[Amps] 73

[Harold B. Mandel]

Gents,

A weird posting just came across with mention of the 
shorthand "best regards" that we hear and see in shortwave.

How many of us have sat and copied,

"Dah dah dit dit dit   Dit dit dit dah dah
 Dah dah dit dit dit   Dit dit dit dah dah"

Very often, even RTTY print will read,

"73 73 73  de N1FSX N1FSX BCNU BCNU SK SK"

So to have a fellow ham mention "Best of 73's," brings back
a vernacular of ham radio, a fond memory of the kind of
copy we deal with in its literal form. 

Granted, it's out-of-form to use "73's" in CW or RTTY,
but perhaps in casual conversation such as the reflector,
when we wish each other the "Best of 73's," the author is
perhaps thinking of good QSO's wherein we did repeat
the number in trying to get through the feeling of 
"Thanks, OM, for getting together and working it out through
the QRM and QRN."

None of us are without some loose charcoal, and as we age we
might even be pushing some of the loose granules out our ears
to make room for what's current. There are things I say and do that
possibly irritate others, and the only way for me to resolve this
is with an attitude of trying to be kind.

Respectfully,

Hal Mandel
W4HBM