes on that long thin roll of paper so it could be read at leisure...

Also, similar to how a lot of the raw traffic for Bletchley Park was recorded. Here a device known as an undulator was used to record the patterns made by the frequency-shift keying of the German 'Sawfish' (Sägefisch) radio transmissions onto paper tape for reading and transcription to 5 unit tape for onward transmission to Bletchley park via secure teleprinter and subsequent decryption by Colossus...

To have skilled operators, known and Slip Readers, interpreting the undulator output was a lot more accurate than using electronic devices to do the job. Also, the Slip Readers could cope with QRM (interference) and QSB (fading) which the early electronic decoders couldn't... They still couldn't in my early professional days, until DSP and FFT techniquies came alomg...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
MattBLancs
Donor 2024
Posts: 3372
Joined: 25 Apr 2022, 09:03
x 1676

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by MattBLancs »

Meccano - no, sorry
Washer, bracket and a square nut
Washer, bracket and a square nut
Nearest in this house. My son's wooden construction stuff. Most of the wooden bolts seem to have gone AWOL at present.

This he's made, he tells me is a picture and tends to be balanced precariously around the house !
"a picture" courtesy of eldest son (4)
"a picture" courtesy of eldest son (4)
:)
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 26252
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 11:40
x 7083

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by NewcastleFalcon »

Nice one Matt. Someone may have a piece of meccano lying around, and those little spanners could be the most likely remnant which may be found. Failing that the quest is for an original photo of a piece of Meccano. Now those living near here I would accept a photo of this bridge...and with the quest in the sub conscious the FCF faithful may notice meccano in other places...antique shops/ auction viewings/ yes I bet the Brighton Toy museum and other such places may have some on display.

I am pretty confident the quest can be fulfilled given a little time :-D

Image

Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 15043
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
x 6476

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by mickthemaverick »

I may have some in the loft but in the meantime I found this offering on Ebay which is a replica of the set I had for Christmas as a 7 year old!! :-D

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355155634423 ... R_T-p_f5Yg
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 15043
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
x 6476

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by mickthemaverick »

I just had a quick look in the one place other than the loft where I have some memorabilia type stuff and while there was no Meccano i did come across this gem which has special meaning at the moment!! :)
MTMO
MTMO
MTMO
MTMO
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 26252
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 11:40
x 7083

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by NewcastleFalcon »

Half a Crown spent on the programme well worth it :-D Watched the recent Bobby Charlton documentaries, from his own words and those of Franz Beckenbauer, they pretty much cancelled each other out in the final on team orders.

I am presuming you were there, and that is a personal souvenir.

On the meccano front a video I watched showed that the red and green, went on to be red and yellow in the 60's.
The set I remember was Red and Green.

Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 15043
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
x 6476

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by mickthemaverick »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 14 Nov 2023, 22:07
I am presuming you were there, and that is a personal souvenir.

Neil
It is indeed a personal souvenir although we weren't at the Final. We had attended a group game where I bought the programme, the quarter final and semi final but Dad could not get any tickets for the Final so we settled down at home to watch on TV in black and white. At precisely 12 minutes to three our telly went pop!!! We had to rush round to our neighbour's to watch the game, so a memorable day for more than one reason!! :-D
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
Rp0thejester
Donor 2024
Posts: 2708
Joined: 11 May 2022, 19:54
x 882

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by Rp0thejester »

What a legend he was and still is in my opinion!! Even though I'm an Arsenal fan. As for the TVs thank goodness they invented Auto Tune, I hated moving the bars and readjusting the aerial
Ryan

'99 Xsara 1.6 X (Red) with Sunkissed bonnet. T59 SBX
'54 Astra Estate 1.7DTI (Artic White)
'06 C8 2.2Hdi Exclusive (Aster Grey)

Champion of Where's CitroJim :-({|=
Yes I ask the stupid questions, because normally it is that simple.
Citroenmonamor
Posts: 24
Joined: 27 Sep 2023, 18:08

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by Citroenmonamor »

The Toffo's and Yorkee.Hard enough to break teeth lol
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 26252
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 11:40
x 7083

Re: Remember these.? All our yesterdays

Unread post by NewcastleFalcon »

Citroenmonamor wrote: 14 Nov 2023, 22:40 The Toffo's and Yorkee.Hard enough to break teeth lol
I think that tells me you have started from page 1....plenty more to go...but a decent read and chip in where you can :-D Join the latest Meccano quest :-D

Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey