# An evening at Portpatrick Radio



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

A real bit of nostalgia here.

http://youtu.be/XSdl7eIsD_o


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## bfraser47 (Jun 1, 2014)

King Ratt said:


> A real bit of nostalgia here.
> See
> http://youtu.be/XSdl7eIsD_o


Fascinating. Over lunch today I was talking to one of my friends who used to holiday every summer at the Portpatrick Hotel and we talked about the white painted cottages in which the GPK staff lived. In `69 I worked at GKA and put in my resignation papers cos they didn't pay enough, at my exit interview I was offered a post at GPK but turned it down cos I had another job lined up. Maybe if I'd gone to GPK I`d`ve been in the movie.
Also, note the w/t operator using an electronic key, frowned upon at GKA... the Russian operator had a good fist
Brian


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

He was using the electronic key with his left hand and smoking with his right hand. A blast from the past on the desk (apart from an ashtray - tell the kids today and they wouldn't believe it!) was a packet of Dunhill **** and a box of Swan Vestas matches. Did they keep him off RT because of his northern English accent?

I was lucky, I write left handed and used to send morse with my right hand - very convenient.

John T


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> He was using the electronic key with his left hand and smoking with his right hand. A blast from the past on the desk (apart from an ashtray - tell the kids today and they wouldn't believe it!) was a packet of Dunhill **** and a box of Swan Vestas matches. Did they keep him off RT because of his northern English accent?
> 
> I was lucky, I write left handed and used to send morse with my right hand - very convenient.
> 
> John T


I always thought you used something else to wack the morse key


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

The operator working the Russian is the same man who sent the final 500 khz message from GPK on the night UK distress watch ended. I have tried to post that QSO but it is too large for SN and my attempts to shorten it have failed. Must do better!


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## Ivor Lloyd (Jul 18, 2005)

King Ratt said:


> The operator working the Russian is the same man who sent the final 500 khz message from GPK on the night UK distress watch ended. I have tried to post that QSO but it is too large for SN and my attempts to shorten it have failed. Must do better!


 I too write left handed but always used the morse key with my right


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## Ian Hay (May 26, 2013)

Thanks for this.
Happy days. (Thumb)
I've still got my bug key somewhere in a drawer.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparks69 said:


> I always thought you used something else to wack the morse key


Chris, have you been looking at my website?

John T


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

The man is the one and only Graham Mercer. The key was standard issue in the later days of GKA and elsewhere on the coast -Katsumi- I am also one of the left handed righters and right hand morse men. 

Hawkey01


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## bfraser47 (Jun 1, 2014)

Listening to it again ( its addictive) I think the R/T operator is talking to the paddle steamer "Waverly"... love the professional sign off...." Cherrio"


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

For Hawkeye01.
Graham and myself were Lifeboat Ops Managers at Portpatrick and Kirkcudbright lifeboat stations respectively. Some years ago the RNLI sent us along with other coxwains and Ops Mgrs to a comms course at South Queensferry. Turned out that the course leader was Cecil Clarke ex RFA and BT. Cecil excused Graham and myself when we immediately headed for the local watering hole and spent a memorable (up to a point) afternoon and evening sampling the local ale. Great days!


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

bfraser47 said:


> Listening to it again ( its addictive) I think the R/T operator is talking to the paddle steamer "Waverly"... love the professional sign off...." Cherrio"


I think that if you listen again you will find that the caller was a telephone subscriber ashore, wishing to book a link call to someone aboard the _Waverley_.


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

KR,

Yes I had a few interesting afternoons and evenings with GM when he came to GKA on detached duty in the days of old. 

Neville - Hawkey01


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## bfraser47 (Jun 1, 2014)

Ron Stringer said:


> I think that if you listen again you will find that the caller was a telephone subscriber ashore, wishing to book a link call to someone aboard the _Waverley_.


Listened again with a new battery in the hearing aid and the pacemaker plugged into the mains...far as I can make out the w/t operator is indeed taking an inbound landline call booking a qrj to the Waverley, the r/t operator is clearing down with another ship using "cherrio". Terrific.
Was trying to identify the telex terminals, looks like they were pre the ones we used in the North Sea over ISB to GND and GKR. Started off with the Creed 444 (is that right ?) then moved onto Siemens (?) 2300 - krap - then onto ones I bought from BT...then we rolled out JRC Inmarsat terminals... and that was the start of the slippery slope for the R/Os


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

At 2 mins into the clip, those magical words when finishing your own, sometimes lengthy, telephone call. "that's a minimum call".
The coast station ops were generally very kind to me and that includes GKA.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

One Christmas I got an "if you go on for any longer old man I'll have to charge you". Good to us indeed.


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

Signing off after the old man made a perfectly OK VHF link call via Niton/GNI in '64 or thereabouts: "You were flashing un-commercial during the call - no charge". I remember it because it was the only link call I ever arranged from a Brocklebank ship.

