Ships Nostalgia banner

B.O.T. Radar Maintenance Certificate.

27K views 114 replies 52 participants last post by  Varley 
#1 ·
Around the time I left the sea I began to hear rumours that a Radar Mtce Cert would be made compulsory on all single R/O ships. Can anyone tell me if this actually happened ?
 
#32 ·
Yes, it was known as C-Band radar. Claimed to combine the advantages of 9GHz X-Band (fine discrimination) and 3GHz S-Band (long range and better penetration of rain). Radars were built to operate in C-Band but I am not aware of any that were fitted to merchant ships in any quantity.
 
#36 ·
Yes Mike, I think the chap who filled in the details must have been of the old school as I recall that the writing on mates tickets was of the same standard. The details on the back of the certificate are also very neat and distinctive. I collected it at Manchester, and the clerk who issued it barely scrawled his details! Regards, Roger
 
#43 ·
Mine's 4604, dated 3rd August 1972, following the exam taken at Norwood Technical College in July 1972.

On the back it had to be corrected as the exam date was typed in as 1952 - if that were true, I would have been the youngest recipient by a very long way !

It's on linen, front signed by W Madigan, 'An Assistant Secretary of the Board of Trade', the rear signed by C R Langham, Superintendent at the Port of London.
 
#47 ·
Got mine in 1976 at Riversdale, at the end of the MRRT course. Did other colleges do this? The upshot for radar was that I sat a C&G theory exam not the BOT theory paper - and I still think the C&G one was the easier. The MRRT (Marine Radio and Radar technicians' Certificate) came in conjunction with the C&G Final Telecomms cert which we completed before the marine radar and marine radio papers.

Anyway, by 76, trying to get a 2/RO job without the radar qualification would have been completely futile. At Riversdale we (I think) had the MIMCO RL 16. I still remember the time base generator was based on a discrete monostable flip flop. Happy days! There was an earlirt generation of valve MIMCO radar as well, but I don't remember it's designation.

At sea, I found the Decca radars to be more reliable.
 
#51 ·
hi mick

Thanks for your reply, Yes it was Stan who got me through my radar & added another 10 years to my career. A dedicated man who passed on his knowledge to an old fart like me who thought he had come to the end.

I passed my ticket in a private radio school in Eglantine Ave of the Lisburn road in Belfast, On reflection I would have done better with Roly & his methods,

regards

ronmac
 
#52 ·
I remember doing my radar practical exam at Leith. They had two radar types which were allocated randomly by the examiner on the day so it was necessary to swat up on both. I was one of a class of nine and was allocated the Decca RM1226 while all the rest were allocated the Marconi RadioLocator (much easier). Funny coin that DOT chap used.
 
#53 ·
I did mine at Northern Counties, Preston in 1974, nr 5096 where I did MRGC M/389.
Radio locator IV and the other was a Decca, can't remember the model now.

Sailed with Photoplot, 21/16 and also had one of the first Situation Display Radars from KH installed with much pomp and ceromony and which promptly failed within a couple of days from Tilbury bnd Aus.
I had been told that under no cir***stances was I to touch the thing but the other radar was a KH photoplot if I remember correctly and something needed to be done. After lots of traffic with KH to no avail we were told to shut the thing down for the rest of the trip to Aus. After discussion with the OM, I dived inside and managed to get the thing working enough for use. The downside to this was returning it back to the original faulty condition at 4 am after FWE in Melbourne before the KH chaps descended.
I do believe it was made obsolete within a couple more years although I think it was well liked by the navigating department.
 
#54 ·
Did the MOT Radar at Norwood Tech (following straight on from the PMG 2nd and 1st class) in '62 on the Radiolocator 4, I think one of the instructors was a guy called Gibson.

Only other radar I sailed with was the Kelvin Hughes 14/12 - did the course for that, as mentioned by others, at the end of Southend pier, notable only for the very dodgy hotel and 20 free rides on the pier train - also the slap up dinner the KH guys took us out for, presumably for propaganda purposes.
I worked for NZ shipping who tended to put their radars in a hut at the foot of the radar tower above the monkey island, not too pleasant for fault finding in a swell (which was a frequent occurrence)! I seem to recall that the 'locator 4 had a few readily accessible bits that bit the unwary with 4kV odd as I found to my cost a couple of times.

One of the tricks I used to enjoy was to reverse two of the three connections on the magslip which cause the display trace to rotate anticlockwise instead of clockwise. The mates used to look at it in puzzlement, not quite being able to work out what was wrong! Only worked once a ship though.
On one ship, the Paparoa, the mates kept reporting a particular fault with the radar, the dreaded spoking. Each time this was reported, I could find nothing wrong and went back on watch only to have the fault reported again. Turned out that because the ship had a very tall chimney (known I believe as a woodbine), it needed an extra tall radar scanner tower and so the ship's main aerial was only a foot or two above the scanner. Consquently, when I keyed the transmitter, the transmissions broke through into the radar scanner and were reproduced faithfully on the display! Of course, when I was called to look at it, no transmissions were taking place and the spoking went away. Took a while to cotton on to that one!
 
#56 ·
Received a call from the bridge by the brand new third mate, "the main radar is arcing". I'd just replaced the CRT, so suspecting a badly seated EHT conector I headed up there fast but on arrival no crackling, no flashing, no smell and everything still working, "so how do you know it's arcing" I asked?. "Look", he said, "its drawing arcs on the display." (Radar - radar interference).
 
