Scouting, Volume 30, Number 1, January 1942 Page: 9
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at Night
Sea Scout Committeeman
Noank, Connecticut
W:
f ith this information in hand,
we set about developing a practical
Morse code night-signaler useful
up to ten miles. Our first experi-
ment was with a series of automo-
biles, which in a sense are ready-
at-hand flashlights of powerful vol-
tage. These were placed as in
Fig. 1. Note that the message
eventually came back to the
source, which was a good way to
check the results. Such a "cir-
cuit," with each station recording
the message on paper or in a sig-
nal log, is, incidentally, an excel-
lent way to give signaling tests for
Scouts and Sea Scouts.
One automobile headlight with
standard 21 - candlepower bulbs
proved satisfactory on clear nights
up to about three miles. Beyond that
both lights were used, distance
fusing them into one. The longest
distance covered was between two
headlands, partly over water, for
which both headlights were fitted
with 33-candlepower lamps. It
measured thirteen miles and was
possible only because both stations
were elevated considerably above
intervening terrain.
The ordinary car light switch
proved not only too slow for effi-
cient signaling but, because head-
lights often die out slowly, was
confusing unless the lamp was di-
rected square at the receiving sta-
tion. An ordinary telegraph key
inserted in the light circuit cured
this trouble. Experiments were
made with a ply-wood shield used
as a shutter over a constantly
burning light, and while it proved
quite efficient it was a clumsy
thing to handle and exposed the
operator unnecessarily.
Before describing the portable
equipment later developed, it
should be mentioned that we con-
sider automobile headlight signal-
ing an emergency or auxiliary
type of signaling and plan to prac-
tice with it occasionally.
In all cases cars should be run
to a predetermined signal station
(such as a small plateau or a long
smooth beach or a mountain-side
road bend) and a compass bearing
given for the light shafts. In using
the compass, it must be removed
from the car, say about 20 feet
away, in order that electrical cir-
cuits and magnetism within the
steel body parts do not cause devia-
tion. Modern cars having "sealed-
beam" headlights throw their light
centers about 5 degrees to the right
of center and this error should be
compensated for when placing the
car on a compass bearing. Exact
bearings are required only for dis-
tances of three miles or more or
on stormy nights when "full lens"
very materially increases distance.
Fig. 2 shows the portable
signaler as developed. It is impor-
tant that the equipment be self-
contained, and for that reason a
field desk which is also the case
for the lamp, batteries etc., is in-
cluded. The Scout in charge is
responsible for checking every
item of the outfit, keeping it ready
for instant use and seeing it stowed
in its bracket in the trek-cart or
at the Troop rendezvous.
Note that the lamp is portable
and may be clamped to a tree or
a mast or any high place, and that
its control wire is rubber-covered
and long enough to permit the
key to be located in a sheltered
place: inside a car or a tent or
behind a windbreak. The monitor
light is essential as it indicates
errors in sending to the operator.
Current is taken directly from a
6-volt motorcycle storage battery
which can be recharged by a home-
radio charger or from a generator
belted to the trek-cart axle. Leads
are provided for emergency use to
clip onto the terminals of any car
battery, as well as a separate 110-
volt house circuit plug-in. A
change of lamps is necessary for
110 volts or, as we found more
practical, a separate head-light and
100-watt bulb operated by an "oil
key" to obviate sparking and arc-
ing. Warning: In using 110 volts
be sure that the operator is not
grounded. Have the circuit care-
fully checked by someone with
electrical training.
Ot/~
A dog-leg relay around an obstacle
In sending signals, speed is always
secondary to accuracy. The Morse
code is to be found in the Hand-
book for Boys and the Sea Scout
Manual; also the abbreviation sig-
nals and numerals. It is far better
to send 20 accurate letters per
minute than to send 30 inaccurate
letters twice. Conventional signs
for sender and receiver are on
page 216 in the Handbook for
Boys.
Naval and other blinker systems
have many abbreviations or com-
binations of letters which mean a
complete phrase or message, but
it is hardly to be expected that
Scouts need be familiar with them.
Rather, in composing the message,
strive for brevity and abbrevia-
tion where possible, remembering
that clearness of meaning is most
important; conciseness is secon-
dary. Thus:
"Can you see us?" becomes
"Can U C us?"
"You are to send two Scouts
at once to Middlebury airport."
becomes "Rush 2 Scouts Middle-
bury airport."
A
Help Organize a New Troop or Pack in Your Neighborhood
straight-away signal circuit is
not always possible, and it is wise
to arrange dog-leg signaling by a
relay system in order to signal
around mountains or headlands.
Two signaling sets at each station
except the first and last will
greatly speed up the relaying, as
the message can be sent on its
way before it has been entirely
received. It is important to screen
the two lamps so that station 1
sees only one set and is not con-
fused by the message being relayed
on to station 3. Foliage, a blanket
or a group of Scouts make effec-
tive screens.
JANUARY, 1942 g
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 30, Number 1, January 1942, periodical, January 1942; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313078/m1/11/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.