# Marconi Atalanta 2207c wanted



## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

A friend, wishing to relive his youth, is looking for a Marconi Atalanta receiver. Working or not - he claims to be able still to repair one!

Have toured the web without success and would appreciate any pointers as to where one may be found.

My email address is: [email protected]

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

No idea where you'd get an Atalanta (or why you'd want one), but, assuming he's not strictly superheterodyne, why not get your pal to join us on the site? If he finds one and the cord on the tuning dial is broken, good luck!

John T


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

John,

He was a Radio Operator for a few years during his mis-spent youth. All ended when he went to service a radar mast and fell off, breaking his wrist - yes, you've guessed, the one he needed to send morse!

Now semi-retired he wants to get a 'real' receiver.

I'll suggest he joins here but I'd have been happy to buy one for him to return a few favours.

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## John Leary (Mar 30, 2005)

Hi Sandy
There was an Atalanta advertised quite recently on E-Bay. They do come up from time to time but I guess you take your chances on their condition.
Good hunting
Best regards
John


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

John,

Thanks. Yes, I have been looking on eBay but nothing there. What surprises me is that these receivers must have been made in quite some numbers and you would assume there would be the odd one for sale. I'll keep looking!

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

The Atalanta was the first receiver I sailed with back in 1970. Joined the Bendearg and sailed from London to Pusan via Panama, then Kaoishung, Hong Kong and Hamburg via the Cape of Good Hope (Suez being closed at the time.)

Admittedly the Area Scheme was still operating to some extent, and we found when crossing the Pacific you could work ZSC better than any other area station for a week or two, but I have to say that the receiver performed well the whole trip.

So some years later (having come out of the pub at dinnertime), I bought one, got it from some advert in Wireless World if I remember correctly. About 12 years ago I donated it to the school where I worked as part of the science lab. I well remember school kids laughing at how quaint it was. I laughed too, but I still remembered tickling ZSC somewhere in the mid Pacific and taking my traffic without hinder.


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## tonypad (Aug 9, 2006)

Whilst not wanting to steal Sandy's request for assistance, I've often wondered what happens to all the communications and navigation equipment that ends up on the beaches where old ships are consigned to the scrap heap. There must be masses of ancient and modern equipment there. 

Best wishes,

Anthony Legg


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

Anthony,

That's a good point but unless the climate is hot and dry I suspect radio gear might go 'off' quite quickly.

Kind regards,

Sandy.
(Climate neither hot nor dry here!)


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## mikeharrison (Aug 8, 2008)

tonypad said:


> Whilst not wanting to steal Sandy's request for assistance, I've often wondered what happens to all the communications and navigation equipment that ends up on the beaches where old ships are consigned to the scrap heap. There must be masses of ancient and modern equipment there.
> Best wishes,
> Anthony Legg


Hi Tony, 
For the possible interest of your good self and Sandy, there are shipbeaking companies in India etc which will send you regular emails listing equipment off ships that have been broken up. AIS radio transponders, Radars, GMDSS, ECDIS units, Sextants etc are all regularly offered and you can make a offer for them.

I am trying hard to remember if Marconi equipment actually went to scrap with the ships. Was it the Marconi radio gear that was rented by the shipowner and actually remained the property of Marconi???

Regards , Mike. (ex BP Tankers and others).


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

Mike,

Thanks - I'll get Googling right away.

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

mikeharrison said:


> Hi Tony,
> 
> I am trying hard to remember if Marconi equipment actually went to scrap with the ships. Was it the Marconi radio gear that was rented by the shipowner and actually remained the property of Marconi??


The answer to both those questions is a qualified "Yes". The majority of Marconi gear on British ships was rented. And that rented equipment remained the property of Marconi; the terms of the rental agreement required that it be dismantled and returned to the nearest Marconi office at the termination of the contract. 

Latterly, in practice only gear dismantled in the UK came back to Marconi office. After the last Marconi office in India was closed in the 1980s there was no sense in shipping equipment back to the UK from Alang or Chittagong - it was of no use to Marconi and there was no market for things like Atalanta receivers. So it just stayed out there with the shipbreakers. 

When I closed the Karachi office in 1991/92, the majority of the space in the building was used for storing dismantled gear - Oceanspan Is and IIs by the dozen. It was sold for scrap at the best price they could get for it.


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

Ron,

Thanks for the update. That may explain why there are so few sets around. I'll just have to keep looking - there's one out there somewhere!

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## Calsatch (Jul 17, 2008)

Why not try for an Apollo no string on that one?


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

Yes, that looks like a smart set - BUT - my friend trained and served with Atalanta so that's what he is trying to find! And the harder it is to find one the happier I'll be when I do.

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Not much help but about ten years ago I saw one in the window of an electronics shop in Lincoln; on the left going down a steep narrow lane from the cathedral.

I thought at the time: who would ever want to buy that!


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

Wow doesn't that picture bring back some memories. I always liked that big heavy tuning knob .... felt like it belonged on a 500 Norton. ☺


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Fabulous. Is that a Reliance its perched on? - brilliant looking condition.

I don't remember the triple conversion bit. Ron will know without looking at the drawings .. ?

David V


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

R651400 said:


> The Atalanta spec above shows it as a double superhet on certain bands with a well chosen 2nd IF of 700 kcs.
> It is indeed a Reliance emergency tx which I found gave better results in heavy QRN in the Far East on MF than the main MkVI Oceanspan.
> ..