Happy days


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Port Patrick Radio was our station of choice when I sailed with Robertson's and they would be very patient when we were contacting them from the Medi.
It was very surprising how many link calls were not commercial.
They were a great station to work unlike some that I will not mention.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Robertsons were small 'coasters' as far as I remember, and probably only had MF RT. It was handy also for those who only had a T10A at their disposal. 

David
+


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Ian Hay said:


> Thanks for this.
> Happy days. (Thumb)
> I've still got my bug key somewhere in a drawer.


I'd be very interested to read your description of how one operated a bug key. I've never used one but I used to be impressed by the speed and accuracy that was achievable with one.


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

R651400 said:


> Interesting bit of 1.5-3.5 mc/s R/T dx (long distance comms) there which begs the question were Robertson ships on a R/T budget?


We did not have a budget for radio or anything else for that matter but they could hear us quite well in the evening when we were in the Medi.
We also had a sked on 2301kcs with the other Robbie boats and those with only faint signals would have their position passed on to the folks at home who were listening and might not hear us.
This was at 1000hrs and 2200hrs and again after the shipping forecast on BBC long wave in the evening/early morning.
Great way for keeping in touch.
David they were small but hardly coasters as we went from North Norway to Ancona in Italy a 14 day passage. Then load in North Africa with phosphates for different port in UK or Eire.
Out of interest what is T10A


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Here is a piece of kit many will remember the 1155/56, fitted mainly to aircraft but was also fitted to some vessels. Along with the Morse Key which could be bought cheaply Post War. I had one of these for years and then sold it to a Ham.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Those controls have Marconi Oceanspan written all over them. I suppose Marconi made lots of that military equipment without putting their label on it.

John T


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## jimg0nxx (Sep 1, 2005)

I know that key as an RAF bathtub key, bathtub due to the shape of the base.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

LakerCapt - I later thought 'short sea' would have been a better term. The T10A was an AEI Main MF transmitter. An engineered piece of kit as opposed to being put together. I think it was rated at 100w on WT and it also had MF RT at 60w. 

If you loaded phosphates in N.Africa, then you will no doubt have come across the Marchon Trader. Sea sickness never bothered me again after the first trip. I would happily have died if I could have found a quiet corner. The 3rd mate said to watch the horizon - it doesn't move.

David
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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Thanks David.
Yes these trips with phosphates could be uncomfortable.
If you had to wait to load at Casablanca I preferred to anchor in the inner harbour as you did not roll in the swell so much as out on the roads.
It was a real trial in the winter time that's for sure but there again on that size of ship winter sailing was never a treat (unless going up through the Minch and meeting a friendly fisherman!


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Here is the beginning of the closure of the 500 Khz distress watch sent by Graham Mercer at GPK. I recorded this on my JRC NRD525 on that sad evening of 31Dec 1997 at 2348Z. What a way to spend a Scottish Hogmanay! My QTH is about 50 miles from GPK hence a good signal. Unfortunately some QRM from a TV timebase in my home is on the recording.


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

jimg0nxx said:


> I know that key as an RAF bathtub key, bathtub due to the shape of the base.


Officially it's a RAF Type F key. The joint between the top and base of the key was sealed with a rubber gasket to prevent the entry of petrol vapour in case it was ignited by contact sparking. The spring clip which secures the top could also be pushed over the skirt of the knob to hold the key closed to provide a continuous signal for D/F-ing in an emergency.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

LakerCapt - The thumbnail - faded now, like me ! - is the inner roads at Casablanca, and as the Trader is fully laden, we are waiting for clearance papers after the usual very quick load. My first trip was in February. No waiting this time. As we came round the breakwater, we were rolled by a big swell, and it was only when she settled after rounding St Bees that there such a list on that she would not fit the lockgates at Whitehaven. It was a good ship though and I enjoyed my brief stay.

David
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## wildcat45 (Nov 22, 2006)

During WW2 my late father was evacuated to that part of the world. One of his friends was the son of the manager at Pirtpatrick Radio.

One day they were in the radion room when Lord Haw Haw came over the speaker telling the world the Ark Royal had been sunk. Out of the window they saw looming out of the Irish Sea mist.....Ark Royal.


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## GW3OQK (Jun 10, 2010)

Lakercaptain never went thru the Welland Canal like this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U15Fwo9tbJ4 I thoroughly enjoyed my time up the Great Lakes, sometimes a 24 hour bridge standby for the Welland. 
73
Andrew


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Thanks for that video clip.
Did that many times. In one season 26 times and was once downbound and upbound in the same day.
When approaching lock #7 the boat going in before was one I sailed for eight years but now a different company.
On lakers going through the Welland canal with the minimum of crew, i.e. Mate and deckhand for'd, mate and deckhand aft, engineer and oiler in E/R, captain and wheelsman in pilothouse (wheelhouse). The rest of crew doing their normal duties.


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