Full Form of SOS
SOS Full Form
SOS stands for “Save Our Souls” or “Save Our Ship”. But officially there is not any full form for the abbreviation. It is just a distinctive Morse code sequence or distress signal that is used internationally. The code was originally developed for maritime use. An S in this Morse Code represents three dots (. . .) and an O represents three dashes (_ _ _). Thus, an SOS code message is . . ./_ _ _/. . .
History of SOS
- In 1890s, Radio or wireless telegraphy was introduced for the maritime communication. This telegraph system was used by the ships for video and audio distress signals.
- In 1903, Captain Quintino Bonomo, an Italian representative at the Berlin Preliminary Conference on Wireless Telegraphy suggested a common operating procedure. But there was not any attention paid to this operating procedure as it was practically impossible. So for receiving the calls from a distress ship, the wireless telegraph was given the priority.
- In 1905, the SOS distress signal was first used by Germany. The country called the signal Notzeichen signal.
- The distress signal is continuously used as a Morse Code that has a sequence of three dots / three dashes / three dots. This was specified in the 1 April 1905 German Law and the 1906 International Regulations.
- On 10 June 1909, while sailing the Azores, the Cunard liner RMS Slavonia transmitted the SOS distress call. This was the first time when SOS call was sent by a ship.
- On 11 August 1909, the SOS distress call was also used by the steamer SS Arapahoe while it was off the North Carolina coast.
Further Developments
“Mayday” Voice Code
By 1927, “Mayday” was adopted by International Radio Convention. It was the spoken equivalent of SOS which need arose with the introduction of audio radio transmitters. For “TTT”, “Pan-pan” signal represents an urgent but not dangerous situation while “Sécurité” signal was used for navigational safety.
World War ll Suffix Codes
During the World War ll, to get immediate details related to the attacks by enemy vessels, additional codes were introduced. These codes were sent in concurrence with SOS. These signal codes include “RRR” for attack by surface raider, “AAA” for attack by aircraft, “SSS” for attack by submarine, and “QQQ” for attack by an unknown raider.
Benefits of SOS
- If it is required to send an SOS signal in a high stress situation then it is easy to send it in compare to any other code. For example, the code “help” (. . . ././. - . ./. - - .) is very difficult in compare to the SOS.
- It is very easy to remember this one message if you don’t know any other Morse Code.
- The sound of an SOS signal is “beep-beep-beep-beeeeeep-beeeeeep-beeeeeep-beep-beep-beep” which is very distinctive and there is very less possibility of a mistake.
International Morse Code
| A: . _ B: _ . . . C: _ . _ . D: _ . . E: . F: . . _ . G: _ _ . H: . . . . I: . . J: . _ _ _ K: _ . _ L: . _ . . | M: _ _ N: _ . O: _ _ _ P: . _ _ . Q: _ _ . _ R: . _ . S: . . . T: _ U: . . _ V: . . . _ W: . _ _ X: _ . . _ | Y: _ . _ _ Z: _ _ . . 1: . _ _ _ _ 2: . . _ _ _ 3: . . . _ _ 4: . . . . _ 5: . . . . . 6: _ . . . . 7: _ _ . . . 8: _ _ _ . . 9: _ _ _ _ . 0: _ _ _ _ _ |
Advanced SOS APP
The advanced version of SOS app has a numbers of special features because of which this version is quite different from the previous applications. The most distinctive feature is that instead of sending an emergency message, the app sends predefined voice message. This message is send to the emergency response center, any predefined contact of the app's user, and the nearest located person who is using the same app. The application sends the alert to the nearest user because unfortunately if emergency response center has not signals then alert is sent to the local user. All the users of the app are connected using the Cloud Technology in a universal server.
After buying the application from the play store, the user should be able to register with the name, any other emergency number, and most importantly the IMEI number of the device. The IMEI number makes the rescue process easy and simple as it helps the emergency response center to find the person who is in distress situation easily.
Old SOS vs. Advanced SOS
| OLD SOS | ADVANCED SOS |
| Only emergency messages could be sent. | Emergency calls can be done. |
| Only a brief alert could be made. | A detailed descriptive alerts can be made. |
| The application could be run only in android. | The application is supported on all platforms. |
| It requires GPRS data to switch on. | Only GPS is required to switch on. |
Advantages of advanced SOS
- The app is hugely time conservative and provides a perfect help to the user as the user can make a detailed descriptive alerts.
- There is no need of service provider’s network because the app works on a universal network.
- To identify the user quickly, the app registers a user with the IMEI number. This feature makes the application unique.
- To prevent the misuse of the application, there is a special feature. According to this feature, the registration of a particular person’s application is cancelled if there is a fake alerts more than three times. After it, to registered again with the application, the user has to pay again.
- The application does not drain the battery as there is the need of only an active GPS to switch on the application and it does not use data connection.
- There is high reliability of the application at every locations and situations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is there space required in a Morse Code?
Ans. Yes, to separate the letters of a words a space equal to three dots is used and to separate the words a space equal to seven dots is used.
Q. Does soldiers use Morse Code at present also?
Ans. Yes.
Q. Why does Morse Code used in military?
Ans. This covert form of communication does not need any telecommunications equipment. Anything can be used to create noises. That’s why soldiers use Morse Code for communication.
Q. Where is Morse Code used at present other than military?
Ans. Other than military, Morse Code is used by the boys scouts, maritime fisherman, scuba divers, and underwater welders (to communicate inside and outside the under-construction structures).
Q. What is most important advantage of Morse Code?
Ans. To send a secret message or a distress message, Morse Code prove to be most beneficial as it requires only tones and clicks to communicate.