Capitol Records Building Morse Code

This iconic Los Angeles landmark has been emitting secret messages since it opened. However, only those with a keen eye for Morse code can decipher what they say.

It was the former president of Capitol Records, Alan Livingston, who got the idea to have the light on top of the building send out a signal in Morse code. The word chosen for this secret message was “Hollywood.” When the building opened in 1956, Samuel Morse’s granddaughter Leila Morse had the honor of turning the light on.

Read the rest of the story at Atlas Obscura.

This Wheel's on Fire

This year is the 50th anniversary of the release of the L.P. Music From Big Pink by The Band. In conjunction with the anniversary, Rolling Stone published an article titled "The Band’s ‘Music From Big Pink’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know" by Jordan Runtagh.

One of the ten things I didn't know was that the Morse Code and a semi-automatic telegraph key was instrumental in the creation of one of the songs on the LP, "This Wheel's on Fire."

Here is the story from Mr. Runtagh's article:

When it came time to record “This Wheel’s on Fire,” a Rick Danko tune put to Bob Dylan’s lyrics, Hudson created an unusual staccato keyboard effect by hooking up his RMI Rock-Si-Chord electric piano to an old semi-automatic telegraph key purchased from an army surplus store. “It has a reiteration feature, so that if you move the key in one direction, you would get one dot or dash, and if you move it the other way, you would get reiterated dots,” he explained in a December 1983 interview with Keyboard Magazine. “I got a little box and mounted some quarter-inch receptacles into it through which you could connect the key to the instrument. Then you set the reiteration rate, and you were ready to play.” Manipulating the on/off signal on the device created an abrupt, percussive sound, much like Morse code. “Garth just hit that key when he wanted the sound,” remembered Helm.

Mystery on 1370

On September 19, I heard a very weak station on 1370 kHz at 0500 UTC. It was so weak that all I could hear were voices mumbling way down in the mud. I could not make out a single word and would have tuned to another frequency, but right at the top of the hour, there was a high-pitched tone (time signal) followed by weak, but decipherable Morse Code.

Just four letters: TRLB or TRLD. The signal faded badly on the last letter and I am not sure if it was a B or a D. I searched high and low trying to find out what those letters signify, but I have found nothing. Grasping for straws, I thought maybe that the TR was really a C, but I could not find anything on CLB and CLD either.

Since then, I have been returning to 1370 at the top of the hour, but I have not heard a repeat of the Morse code.

If anyone has a clue, I would sure like to hear it!

This Day in History… Transatlantic Cable Service

Better late than never...

On August 16, 1858, the first message was sent via the transatlantic cable.

The telegraph was the first device to send messages using electricity. Samuel F. B. Morse is credited with inventing the telegraph. He first demonstrated the telegraph in 1837.

Read the rest of the story here.

Surfin’: Ham Radio School Days

This week, Surfin’ is impressed with a middle school project involving ham radio.

Surfin’: Radioing the Titanic

This week, Surfin’ hops on the wayback machine and revisits the 100 year old radio communications surrounding the Titanic disaster.

Surfin’: Post-Apocalyptic Hamming

This week, Surfin’ discovers ham radio in the post-apocalyptic world of Robot Monster.

Surfin': CQ, The Movie

This week, Surfin’ listens for the sound of “CQ” and other Morse coding in the movies.