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The best 80's Marconi station I have ever seen...

8K views 51 replies 14 participants last post by  Ron Stringer 
#1 ·
VLCC Brazilian Peace.

From the FB marine radio group...

Two Apollos were not uncommon...but two Conquerors as well?

(EEK)
 

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#6 · (Edited)
Tony,

Officially they were 1.5kW transmitters (the GPO/BoT) limit for UK-flag vessels). In reality with a decent antenna it was quite easy to get 2kW (shush, Harry Gilder may be listening).
 
#21 ·
In the 60's and 70's we weren't allowed more than 100w. Then I went foreign and had loads of power and synthesised frequencies. That seemed a 'great leap forward' for me.
This going to show how ignorant I was, I thought that in the 60's when I was a sparks that all shipping (UK and foreign) was limited on their tx outputs but it looks like foreign companies provided bigger and more powerful equipment. Thought I was in heaven when I finally got a Crusader.
 
#19 ·
Now this ages me. I sailed on RMS Orion in 1954. My responsibilities included the two accident boats, each with spark transmitters. Testing the transmitters was frowned on as the multi-frequency 'raspberry' noises imposed on all receivers on the ship, on all frequencies, were 'disliked'. The morse 'noise' could cut through any opposition, on any frequency. There was a modern invention there too - a receiver using a diode valve - suspended with elastic bands because ANY vibration created a musical sonic warble. Apparently the equipment was tuned for 500 Kc/s but who knows. Good job I wasn't transmitting at 2 kWs but could only reach the horizon.
 
#20 ·
Past & Present ish

Early 70’s, I had a ‘junior’ who had been an R/O during WW2, he was revalidating his ticket.
Showing him the radio room on the Governor (T J Harrison) which had O’Span VII, and Mercury/Electra rx’s.
“I suppose this is a big change to the gear you sailed with”
“NO not really”
 
#22 ·
On going on US flag ready reserve vessels andUS flag trading vessels in the late 80s I thought I had walked into a museum. When I took over the SS John Brown surveys her RCA station was same as a lot of the 60/70 era ready reserve fleet. We were so lucky even having Atalanta and Worldspans and then KH Zealand synthesized stations. It was a totally different world.
 
#23 ·
As far as I know there was only the 1.5kW power limit applied to British-flag merchant ship radio stations. (Exceptions were made for some high-profile passenger ships). The 100W used by most UK ships was adequate prior to the shut-down of the Area Scheme, which meant that it was only really necessary to reach the nearest free relay station so shipowners were reluctant to purchase the more powerful (and more expensive) transmitters that were available. Foreign-flag vessels did not have access to the Scheme and had to contact stations at extreme range.

However in respect of frequency allocations the UK authorities allocated only the bare minimum requirements rather than all those available in each band. The initial licence for each new building set down the allocation and the details were passed to the supplying radio company, which crystalled the transmitter accordingly. So in each HF band they allocated only one calling frequency and two working frequencies.

In the MF band the allocation was 410, 500 and 512kHz plus two others chosen (by the authorities) from 425, 454, 468 and 480kHz.

This limitation was claimed to ensure a spread of ship calls and working across the band and avoid all the ship's trying to use the same frequency simultaneously.

Extra frequencies could be authorised on request by the shipowner but most had no in-house radio expertise and didn't bother. Ships of companies with radio superintendents often had much better provision.

Whether or not the restrictions were justified is debatable but the advent of synthesised drives made it purely academic.
 
#25 ·
With respect to transmitter (DC input) power in the mid 50's to early 60's. I never knew any free-lance ship that had more than 400 to 600w and I think Scandinavian flag of this time were much the same.
There were British companies that fitted MF only to their new-builds (one I recall tramp outfit Chapmans of Newcastle) but the majority of f-g MF only then and a great favourite of the Greeks were second hand (RCA 300w) WW2 Sam class Liberties where (Blue Funnel as one exemple) the new owners didn't feel it necessary or were too tight to refit with new Mf/HF transmitters.
 
#27 ·
Let's put it this way good or bad most UK shipping outfits never had to worry on their supply of RO's. radio equipment, technical back-up/spares etc all courtesy of radio companies whereas if they had been direct-employ and of ill-repute they'd have had little choice but to up the salary ante or their ships would remain alongside..
 
#29 · (Edited)
I don't know that improved redundancy equals better communications unless one is considering only periods where breakdown prevented use of the 'Main' equipment. Addition of TOR did (if we ignore the indiscipline now allowed in drafting the information, if any, in the transmitted message). Addition of Satcom WRT R/T did too (but then who does not remember the closing phrase of every business conversation "Now Chief/Captain you will summarise all that in a telex as soon as you can please".
 
#30 ·
Mid 80’s, a new build (Liberian flag) came in with MF station only, and Satcom.

She was to be Aussie flagged. Aussie rules, I was told, dictated that an alternative means of comms was required for the crew to make R/T calls, as these were cheaper at the time than Satcom. A “conqueror” was fitted.
I was later informed by the attending Super’ that the TX would not be used as the crew would not be bothered with all the faffing about with link calls etc.
 
#31 ·
Was this ship Liberian flag or Australian flag? In the mid-80s Australian ships still had conventional radio stations by regulation. They didn't go to Satcom until 1992. Highly unlikely that the Australian Unions would have agreed either (even though they were in the process of selling out at the time). I think that any ship that showed up in Australia with those conditions would have been breaking the law and wouldn't have left until they rectified the situation.

John T
 
#32 ·
John

The ship was the Irene Greenwood. She came into HK as Liberian flag.

Even though she was a new build, the accommodation was being ripped out. Bunks/beds were being lowered/widened, to satisfy, whoever. I thought my memory was reasonable but at this time in life!! , I assumed with the amount of Aussies and talking with Super and R/O that she would fly the nations flag on departure.

I apologise if any of the information I related, remembered is incorrect.

Peter
 
#33 ·
No worries, Peter. Irene Greenwood was with West Australian Stateships. In latter days they named all the ships after lesbians.

She definitely had an RO until 1992, there was no way that anyone other than an RO would have ever got a squeak out of a Conqueror. In the mid-80s a lot of Eng. Superintendents used to spruik about ROs getting the boot. For some reason some of them thought that was a good idea.Turned out they were right in the end, but we all knew that.As it happens, with the Australian shipping industry, I suspect Eng. Supers have gone down the same track.

John T
 
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