# Siemens G11/G12 receivers



## Robert Wheeler (Feb 17, 2009)

Who remembers the Siemens G11/G12 receiver combo.
I met these things in the early/mid seventies on my first trip by myself. The ship was old (1947 I think). 
Switching off the MF set in order to switch on the HF was irritating enough but the lack of a bandspread on HF was a real pain. QRM seemed to be a way of life plus it drifted amazingly as the ship rolled. 
As I'm sure others found, a book full of logging scale readings was a necessity specially when sent up to GK? to receive traffic.
But, there was something good about them - they certainly taught me to read morse through anything and honed my operating skills.
I've always wondered how old these receivers would have been. Anyone know when they first appeared?


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## Hugh Wilson (Aug 18, 2005)

My very first ship, Khuzistan/GTBK, was fitted with these receivers and I know exactly what you mean. The book of logging scale numbers was kept in the top drawer, under the operating position desk and one of the first jobs I was given by the Chief R/O was to get a new note book and make a second copy. Drifting was horrendous. Things got even worse on my second ship Dunkyle/MXJZ with a Redifon R63 (or some similar number). I must say though that I learned a lot about how to be an R/O on these ships.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Hi Robert

I sailed with several, but the one on the Lokoja Palm/GWWJ was memorable because when I stood up to change from one to the other, you had to remember to check if you last used 16mhz on the SB186 HF TX - the tuning coil slug was full out if so and there was a great tendancy to crack your head on it !!

Nice photo of GWWJ in this months Ships Monthly

David
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## John Leary (Mar 30, 2005)

Hi Robert

I came across the web site listed below some time ago quite by accident when I was looking for information on marine radio equipment. I did not 
immediately make the connection between the receiver types and your posting. I hope the images bring back even more happy memories.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.whiting/G11_G12.htm

Best Regards

John


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## freddythefrog (Dec 15, 2007)

Hyer Robert
I have a very vague recollection of these receivers from when at Riversdale Tech College, Liverpool 1965/67 era, could always tune in PPR from there which I though Rio from Liverpool wow!! could not wait to get away to sea.
Never did sail with them at all though.
Brings back memories. Nice pictures! cheers FTF


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## Robert Wheeler (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi John
Well what can I say about those photos on the steven.whiting website! Many tks for the link. (my photos are are a bit less clear and I'd forgotten what they were like inside!)
33 years on from using them - bit of a memory rush there. Apart from the initial 'omg' reaction of seeing them for real all those years ago, the pics also brought sharp clear memories of a hot and sweaty shack and a definite need for h'phones to pick out the station I was waiting to work, often in a long queue for Portisheadradio. 
Nostalgia, eh?
Tks again,
Robert


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## ChasD (Mar 27, 2008)

Remember them all too well, as the standard 'Well paid to see the world' pose will testify. Worked for Seimens for several years - in me yoof !


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## Ynot (May 23, 2009)

ChasD said:


> Remember them all too well, as the standard 'Well paid to see the world' pose will testify. Worked for Seimens for several years - in me yoof !



Chas Any chance you knew Woolwich techs Jamie, Steve, Dennis Hague, Tony Francis?


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## Ynot (May 23, 2009)

ChasD said:


> Remember them all too well, as the standard 'Well paid to see the world' pose will testify. Worked for Seimens for several years - in me yoof !


Chas second question the TX in your pic I cannot place can you put a name to it
ynot


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## ChasD (Mar 27, 2008)

Hi Ynot, Dennis Hague rings a bell, can't recall the others but then, it's back in the early jurassic period ! The TX alongside is the SB186X Hf Tx, you'll notice the black edge trim is missing LHS, as also was the side panel - this was the only way to keep the thing stable in pre-A/C China Sea temperatures and humidity. David (above) refers, but that was - I think - the consol mounted variety. The M/F R/T T/X was the usual T10A. Them wuz the days of real radio ! More pics in the radio section of Gallery - back a ways .... 

Best 73's Chas


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Chas

On GWWJ the SB186 was a pale sort of green/grey colour and it was free standing. I see the coil slug just above your head in your thumbnail !!

In later years, I came across Ron Champion. When talking about the T10A his comment was 'Now there was a designed Tx' As you suggest - a workhorse.

David
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## ChasD (Mar 27, 2008)

Yep, that was the abiding impression one got of that stuff, basic, but solid and reliable. Can't ever remember doing any real fault finding on the stuff - push the buttons and it just went ! Stability wasn't great but you got used to that !


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## Ynot (May 23, 2009)

ChasD said:


> Hi Ynot, Dennis Hague rings a bell, can't recall the others but then, it's back in the early jurassic period ! The TX alongside is the SB186X Hf Tx, you'll notice the black edge trim is missing LHS, as also was the side panel - this was the only way to keep the thing stable in pre-A/C China Sea temperatures and humidity. David (above) refers, but that was - I think - the consol mounted variety. The M/F R/T T/X was the usual T10A. Them wuz the days of real radio ! More pics in the radio section of Gallery - back a ways ....
> 
> Best 73's Chas


Yes I am really going back I wonder how many of us are left.
Thought 186. It did perform really well if you had the nack of tuning it properly and manage to get more than 5o watts up the spout. Not much of a problem for us dinosaurs as we had the area system going for HF.

