Murky Morse: SOS Mode

[Rumgut]

I've been a ham radio operator on and off for 45 years now, specializing in CW mode (Morse code) up to around 50 wpm. So, naturally, I find the SOS mode on flashlights interesting. I now have two Mags that do SOS: the LED Mini and XL200.

And I'm disappointed in the implementations, because the timing is wrong. Both lights send "SO S" instead of "S O S", with a too-small gap (rushed) before the O, and a too-large gap (delay) before the final S. The net effect is almost like sending "SSO" instead of "SOS". The XL200 sends at a slightly faster rate than the Mini, but the relative timing has the same error.

Now in practical terms, the SOS pattern is clear enough. But I'd think this is a detail that's just as easy for the implementors to get right as wrong. Anyone who actually knows Morse could advise them. But it's as if the thinking is that just sending the characters with some arbitrary timing is "good enough".

Do other people notice the SOS timing on their lights? Is it better on other lights? Do people actually use SOS mode in rescue situations? And is the market such, and the lack of general knowledge of Morse, that no one really cares? Just curious.

 

[eh4]

I hadn't noticed the error.
The main thing that the s o s mode on flashlights do for me is
1. make me wish it wasn't there.
2. remind me that I and the general population should have been taught Morse code forwards and backwards.
3. brings me around to the fact that if it were ever actually needed that it would stand out as an automatic, unambiguous signal.

I'm likely to ignore another just another blinking light out there but a pattern that I dimly remember as "save our ship" or "same old $#!+" or something like that will eventually make me go and see what is going on over there, and they better not have set if off for fun.

The 'murky Morse' just shows how marginalized Morse code is, it's funny though as we've moved ever further into digital communications I'd think that more and more of the population would appreciate a simple code that would let them send information through a variety of mediums.

 

[Norm]

Sorry I can't name brands but I've had lights in the past that implement the code correctly and others that send SOSOSOSOS without gaps at all.

Like eh4 I'd rather a light without flashy modes.

Norm

 

[davepen]

Can you imagine this conversation taking place on a CG rescue helo?

Spotter: Hey, there's a light down there.
Pilot: Yeah, I see it. Forget it, is't not flashing SOS.

 

[TEEJ]

Can you imagine this conversation taking place on a CG rescue helo?

Spotter: Hey, there's a light down there.
Pilot: Yeah, I see it. Forget it, is't not flashing SOS.

LOL

Some of the lights just flash SO SO SO

The spotter looks down, see's the lights....and the pilot asks if they're OK - and the spotter says, "so so"

 

[GaAslamp]

Can you imagine this conversation taking place on a CG rescue helo?

Spotter: Hey, there's a light down there.
Pilot: Yeah, I see it. Forget it, is't not flashing SOS.

That would be unfortunate for me because I still use CQD--I'm old-school that way.

When I first started getting into multi-mode flashlights, I actually gave this subject a fair amount of thought. Originally, I was of the mind that having an SOS mode and not needing it was better than needing it and not having it, but having seen a number of implementations, all of which were flawed in some way, and having given more thought to survival/rescue situations in general since then, I've come to view SOS mode as kind of an unnecessary annoyance. I think I still favor the idea of having some kind of flashing beacon mode on at least one of my EDC flashlights to help get people's attention, however, and I now think that a steadily flashing signal might actually do a better job of this overall as long as the frequency is high enough (but not too high!).

 

[TEEJ]

I carry a mirror for that sort of thing. They don't work well at night though...but few aerial searches are at night anyway, by boat or foot, sometimes at least.



Strobe would probably get someone's attention....but with a flashlight, you typically need it to be essentially pointed at the recipient. That means you probably have a line of sight to them....and, can click the light on/off manually if need be.

If its dark, the lighting up of the tree line will make a larger glow that might get more attention than a point of light.

 

[egrep]

Whenever I accidentally or because I have to cycle through enabling the SOS mode on my lights I tend to laugh and scowl at the same time. Thanks for your post. It needed to be said here and not just at our club meetings. Grin.

BTW, Are you a member of the OOTC?

73 ES GUD DX DE K6OJ (Formerly W4OJ)

I've been a ham radio operator on and off for 45 years now, specializing in CW mode (Morse code) up to around 50 wpm. So, naturally, I find the SOS mode on flashlights interesting. I now have two Mags that do SOS: the LED Mini and XL200.

