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Author Topic: Maritime CW stories  (Read 1473 times)

AE0Q

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #15 on: February 14, 2021, 01:19:44 PM »

Crossing the Pacific during the night used to be a lonely stretch, once we got in the middle near Pitcairn it really did become a radio dead zone for a few days, just too far from anywhere.

My job as a Crypto Tech (Maintenance) in the Navy (CTM2) had me going out on destroyers for a few months at a time in the early 70's.  Based in Rota, Spain we would install an equipment shelter on a ship while they were in the Mediterranean, and eventually had one on a destroyer in the Indian Ocean.  Our gear was almost all receivers (VLF thru UHF) and a team of CT operators would monitor whatever there was in the area.  We usually had 2 CTR (CW), 2 CTI (Linguists), 2 CTO (TTY ops) and CTT (other specialized systems) people on the team. 

The CTR's worked port and starboard watches 24 hrs a day, usually copying Russian ships, or CW signals from local countries in Africa, some were police nets on CW.  Being a ham that only used CW, I helped them by sitting their posit to give the ops breaks, once they taught me the format they used for copying all the signals on a mill.

For our own comms we tied into the ship URC-32 HF transceivers for our encrypted TTY transmissions to a Navy shore station, using the other sideband of the DSB transmitter.  It was kind of like ZL1BBW in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean was a radio dead zone.  The I.O. wasn't a very strategic area for the Navy and the shore stations (Rota and Guam) didn't have rhombics aimed there.

Our CTOs would cut tapes of signal reports to send to NSA and they would pile up for days at a time while the ship had no circuit with any shore station.  I went to the radio room to see what the Radiomen could do and was shocked to find them using a frequency list and just trying each freq, going up the list with no regard for time of day or propagation.  Trying to raise Spain or Guam from the middle of the I.O. using 4 Mhz in daytime, or 19 Mhz at night, at the bottom of the sunspot cycle!  I tried to explain what bands would work but they had to go by some Navy procedure.  We would go for a week at a time with no communications to the rest of the Navy.  We were intercepting lots of new signals but couldn't send reports...

It was spooky being on a ship that far out and not having any 2-way communications.  I could copy hams on the CW ham bands 24 hrs a day but the ship couldn't get a teletype circuit up.

Glenn AE0Q
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #16 on: February 14, 2021, 02:59:09 PM »

That was another long haul, from Freemantle across to Durban for bunkers,  Always had good contact with the Aussie coast stns,  then would pick up Durban radio, halfway across we used to work a French Weather stn on some remote island is the southern ocean.

It was only when I went to visit a HF coast stn (GKA) and had a listen to a Search Point that you realise just what a job it was, a fairly narrow band and the whole world in there.  Without very narrow filters and the benefit of Rhombics with good f/b that they stood any chance.

In the latter days GKA had a special Pacific Watch, used to enjoy  doing that, down in D wing, peace and quiet at night time.

Cheers  Gavin
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ex MN Radio Officer, Portishead Radio GKA, BT Radio Amateur Morse Tester.  Licensed as G3YCP ZL1DAB, now taken over my father (sk) call as ZL1BBW.

AE0Q

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #17 on: February 25, 2021, 08:41:12 PM »

I just got my copy of "SOS to the Rescue" by Karl Baarslag.  It's an interesting book, with a very detailed index at the back.  Printed in 1935, it has 18 B&W photos of ships and radio rooms.

The history of SOS is early in the book.  In 1903 the Italian Delegation at a conference in Berlin proposed SSSDDD as the distress signal.  In 1904 the Marconi Company issued an order that CQD be used.  In 1906 the Germans proposed SOE, and because E could be lost easily in noise or if "nervously transmitted" the International Convention decided on SOS all run together.

Lots of detail, the author interviewed a lot of Radio Officers at the time to make an accurate historical record.

Glenn AE0Q

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N5PG

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #18 on: February 27, 2021, 12:49:02 PM »

The story of the fire and sinking of Holland America's Prinsendam had plenty of 500KC action.

 See https://qsl.net/n1ea/

N1EA's page has some relevant links too.
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #19 on: March 10, 2021, 11:43:09 PM »

I have just received my copy of Portishead Radio a Friendly voice on many a dark knight by Larry Bennett.

Now I must declare that I worked there and know Larry well.

