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Message-ID: <WaZ3cNAgu$d6EwL8@pickmere.demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 11:48:48 +0000
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
From: "M.J.Powell" <mike@pickmere.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: LF: CW etc
References: <5.0.2.1.2.20010131074711.00a3d680@mail.pncl.co.uk>
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In message <5.0.2.1.2.20010131074711.00a3d680@mail.pncl.co.uk>, Walter
Blanchard <blanch@pncl.co.uk> writes
>For some reason this didn't seem to make it onto the reflector first time 
>round so here goes again:
>
snip

>"CW" - "continuous wave" - means just that; a steady unbroken unmodulated 
>carrier wave; "N0N"  (or "A0" in old money).  Morse code is mainly sent by 
>interrupting the carrier so how can it possibly be "CW"? 

The old spark transmitters, produced damped wavetrains which carried
their own modulation (rough). When the arc system was produced which
gave a continuous waveform these were designated 'CW'. They required a
beat oscillator to hear them and even though they were interrupted by
the keying the nomenclature stuck.

Mike
> Only amateurs 
>consider "Morse" and "CW" to be synonymous which is a pity because it 
>clouds our thinking.  

Commercial and armed forces transmitters have the Morse position
labelled 'CW' on the switch.

Mike
-- 
M.J.Powell