#57 ·
Radar Observers

Spring in the North Atlantic, westbound off the Grand Banks. Master brought out of retirement (retired some ten years previously) and had never sailed with radar. The Mate, a man in his late fifties, had just done a Radar Observer's course prior to joining in Avonmouth. In their eyes I was a just boy Sparks on his second voyage unsupervised.

Shortly after 0400 hours I was woken and summoned to the Bridge where I was met by the Mate and the Master (in his pyjamas and dressing gown but wearing his uniform cap). The Master said he wanted me to send an urgent Ice Warning, as we were running into a massive icefield.

There had been no mention of ice in any of the weather and ice reports for our area that I had copied the previous evening and passed to the Bridge before going off watch. Being somewhat sceptical by nature, I peered out into the night, seeking confirmation of this enormous icefield. There was nothing to be seen except the night, the waves and some rain. So I asked where the ice was.

''You can't see it'' I was told by the Mate, pointing to the radar. ''It is over 10 miles away.'' I was a bit taken aback by this and peered into the Radiolocator IV display. There, spreading right across the screen, at about 10 miles ahead, was the typical return from the rain in a line squall. Out two heroes had never seen rain on a radar picture and were envisaging a rerun of the Titanic. When I said that it was only rain, they looked at me as if I was mad as well as too young to know about such things.

They were astonished when we eventually sailed into and through the squall without any nasty crunching noises from the hull. Great relief on their faces as they watched the radar screen and saw the squall pass astern and eventually fade away. They were much relieved, but only until I told them that ice was such a poor reflector of radar signals that the radar was unlikely to detect anything (other than large bergs) it until they were virtually on it. I explained that although rain could be picked up at long distance (as they had discovered), the Mark I eyeball would see the ice before the radar did. Their Great Relief was quickly replaced by Great Concern. I left them to their worries and went back to my bunk.
 
#58 ·
Can't let this thread go without mention of Pete Masters at Brunel Tech (Bristol) in 1979 - we learnt so much more in the 3 months Radar Course after completing the MRGC course, no doubt due to the intensity of the course and the quality of teaching.

Managed to find 5 faults in the exam on the Radiolocator 2 when there were supposed to be 4, much to his surprise. Glad we didn't have the Decca to be examined on - one of the early models with boards of ICs all over the place.

Understand he has now passed on, which is very sad - he used to give me and a fellow student a lift back home if it was raining...nice chap.

Larry
(Cert No 7777)
 
#61 ·
Did my radar ticket at Bristol Tech with the previously mentioned Mr Masters.
Excellent tutor. Marconi Radiolocator 4 and 4A. Never saw another one after that. Sailed on one ship with very unreliable BTH radar and last ship had Kelvin Hughes 21/16P. Brand new , no manual, no diagrams. I managed to find one fault even without the aid of a manual or schematics.
 
#65 ·
I also sailed with a BTH RMS2. Had a lot of tuning troubles. At one point, I forgot to dog down the doors of the cabinet in the Radar Room. As I hot footed it to the Bridge, we rolled sharply, the door slammed with an almighty bang and the picture was fine. 'Wonderful job Sparks' said the OM. I said nothing !!

David
+
 
#62 ·
You all seem to be under a misapprehension. The Radar Cert was in full swing at Soton in 1958/9. We had all the Marconi gear Mercury and Electra.

My first ships Esso Oxford and then Solo on The MV Broompark a brand new vessel was fitted with PPI marconi radar. And all Marconi Gear throughout.

Never had any trouble getting any station worldwide. I got so used to comms that I would duck out the Radio Room and smell the weather, never failed in picking the right frequency.

Didn't have a drinking problem wasn't introduced to that until I migrated to Australia with AWA. Only then after I left the sea and wen't into full time electronics...the TV industry was kicking in in 1963.

Made the fatal error of trying to integrate with the Aussies, boy how they put it away.

Gave the whole idea away after that, no "mates" funny mob the Aussies, wousers and boozers.

A pint in an UK pub was an occasional luxury.

I enjoyed my life at sea there was a golden rule no drinking at sea and only a few I met actually were boozers the rest didn't worry about it.

Good mates Good Times many ports twice around the world.

Left because the "efficiency experts" were looming and could see that the end was nigh.

Anyway best regards to all with no opinion because everyone experienced different lives after WW2.

Roy
 
#77 · (Edited)
Equipment:

I had to look it up... Must have a memory fault :)

Radiolocator 12 (my favourite and on which I passed).

3 faults (one of which wasn't part of the exam ( I was told afterwards); but the one I found first); in 1 & 3/4 long, sweaty hours; The hangover didn't help!

The celebratory "pint" in the KMH next door afterwards sorted the hangover.


DECCA RMS 1230C with boards full of DIL TTL flip- flops ...seriously interesting after the "discrete" Radiolocator.

If memory serves:

(R)elative
(M) otion
(S) Band (interswitched with the X band on the nav "bridge".)

Both X and S transcievers were in our Radar Room along with the interswitching unit and all the other gubbins concerned.

(12) inch PPI

I don't recall what the (30) stood for but
(C) was Clearscan which was early DSP of a kind.

We also had a Kelvin Hughs Situation Display with its little TV camera and glass screens.

We, of course, were not allowed to touch it; as it was there purely for the Navs to play with. It was so big it didn't fit on the "bridge" so it was in our radar room; and, by all accounts of those who sailed with it; a pain in the "ass" to work with.

Peter
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top