If you want a really good read about the history and goings on at what was undoubtable the largest and best maritime radio station in the world I would really recommend this book, its on Amazon.

I never realised that in 81/82 nearly 25 million words of  QTC traffic were handled plus just short of a million minutes of RT and 545,000 minutes of RTTY traffic, an amazing feat given that we were battling with the Woodpecker on a daily basis plus a whole host of EU stns at our backdoor.

The most amazing things are some of the tales that are told, I can recall most if not all of them and the characters that went with them.

Worth a read.

UP GKD QRY 28 AS

Gavin
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AE0Q

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #20 on: March 11, 2021, 08:39:44 PM »

I have just received my copy of Portishead Radio a Friendly voice on many a dark knight by Larry Bennett.
Now I must declare that I worked there and know Larry well.
If you want a really good read about the history and goings on at what was undoubtable the largest and best maritime radio station in the world I would really recommend this book, its on Amazon.

It's a great read, I got my copy a few months ago :-)  Larry will sign a copy but does not ship to the US so I had to get mine via Amazon...

Quote
UP GKD QRY 28 AS
Gavin

Yikes, with everyone fighting the woodpecker the next guy in line would be waiting all night :-)

Glenn AE0Q
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2021, 10:19:27 PM »

I have just received my copy of Portishead Radio a Friendly voice on many a dark knight by Larry Bennett.
Now I must declare that I worked there and know Larry well.
If you want a really good read about the history and goings on at what was undoubtable the largest and best maritime radio station in the world I would really recommend this book, its on Amazon.

It's a great read, I got my copy a few months ago :-)  Larry will sign a copy but does not ship to the US so I had to get mine via Amazon...

Quote
UP GKD QRY 28 AS
Gavin

Yikes, with everyone fighting the woodpecker the next guy in line would be waiting all night :-)

Glenn AE0Q

No, that sort of QRY would see a few extra ops (there were normally plenty of us on, and if it was chaos they would drag people out of landline)  piled onto what ever band it was, and it would be cleared in double quick time, you had to be pretty smart when 16 was heading for closure if there was a biggish QRY on the band, all hell would break loose to get it cleared.

The worst bit was about 0500 when after being there all night the band would start to open up to the Gulf, there could be a big QRY to hand over to the dayshift guys that poured through the gate at 0800 all fresh eyed ready for the day.

Think the worst I ever got when I was at sea was something in the 30's around christmas time, just put em on the speaker and wait for it.

Larry has done a first class job of writing the book and collating all the info.

What do you reckon about the characters P281 - 287?

Cheers  Gavin   
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GW3OQK

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #22 on: March 12, 2021, 04:30:50 AM »

You all speak so highly of the book I've just sent for one.

One Christmas day in the Atlantic all were invited for pre-lunch beers in the Captains cabin. Portishead first sent a LONG greetings and thanks message to all ships, then started on a LONG traffic list. I often wished you would just send each call sign once, we didn't really need the repeat. By the time MVYY was not included at the end of the traffic list the beers were over.
73, Andrew
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #23 on: March 12, 2021, 10:50:02 AM »

You all speak so highly of the book I've just sent for one.

One Christmas day in the Atlantic all were invited for pre-lunch beers in the Captains cabin. Portishead first sent a LONG greetings and thanks message to all ships, then started on a LONG traffic list. I often wished you would just send each call sign once, we didn't really need the repeat. By the time MVYY was not included at the end of the traffic list the beers were over.
73, Andrew

I had hesitated in getting a copy, wondering how I would see it, but I shouldn't have, even managed to get a couple of my mis/deeds mentioned anonymously.

Doing the T/L was one job I steered clear of, there were people that were red hot at it.  The book has a great picture of "The Carousel"  and a mention of the time someone stuck a plastic hand on it with bloodstained stump to remind people to keep fingers out.

Ken (Inky) would often send the list at christmas live on his beaten up old vibroplex and he rattled along on it.

Hope yr keeping well up in GW Land Andrew.

Cheers 
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ex MN Radio Officer, Portishead Radio GKA, BT Radio Amateur Morse Tester.  Licensed as G3YCP ZL1DAB, now taken over my father (sk) call as ZL1BBW.

AE5X

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #24 on: March 12, 2021, 04:39:42 PM »

If you want a really good read about the history and goings on at what was undoubtable the largest and best maritime radio station in the world I would really recommend this book, its on Amazon.

