TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 461.fidonet-ls_arrl@1:2320/33 28cc3b48   
   PID: Synchronet 3.20a-Win32 master/4985797d2 May  9 2023 MSC 1929   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.20-Win32 master/4985797d2 May  9 2023 MSC 1929   
   BBSID: TBOLT   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   The Q Code   
      
   The Q Code came into being internationally in 1912 to overcome the   
   language problems involved in communications by radio among ships and   
   shore stations of all countries. The original list of 50 adopted by   
   international agreement in London contain many which are still familiar   
   to amateur operators-QRN, QRM, QSO, the traffic operator's QRK, QSY and   
   QRV -are now well past the half-century mark in continuous usage. QSL   
   still has the official 1912 definition despite the changed informal   
   usages it is subjected to in amateur parlance.   
      
   The QN signals for amateur net operation were introduced in the late   
   1930s by W1UE (now W4IA) to lighten the burdens of net control operators.   
      
   ***   
      
   CQ   
      
   The telegraph call CQ was born on the English Telegraph nearly a century   
   ago as a signal meaning "All stations. A notification to all postal   
   telegraph offices to receive the message." Its meaning was close to the   
   present meanings of QNC and QST. Like many other telegraph terms which   
   originated on the landlines, CQ was brought over into radio and used as   
   a general call to all ships by the Marconi Company. Other companies used   
   KA until the London Convention of 1912, which adopted CQ as the   
   international general call or "attention" signal. CQ still means,   
   literally, "attention" but in amateur radio its meaning is perhaps more   
   accurately described by Thomas Raddell who compared it to yelling "Hey,   
   Mac!" down a drain pipe.   
      
   But why the letters CQ? It's apparently from the French word for safety...   
   or, as intended here, pay attention.   
      
   ***   
      
   73, and other numeric greetings   
      
   The traditional expression "73" goes right back to the beginning of the   
   landline telegraph days. It is found in some of the earliest editions of   
   the numerical codes, each with a different definition, but each with   
   the same idea in mind -- it indicated that the end, or signature, was   
   coining up. But there are no data to prove that any of these were used.   
      
   The first authentic use of 73 is in the publication The National   
   Telegraph Review and Operators' Guide, first published in April 1857. At   
   that time, 73 meant "My love to you!" Succeeding issues of this   
   publication continued to use this definition of the term. Curiously   
   enough, some of the other numerals then used have the same definition   
   now that they had then, but within a short time, the use of 73 began to   
   change.   
      
   In the National Telegraph Convention, the numeral was changed from the   
   Valentine-type sentiment to a vague sign of fraternalism. Here, 73 was   
   a greeting, a friendly "word" between operators and it was so used on   
   all wires.   
      
   In 1859, the Western Union Company set up the standard "92 Code". A list   
   of numerals from one to 92 was compiled to indicate a series of prepared   
   phrases for use by the operators on the wires. Here, in the 92 Code, 73   
   changes from a fraternal sign to a very flowery "accept my compliments,"   
   which was in keeping with the florid language of that era.   
      
   Over the years from 1859 to 1900, the many manuals of telegraphy show   
   variations of this meaning. Dodge's The Telegraph Instructor shows it   
   merely as "compliments." The Twentieth Century Manual of Railway and   
   Commercial Telegraphy defines it two ways, one listing as "my compliments   
   to you;" but in the glossary of abbreviations it is merely "compliments."   
   Theodore A. Edison's Telegraphy Self-Taught shows a return to "accept my   
   compliments." By 1908, however, a later edition of the Dodge Manual gives   
   us today's definition of "best regards" with a backward look at the older   
   meaning in another part of the work where it also lists it as   
   "compliments."   
      
   "Best regards" has remained ever since as the   
   "put-it-down-in-black-and-white" meaning of 73, but it has acquired   
   overtones of much warmer meaning. Today, amateurs use it more in the   
   manner that James Reid had intended that it be used --a "friendly word   
   between operators", or "best wishes".   
      
   75 is used for "May God Bless you and yours".   
      
   88 is usually used between spouses for "love and kisses".   
   --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32   
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)   
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