Sending a Message Then and Now

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Sending a MessageThen and Now

• Trinidad
• September 2008
• Nico Beute

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What will we do today?

• Send a message - using yesterdays technology
• Send a message- using todays technology

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On the evening of 14 April 1912, in the wireless
room of the Titanic, Phillips was sending
messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, working to
clear a backlog of passengers' personal messages
that had accumulated when the wireless had broken
down the day before. Bride was asleep in the
adjoining cabin, intending to relieve Phillips at
midnight, two hours early. Shortly after 930 pm,
Phillips received an ice warning from the
steamship Mesaba reporting a large number of
icebergs and an ice field directly in the path of
Titanic. Phillips acknowledged the Mesaba's
warning and continued to transmit messages to
Cape Race. The Mesaba's wireless operator waited
for Phillips to report that he had given the
report to the bridge, but Phillips continued
working Cape Race. The warning was one of the
most important warnings Titanic received, but for
reasons no one is sure about, the warning was
never delivered to the bridge.After 1100 pm,
Phillips was again interrupted by another ship,
this time the SS Californian. The Californian's
only wireless operator, was reporting that they
were stopped and surrounded by ice. The
Californian was very close and the signal was
strong and loud in Phillips' ears. Phillips
quickly sent back, "Shut Up! Shut Up! I am
working Cape Race," and continued communicating
with Cape Race while Evans listened a while
longer before going to bed for the night.
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The Titanic struck an iceberg at 1140 pm that
night and began sinking. Bride had woken up and
began getting ready to relieve Phillips when
Captain Edward Smith came into the wireless room
and told Phillips to prepare to send out a
distress signal. Shortly after midnight Captain
Smith came in again and told them to send out the
call for assistance and gave them Titanic's
estimated position. Phillips began sending out
the distress signal, code CQD, while Bride took
messages to Captain Smith about which ships were
coming to Titanic's assistance. At one point
Bride jokingly reminded Phillips that the new
call was SOS and said "Send SOS, it's the new
call, and it may be your last chance to send it."
After taking a quick break, Phillips returned to
the wireless room, reporting to Bride that the
forward part of the ship was flooded and that
they should put on more clothes and lifebelts.
Bride began to get ready while Phillips went back
to work on the wireless machine. The wireless
power was almost completely out when Captain
Smith arrived and told the men that they had done
their duty and that they were relieved. Bride
later remembered being moved by the way Phillips
continued working.
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The Titanic

• The unsinkable ship
• They received warning messages, but The
  Titanic did sink
• Help was very near, but Call for help was not
  received by the Californian, only 10 km away

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The Task (1)

• Build a device that uses Morse Code
• Test the device by sending the messageSOS Save
  our Souls

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The Task (2)

• Participant A -Think of an emergency situation,
  then send a message explaining the situation and
  ask for help. Keep it secret
• Participant B-Once B understands the message
  report group and time taken on the flip chart
  time from A starting to transmit
  to B understanding the message
• RULE No speaking, but B may nod after each
  letter or word. Once B thinks he understands the
  message he must tell A what he understands

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The Task (3)

• Repeat the task reversing roles, but message must
  be different
• Record time taken on Flip Chart

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The Task (4)

• Repeat the task using a mobile phone message can
  be the same
• Record time taken on Flip Chart

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Summarising

• A sends message to B using Morse Code
• B sends message to A using Morse Code
• A sends message to B text on Mobile phone
• RULES
• No speaking, but B may nod after each letter or
  word. Once B thinks he understands the message he
  must tell A what he understands
• Record time from start of transmission to
  understanding the message

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Messages

• Give examples of messages that are sent in
  everyday life today.
• Explain and discuss
• Importance
• Reasons for secrecy and security
• How is security achieved?
• Accuracy requirements.
• How do todays messages differ from yesterdays
  messages?
• Technology used
• Social requirements
• Spam and advertising

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History of Telegraphy

• Ancient Optical Smoke signals
• 1800 Optical Semaphore
• 1832 Signal over Electrical Wires
• 1837 Morse Code Morse Vale
• 1891 World-wide cables
• 1896 Radio telegraph Marconi over 6 km
• Codes, modulation, multiplexing
• 1910 Printing telegraph
• 1920 Telex network
• 1970 Internet - Email
• 1991 World-wide web

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Align the project to the curriculum framework or
standards

• This should be the first thing you do together
  with the educator
• Consult education standards and get help from
  education department. Learn about
• Electrical based communication
• Morse Code system
• Wiring, switches, simple circuits
• Teamwork, problem solving
• History of communication

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Reflection Questions

• What was one thing you liked about this lesson
  plan?
• What is its main weakness if any?
• What should be included to bring in technology
  used in our modern society?
• How would you modify the instructions to improve
  the experience of participants?
• How would you use it in the classroom?