Mine's on the way and will be here Sunday. Thanks for the recommendation.
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AE0Q

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #25 on: May 13, 2021, 08:54:32 PM »

The story of the fire and sinking of Holland America's Prinsendam had plenty of 500KC action.

 See https://qsl.net/n1ea/

Here's the link to the World Radio article on N1EA's page, it's easy to miss:

https://qsl.net/n1ea/WorldRadio_N1EA_Prinsendam_SOS.pdf

That's a heck of a story, it put me right off ever wanting to go on a cruise :-(   I'm glad all my sea time was on Navy destroyers, when everyone on board has a job to so things seem safer..

Glenn AE0Q
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AE0Q

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #26 on: May 23, 2021, 10:29:47 AM »

"SOS to the Rescue"  (1935)

PE4BAS recently reminded me of a book I read & wrote about some time ago. I hadn't thought of it in a while... it may be of interest to CW ops here on the forum:

https://ae5x.blogspot.com/2018/10/sos-to-rescue.html

I've read through my copy twice now, and it's such a fascinating collection of Maritime Morse stories that I'd like to pass it along, there aren't many copies out there.  Check John's link above for a detailed description of the book.
Printed in 1935, an ex-library copy, for $20 I can send it to a US address via Priority Mail.  Email me at callsign at arrl.net.

Beware, reading these will definitely put you off ever going on a cruise on a passenger ship...

Glenn AE0Q
« Last Edit: May 23, 2021, 10:40:28 AM by AE0Q »
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #27 on: May 23, 2021, 08:30:36 PM »

It was made quite clear to us as Radio College that if it came to it, we should keep keying until the very last moment.  Not a great thought in the terms of a career.

Ah the days of "Board of Trade" sports, only ship I was ever on where they were taken really seriously was a small chemical tanker, they reckoned we had a few minutes to get the lifeboat away and get a bit of distance away from the inevitable blast if it all went wrong.
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GW3OQK

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #28 on: May 28, 2021, 06:51:05 AM »

Quote
What do you reckon about the characters P281 - 287?

They seem a normal range of characters, confirming what I was told on my first ship, that all R/Os go round the bend. (Am I normal?) The only one I "know" is Tony G3ZRJ and I recognise him on air by his perfect fist no matter if its straight key, bug or electronic. 

Quote
"Board of Trade" sports
otherwise lifeboat drill. Good fun taking the boats away in warm calm weather. I once took the portable lifeboat radio out in Madras harbour but it took so long to rig the mast I was forced to give up and return for pre-lunch beers. We all became certificated lifeboatmen. Did anyone ever make successful communication on 500 or 8364 from a lifeboat ? 

73, Andrew
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ZL1BBW

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Re: Maritime CW stories
« Reply #29 on: May 28, 2021, 03:59:33 PM »

Quote
What do you reckon about the characters P281 - 287?

They seem a normal range of characters, confirming what I was told on my first ship, that all R/Os go round the bend. (Am I normal?) The only one I "know" is Tony G3ZRJ and I recognise him on air by his perfect fist no matter if its straight key, bug or electronic. 

Quote
"Board of Trade" sports
otherwise lifeboat drill. Good fun taking the boats away in warm calm weather. I once took the portable lifeboat radio out in Madras harbour but it took so long to rig the mast I was forced to give up and return for pre-lunch beers. We all became certificated lifeboatmen. Did anyone ever make successful communication on 500 or 8364 from a lifeboat ? 

73, Andrew

Those we the sanitised list of characters, I still have a chuckle about some the antics.  Yes know Tony well we were there together, another op was Mike Wadsworth, now SK, he was a great character.

Yes, all R/o's are by nature slightly or mostly odd people, I guess siting there all day in the radio room would send anyone a bit iffy, sort of paid solitary.

As for the lifeboat radio, I recall ringing up ZLW to ask why they couldn't hear us on 500, and was told they could actually see the ship from up on top of the hills, turned out it was faulty.

On the small chemical tanker we actually used to drop the lifeboat and start the motor and really really make sure it all worked, the alternative would have been a rather explosive ending, luckily we never had to use it.

Ah well winter is arriving down here Andrew, still around 18 at the peak, but chilly at night.  Getting ready for CQ WPX 20mtr single band.

Take care.
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