And I'm disappointed in the implementations, because the timing is wrong. Both lights send "SO S" instead of "S O S", with a too-small gap (rushed) before the O, and a too-large gap (delay) before the final S. The net effect is almost like sending "SSO" instead of "SOS". The XL200 sends at a slightly faster rate than the Mini, but the relative timing has the same error.

Now in practical terms, the SOS pattern is clear enough. But I'd think this is a detail that's just as easy for the implementors to get right as wrong. Anyone who actually knows Morse could advise them. But it's as if the thinking is that just sending the characters with some arbitrary timing is "good enough".

Do other people notice the SOS timing on their lights? Is it better on other lights? Do people actually use SOS mode in rescue situations? And is the market such, and the lack of general knowledge of Morse, that no one really cares? Just curious.

 

[chmsam]

Some years ago I read a report (I forget where) that SOS using flashlights was effective not because many (if any) people knew Morse code any longer but because the light pattern attracted enough attention for people to realize that it was a beacon of some sort. Since the test was done in a wooded area the folks who saw the signal figured that calling the rangers or other authority was the right thing to do.

In a nutshell as long as the blinking light pattern got the attention of those who saw it the right things ended up happening. IIRC as long as the pattern wasn't just steady and monotonous it worked. The pattern was recognized as a repeating "message" and not simply a series of flashes.

There are most likely other lights with better "SOS" features but if folks even care at all about it, they probably don't notice. A lot of people on this forum don't think it's a worthwhile feature anymore.

I know I don't rely on being able to use a cell phone all the time so I don't mind having lights with the feature. And although I like my XL200 there might be some snobby people on this site who'd say that the Maglites were just sending a signal that said, "So So" over and over again.

 

[BarryH]

For good CW, Just wire a straight key to the tail cap. hi hi

73 DE K4WX

 

[Flying Turtle]

Do I recall from an earlier thread that the correct timing for each SOS should be something like 6 seconds. I've had some lights that are much slower.

Geoff

 

[egrep]

The speed of code varies. HAM licenses used to require from 5, 13 and 20 words per minute. The relative timing of each element is fixed however. Google for "morse code PARIS" to learn more. "PARIS" is a standard word used to express the element timing and has 50 elements.

Do I recall from an earlier thread that the correct timing for each SOS should be something like 6 seconds. I've had some lights that are much slower.

Geoff

 

[gcbryan]

I'd rather the SOS mode not be there in general and I don't know Morse code but I do have one flashlight that has Morse Code Mode In other words if you know it you can put the flashlight into a mode where every press and release emits a beam. You could do that with a momentary switch on any light I suppose but in this flashlight that mode is particularly responsive (Photon Proton Pro).

 

[bobbagum]

My Fenix TK35 has weird spacing between each character, it's
. . . - - - . . . . . . - - - . . . The first S and O are really far apart, just as long as the last s and new s so it's like
S OS S OS S OS

 

[Max_Power]

One thing that no one seems to know these days is that if you are in distress and sending "SOS", you don't send an S, an O, and an S. You send it as one big character, like the procedural signals AR and BT (with the bar on top.) This is meant to sound distinctive and attract attention.

dididit dahdahah dididit - this is not an emergency signal, this is the letters S O S

didididahdahdahdididit - this sounds very distinctive and is definitely an emergency signal.

There's an app for the android called moto torch that has the ability to convert text into morse code which is sent using the "flash" LED on the camera, it works very nicely. It also can be used to send continuous flashing with variable duty cycle and repetition rate. Great for annoying your friends .

 

[Limey Johnson]

My ArmyTek Predator has nearly perfect timing. Nice smooth flow, and I have it programmed as one of my modes.

 

[Mr Bigglow]

I have a Chinese-built unit that sends S M S, with pretty good timing however-"send more smores", I guess, you know. for the kids .

 

[davepen]

I have a Chinese-built unit that sends S M S, with pretty good timing however-"send more smores", I guess, you know. for the kids .

That's "Send More Szechuan," silly.

 

[yifu]

That's why i prefer a slower 2-4hz strobe for emergencies. The lights that have SOS do it so slow that it's barely recognisable, a 2-4hz is way better for signalling than both SOS and tacticool strobing.