Nice chatting to you

cheers
ynot(K)


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I was with the G11 G12 receivers from 1959 to 1965 and as I didn't know any better at the time, I never gave them a thought. Neither do I recall any of them breaking down! I trained on them at Wray Castle and they were fantastic for training with their permanent monitoring system. I loved the look of the red EF39s, ECH35, EBC33 and the lonely 6V6 output one deck above with the flickering stabilisers. 90 Khz IF as well. When I arrived aboard the ancient RICHMOND CASTLE in 1965, I was delighted with the Marconi Mercury and found it a great improvement on the G11 G12.
I sailed with the SB186X as well on FREDERICK T. EVERARD and although it was a bit primitive, it worked OK and never broke down.
Bob


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

I remember the G11 and G12. You switched over the power supply and turned the tuning dial whilst trying to copy something down. Never broke down though. The logging scale book was an essential. On RML ships the HF and MF receivers were separate and you did not have to switch over the power. They also had two 600 watt main transmitters with single knob tuning if my memory is right. The chief and 2/R/O actually repaired the power supply for one of those by dismantling a transformer, unwinding it, fixing the break and putting it back together. They were R/O's of the old school....
rgds Graham Powell


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## GBXZ (Nov 4, 2008)

*Siemens Receivers*

They were installed in the radio cabins at Riversdale in 1965, great for fault finding. Don't worry said the lecturers you will never see these when you go to sea. Two years later I joined the Hudson Deep on the Tasman run and she had one. No problems with comms as I used MF all the way between Auckland and Bundaberg.

Richard


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## sharp ear (Oct 22, 2011)

*Siemens G12 help needed for restoration project*

Have just aquired a G12 without PSU and AF decks. Can any old salts point me in the right direction for some information to get the old girl going ? Perhaps they were in one of the Technical notes books.
If I can get details of the Jones plug connections, and power requirements, that should be enough. I have only seen another one of these ever. Fortunately it seems complete with all valves.
I know it will be second rate compared to my Marconi Atalanta, but theres just something about it !
Many Thanks, Keith 





GBXZ said:


> They were installed in the radio cabins at Riversdale in 1965, great for fault finding. Don't worry said the lecturers you will never see these when you go to sea. Two years later I joined the Hudson Deep on the Tasman run and she had one. No problems with comms as I used MF all the way between Auckland and Bundaberg.
> 
> Richard


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

"You will never see one of these when you get to sea" was a favourite comment
by College lecturers. We had a Marconi Seaspan at Bristol tech. Like an O'span
but using miniature valves. It had miniature power output at 80 watts as well.
Sure enough I found one on a BP tanker. regards
Graham Powell


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## Robert M Hughes (Oct 16, 2010)

G11 & G12 - Advanced technology from some of the previous equipment I encountered with Siemens - one hand on the tuning knob the other on the key what's the problem. Actually despite drift they were reliable - I never experienced any breakdowns.
Bob


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Bob, Although I worked for Marconi I was mainly on AEI ships and I found
their gear to be very reliable. I can remember tuning with one hand and keying with the other as the receiver drifted as it warmed up just like the chap in the picture. With Royal Mail we had 600 watt tx's. One for HF and one for MF.
Single knob tuning. I was told by GKA operators that although they were powerful
they didn't seem to produce a very "punchy" signal. 
regards
Graham Powell


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

For SeaSpan read PondSpan


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Not only was it puny in output, it also gave a lot of trouble as well. Terrible thing. The story was that the one at college had been donated by the Marconi
Co as they hadn't sold many. I wonder why!.
rgds
Graham Powell


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

What was the PuddleSpan then?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Seaspan was well before my time but I thought that it was a derivative of the Oceanspan intended for use on fishing vessels. In those days we had a massive fishing fleet, including a significant distant-water fishing fleet. I don't know whether it was R/T-only, HF-only or what. Can anyone enlighten me?


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Ron,
The Seaspan was HF W/T only using miniature valves as opposed to 807's etc.
It could well have been designed to go on trawlers. O/P power was about 80 Watts. The BP tanker I was on had an enormous main aerial system and I worked GKA from W. Oz with it. The main transitter was a Reliance and it
had CR150 and Atalanta receivers. The CR150 was the emergency one and it
came in very useful at times. Oh for ship with decent gear....
rgds
Graham Powell


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Varley said:


> What was the PuddleSpan then?


Pond Span on low power

I sailed with the PondSpan on a couple of Italian built tankers. I can only assume that they got them really cheap. 
On the other hand I regularly worked RT to GKA on 22 MHz with an ST1400 from the Persian Gulf/Aden area without the aerial connected, on absolute minimum power on the main channel plus a couple of harmonics. It got very confusing.
So sometimes power was not relevant.


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Funnily enough , the Seaspan I had was on an Italian built tanker. Graceful lines
but very poorly built.
rgds
Graham Powell


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

Like freddy the frog,I remember training on G11/G12 at riversdale college in 1966. The valves had top cap grids so you could put your finger on them and get noise from output so fault finding was fairly easy. Never sailed with them (nor the IMR transmitters we trained on either) so cannot comment on their perfomance.

Best wishes Alan


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