Absolutely. My regret was that I only got to sail with the 'Atalanta' on two of my ships. The others had 'CR300' or 'Mercury'/'Electra' arrangements. The downside of 'Atalanta' was that it was normally paired with the absolutely useless 'Alert'. Having the 'Mercury'/'Electra' combination meant that you got two reasonable receivers, whereas the other option gave you a good receiver and a waste of space. So from the general operating point of view the 'Atalanta' set-up lost out. Never got lucky enough to have two 'Atalantas' or an 'Atalanta' and a 'Mercury'.

Of course if you were unlucky like me you could get the 'CR300' and the 'Alert'.

I sailed with the 'Reliance' on every ship except one and found it a cracking emergency/reserve transmitter. That one ship had an 'Oceanpsan VIIE' but I never had cause to make use of the additional HF 'goodies' so didn't find it any better than the 'Reliance' which, as you say, outperformed the 'Span' on MF every time.


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## SandyYoung (Sep 28, 2012)

Naytikos,

The shop was Birkett's and I've just spoken with him. He tells me he is 85 and can't lift sets that heavy any more! Amazing.

So, it's back to the hunt.

Kind regards,

Sandy.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Nice detective work!
Good luck.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

Beware the weight of the Atalanta. Passed a ship one winter in the N Atlantic with a sparks with broken bones who had had the four front screws out when the ship did a roll. They were asking for a doctor !
Also if you remember a film in the 60s called "Hell below zero" (I think) where they threw an Atlanta into a life boat when the Captain shouted "bring the radio"


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## Mike Osborne (Jan 12, 2013)

*Marconi Atalanta*

Hello to all. I've just joined mainly in reply to the Marconi Atalanta information which has been flying around on this web site for some time.

I purchased an Atalanta last year and have read your comments with great interest......yes, the dial cord restringing gave a few restless nights sleep but was eventually completed successfully with the help of the handbook. 

Replacing most of the capacitors and devising a 110volt power supply unit proved challenging.

And, it now works extremely well! but what to do with it as it takes up rather a lot of my shack/workshop area????

Mike


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Mike,

on behalf of the Moderating team welcome to SN. 
If you want to sell this Rx then I suggest you make a thread in the Classified - For Sale or Wanted Forum. However not in this Forum please.

Hawkey01


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## Mike Osborne (Jan 12, 2013)

Hawkey01,

Many thanks for the reply. I'll go to the correct section.

Mike


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## maltesejohn (Sep 19, 2014)

Mike Osborne said:


> Hello to all. I've just joined mainly in reply to the Marconi Atalanta information which has been flying around on this web site for some time.
> 
> I purchased an Atalanta last year and have read your comments with great interest......yes, the dial cord restringing gave a few restless nights sleep but was eventually completed successfully with the help of the handbook.
> 
> ...


Hello Mike,
I just joined here only last week.. I am an ex R/O and if you want to sell your atalanta receiver to a good home, I am interested in buyin it.. and I promise you that if you ever feel you miss it I would be glad to let you come to malta and do some brousing on the spectrum.. 
regards
John Cauchi (ex sealink dover and many more)


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## Mike Osborne (Jan 12, 2013)

*Atalanta*

John,

Thanks for the reply...sorry but it got sold some time ago. You may
find others being advertised from time to time on eBay..but they are becoming very rare.

All the best

Mike


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I remember having to replace a couple of those drive cords - what a pain!

I visited Fort Perch Rock at New Brighton recently and they had one. I thought: "Ooh, an Atalanta!" ... but I didn't want one.

Does anyone know why they called it "Atalanta" and not "Atlanta"?

John T


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

Atalanta was a goddess in Greek mythology, so the name ties in with other Marconi equipment named in a similar vein - Argonaut, Apollo, Electra, Nebula etc.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Thanks Rob - now that you mention it, I've heard that before.

Good job they never heard of Clitoris, the goddess of men in boats.

That would be a nice name for a wireless or for a child of one of these people who like to destroy their kids lives by giving them stupid names and dooming to a life of: "How do you spell that?"

Kalispera, John T.


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

John,

Have a listen to "What's in a Name?" - starts at about 4:12 into the recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMiByMich8


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Exactly! Thanks, Rob. The latest thing is, as well as coming up with a stupid name, they spell it wrong. I know a couple who have just named their daughter "Tobi". Not only will people be spelling her name wrong, they'll be asking if she's a boy or a girl.

John T


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

trotterdotpom said:


> Exactly! Thanks, Rob. The latest thing is, as well as coming up with a stupid name, they spell it wrong. I know a couple who have just named their daughter "Tobi". Not only will people be spelling her name wrong, they'll be asking if she's a boy or a girl.
> 
> John T


They're obviously hoping she'll make it on the stage:

"Tobi or not Tobi, that is the question"


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Varley said:


> They're obviously hoping she'll make it on the stage:
> 
> "Tobi or not Tobi, that is the question"


Good chance, David. I might try that line out on them. Either that or "Get thee to a nunnery if you're not a bloke!"

John T


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## johnvvc (Feb 8, 2008)

trotterdotpom said:


> Does anyone know why they called it "Atalanta" and not "Atlanta"?
> 
> John T


Maybe someone told them KW Electronics made a HF transceiver called the Atlanta about that time for the ham market, see:-

http://www.rigpix.com/kw/atlanta.htm

Half a killowat of sideband from a small tabletop box!

On second thoughts that might have been in the seventies whereas the Atalanta dates back to the fifties... I believe KW might have been bought out by Decca and I think they marketed the Atlanta under a different name for commercial use.

My mind seems to be full of useless information these days - the wife reckons it must be something to do with my age...


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Did they bring out the Kay Wy Telly, John, or am I getting mixed up with something else?

John T


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