# Question for sparkies



## beejay (Apr 4, 2005)

In a book I am currently reading,the R/O mentions Best Bent Wire on several occassions.Can any of you sparkies out there explain what it means.
Thanks 
Brian.


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## mikeg (Aug 24, 2006)

Yes, when sent in morse it makes a pleasing rhythm. Doesn't take much to make us happy ;~)

Mike


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

beejay said:


> In a book I am currently reading,the R/O mentions Best Bent Wire on several occassions.Can any of you sparkies out there explain what it means.
> Thanks
> Brian.


Hi Brian
It means nothing, but is one of the most rythmic morse patterns when sent.
Ex Riversdale College r/o's used it as a sort of recognition signal in the 60's but it is well known by all r/o's

Alan


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Dah dit dit dit / dit / dit dit dit / dah (B E S T)
dah dit did dit / dit / dah dit / dah (B E N T)
dit dah dah / dit dit / dit dah dit / dit (W I R E)

That didn't work. Software removes spaces so substitute a pause for /

Preferred mississippi possesses less esses than possesses possesses myself[=P]


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## Dave Woods (Apr 9, 2006)

The one I was taught was - Best Beef Essence

Best regards

Dave


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Not heard that one before, Dave.
Would that be dah dah dah / dah dit dit dah / dah dah dah or
dah dit dit dit / dah dah dah / dit dit dit dah / dit dah dit / dit dit / dit dah dit dit ? [=P]


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## Pete Legg (May 8, 2006)

Many RN Sparkers liked: BESSES. Nice rythm.

Pete


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

for gawds sake................

dont tell em all our secrets............................


and before trotterdotpom comes up with the one about the "rythm method"...... i got it in first.........


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Its' the beat maaaan ......nothing more nothing less
(Hippy) (Jester)


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

I am now starting to understand just why all Sparkies were 'odd'!


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## beejay (Apr 4, 2005)

John Briggs said:


> I am now starting to understand just why all Sparkies were 'odd'!


Thanks everyone for your replies I am in agreeance with John Briggs,came across a few "odd?" sparkies in my time. There again they probably thought I was a bit strange being an engineer.
Brian


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparkie2182 said:


> .....
> and before trotterdotpom comes up with the one about the "rythm method"...... i got it in first.........


Oh no, you beat me with the Duke of Wellington too!

A small point Sparkie, get rid of your Estonian spell checker, as any good Catholic will tell you, the word is "rhythm". Say 5 Hail Marys.

I didn't bother with all that Best Bent Vanilla Essence stuff, I just sent the messages and got back to the bar.

73s to all, John T.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

only on paper ozziedottrotter........


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## Robinj (Jul 20, 2005)

like trotterdotpom preferred the bar not just crazy just pickled[=P]


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

beejay said:


> Thanks everyone for your replies I am in agreeance with John Briggs,came across a few "odd?" sparkies in my time. There again they probably thought I was a bit strange being an engineer.
> Brian


 There's nothing odd about us sparkies - we were the only one's that were right - it was all you other queer buggers that were wrong !


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Gareth Jones said:


> There's nothing odd about us sparkies - we were the only one's that were right - it was all you other queer buggers that were wrong !


Amen to that! (Jester) 

(Thumb)


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

The only sane ones in a mad world [=P]


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## mclean (Jul 30, 2005)

Always remember a great old Irish Sparks I sailed with in the latter fifties. We were running to Pernice quite often, the refinerary at Rotterdam, and a bus was provided for the crew to go back and forth from the gates to the ship. He would get on the bus and remain on it for two hours or so, back and forth from the gate to the ship. He wasn,t odd, he just liked buses.....


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## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

Re the Best Bent Wire bit, I believe the wartime Sparks in Bomber Command
sent it to test their sets before taking off on a raid so the Germans knew an OP was imminent due to all the Radio Testing
Salaams Ern Barrett ex GTZM/AWA/OTC


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## athinai (Jan 18, 2006)

I guess he was talking about someone who was Bent ? With a Best Bent Wire ? chuckle chuckle
We used to use the Words ''Bees Nest'' when practicing morse.
(The Above Is Not Politically Correct. I must apologise in advance. Could'nt resist )


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## Tai Pan (Mar 24, 2006)

It is interesting to know that when most sparks left they had good jobs ashore. Our membership list at the ROA is surprising in the quality of the jobs. Unlike mates who ended up as tally clerks etc or engineers who fixed motor cars.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

how did your job interview for the diplomatic corps go, john?


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## Tai Pan (Mar 24, 2006)

sparkie2182 said:


> how did your job interview for the diplomatic corps go, john?


failed miserably.(K) (K)


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

ernhelenbarrett said:


> Re the Best Bent Wire bit, I believe the wartime Sparks in Bomber Command
> sent it to test their sets before taking off on a raid so the Germans knew an OP was imminent due to all the Radio Testing
> Salaams Ern Barrett ex GTZM/AWA/OTC


 This is correct but the RAF were aware of it - they tested their equipment during the afternoons prior to a raid -I had a friend who was a radio operator in bomber command, and he told me that they were also made to test their equipment on certain days when there wasnt a raid - this to persuade the enemy that a raid was coming and thus waste resources etc !

There were also occasions when a raid was planned and the operators were forbidden to test! so as to encourage to enemy to believe "no raid tonight !".


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## charles henry (May 18, 2008)

beejay said:


> In a book I am currently reading,the R/O mentions Best Bent Wire on several occassions.Can any of you sparkies out there explain what it means.
> Thanks
> Brian.



It was something that if sent in morse sounded beautifully musical, the other
one was best beef essences, you have to be an operator to understand,
its just a lovely bit of musical sending, regards chas (Pint)


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## John Ringrose (May 27, 2008)

*Best One*

One of the best ones I heard was when Portishead replied to a somewhat ham fisted morse sending Sparky.

P U O F.

Please Use Other Foot.


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## Brian Derksen (Jun 4, 2008)

*another rhyme*

One I liked was :

best bent wire is tree.

and I remember hearing the keying of britishships , not especially melodic but nice to hear. It might have been a telegraphic address.

Also re Q codes

QLF- use your left foot (as the right one wasn't sounding too good)
QLC - put on the cook!

Also when I was in the navy I believe that - ZBM2 (or ZBN2 ? ) meant put on a competent operator, in telex procedure.

Brian


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

ZBM2 (place a competent operator on this circuit) was used on cw circuits such as task force intership before RATT became the primary method of working.
There are a load of Z codes available at http://www.kloth.net/radio/zcodes.php

Rab T


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## Brian Derksen (Jun 4, 2008)

King Ratt said:


> ZBM2 (place a competent operator on this circuit) was used on cw circuits such as task force intership before RATT became the primary method of working.
> There are a load of Z codes available at http://www.kloth.net/radio/zcodes.php
> 
> Rab T


ok, tks for the clarification and link to Z codes. It's all slowly coming back, since it was 40 years ago I was in the navy

Brian


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