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25Mhz

4K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  Rojjal 
#1 ·
Does anyone remember using 25mhz for ship communications
To Portisheadradio. I vaguely recall using this freq when sunspots
We’re at maximum. I sailed from 1970 to 1984.
 
#2 ·
I don't think GKA had the allocated channels for w/t working on 25 MHz. However I do recall working ships crossband on 22/25 MHz a few times when conditions allowed, and certainly had some QSA/QRK 5/5 contacts on those frequency bands. The w/t transmitters could not be brought up outside of their designated frequencies, although the Quick-Tune R/T (synthesised) transmitters certainly could. It is possible that some R/T calls could have been handled on 25 MHz although I don't think the GKA frequencies were advertised. I will scour through my archives to see if any 25 MHz channels were officially allocated to GKA.
Larry +
 
#8 ·
I certainly cross banded 22/25mhz on WT a few times. You had to have a nice new ship with all the gear not an old MIMCO vessel with a Span 7 thats for sure.

Larry I did not remember having that 25mhz RT channel. Certainly never used it.
Did some odd things on the Aero/point to point with our QT3's and the rotatable aerial though.

Neville
 
#9 ·
I worked an RT QSO way back in 1964 from the Indian Ocean direct to UK using a 25 Mhz frequency. I seem to remember having to send an Atel??? To Portishead to arrange this. QSO started with talking to a “tech” who patched me through to the phone number. My ship was the RFA Tidereach, the transmitter was the Marconi Type NT204 aka Naval Type 640. This had an output of 700 watts on a good day. The antenna was a tuneable whip. The synthesiser allowed any frequency desired to be selected.
 
#12 ·
I notice in the frequency table provided by Larry that there is a 18/19Mhz band. When was this band introduced? I'm fairly sure it wasn't available on the transmitters that I sailed with in the 1980's. It does appear in a GMDSS frequency list that I found so maybe it's a GMDSS requirement? Seems like a good idea anyway to have something between the 16 & 22MHz bands.
 
#13 ·
The new 18/19 MHz maritime frequencies came into effect on 1 July 1991 as a result of a band plan change at the ITU at a previous radio regulations conference (WRC-1987 perhaps). There were also changes to the 12 MHz bandplan at the same time. I do seem to remember some 12 MHz channels changing as a result of the new allocations.

Again, although GKA were allocated frequencies on 18/19 MHz I recall they were working R/T channels only, with no broadcasts or traffic lists on that band.

Larry +
 
#14 ·
Just to chime in, Slidell Radio/;WNU put a 1 watt signal on their 25 MHz WT frequency, and I heard it loudly from off the southern coast of Chile near Cape Horn, they told me I was really loud, it was in 1982 and conditions were very good not like now.

73
DR

David J. Ring, Jr. - ex Tuckerton Radio and various USMM ships.

N1EA
 
#19 ·
I definitely used 25mhz WT from the North Sea to Capetown / ZSC on more than one occasion. I'm guessing this would have been around 1980 and I remember it well because it was like he was sitting next door, really solid. On the amateur bands I've had much CW success on 28mhz in the opposite direction with just a handful of watts, amazing really, dead up there at the moment though.

= Adrian +
 
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