[GreenKeys] Torn tape continuous transmissions

[Jim Haynes]

On Thu, 23 Jul 2026, Harold Hallikainen via GreenKeys wrote:

>
> On the ping pong transmit, it seems like there would have to be an opertor
> there loading the tapes. If each new tape could be spliced to the end of
> the oldest one, an opertor would only need to be there to splice on the
> new message.
>
One feature of torn tape is the versatility in situations where
routing changes frequently.  A chalkboard can tell the switching
clerks which tape reader to use for which destination.

Another is that message precedence can be easily handled just by
putting the higher precedence messages ahead of the others.  In
some systems there is a tape holder fixture to hold the messages
yet to be loaded into tape readers.  In other situations there is
some improvisation like a clothes line holding the tapes awaiting
transmission.  I remember a talk by a WW-II communications officer
about his switching center as the war was coming to a close, how
there was a huge backlog of messages hanging on wires waiting to
be transmitted, all hanging overhead on wires.
.