SSB - "Please Copy" may be acceptable after all... (Read on)...

 First of all, I consider myself an "ALL MODE" operator... I mean ALL of them..BUT... I do not 'like' them all. I despise SSB and always have! Not putting it down...but I just don't care for it. Why? I am not sure....but I get 'irked' by those who do not speak well or clearly and don't care to change it. If ham radio is a 'communication medium' it only makes sense to have 'clear communication' right? So for all concerned, speak clearly, speak with PROPER phonetics, and enjoy.

SO, for years I have been busting out pissed off when I hear SSB operators in a contest start with "PLEASE COPY"... Yikes! ..and I don't have a good reason... However, I have ALWAYS been grateful for the QSO/contact and just shook my head....

BUT wait...  Listen to this.... "I" may have been underinformed about the potential origin of this verbiage. ... 

Scott, KA9FOX, someone who I admire for his integrity and humbleness.... shared some "words of wisdom" from Hans, K0HB and NOW ....even "I" get it!... SO, no more bashing those who use "PLEASE COPY" on SSB... 

Here is the communication from Hans as 'relayed' by Scott.....

That practice comes from good historical stock, and I have a fondness for it.

The Sweepstakes contest has its roots in the traffic handlers of the American Radio Relay League (remember that club?).  Sweepstakes was designed for traffic handlers to test their skill at actually exchanging some information (not just running the “FiE NIGH FOE” tape loop).

As you might expect (given the traffic handler roots)  the contest exchange resembles the heading of a standard message being sent for relay. So phone message handlers preamble their traffic with:

 

“Please copy my message #1, Precedence Alpha, from K0HB, Check 17 (groups), Origin Minnesota”

 

So there you have “the rest of the story”.

 

Copy?

 SO, my friends...there you have it... I do COPY and I get it. 

Now, I will NOT NOT NOT use those words EVER (and if I do CALL ME OUT ON IT AND TELL THE WORLD)... but I understand the roots/genesis of the phrase and I can appreciate those who use it.

73, God Bless, and Stay Safe...

Jose

N4BAA