# Mimco "Globespan" Transmitter



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Bit of a potted review but may be of interest to some... *Here*


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

Yep sailed with one of those on the MV Eid in '73 - good transmitter - all the band switching was done using lightweight 'bicycle chains' (forerunner of the ledex motor switching in Commander/Crusader).


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## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

It was the main W/T transmitter on the Empress Of Canada when I was on her in 1963, good piece of equipment.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

I always loved MIMCO gears names. Never quite sure if you were supposed to have a sense of humour


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparks69 said:


> I always loved MIMCO gears names. Never quite sure if you were supposed to have a sense of humour


Imagine showing up in Khorramshahr these days with a "Crusader", the locals would crack up.

John T


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## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

I also liked the Globespan. Typical Marconi unbreakable "tune for maximum smoke". Blue Funnel "Super Ps" had them. On Priam in mid-70s we were retrofitted with Redifon SSB gear, but retained the Globespan, which I more often used for CW than the new Tx. Also same on Centaur, I used the old Globespan for CW work and the new Marconi Tx (Conqueror?) only for SSB. But the Apollo Rx was definitely more useful than the Atalanta.


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## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

After the SSB retrofits, I modified the GLobespan freq and mode selector switches to give me more H/F calling freqs, cutting out the H/F A3 channels.


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## Paul Braxton (Jul 21, 2005)

Yes, the Apollo was a bit of a dream machine as far as I was concerned. Still trying to get my hands on one for my own version of a working museum, here at home. The Nixie tube readout, which was a hell of a step up from the 'Calibrate' function on the Atalanta, was just such a joy to use after the older sets. If the station you were listening for wasn't there, it either wasn't on air or wasn't in range. And of course, the SSB R/T side of it all was so much better than the old A3 stuff. Yes, it was a damn good RX, that one. I once sailed with the old 'Mercury/Electra' setup, and while it worked, it was just so ancient in feel.

Apollo was good for working on inside, too. As the unit was built like a tank, with all that heavy metalwork, screening cans and subunits housing the circuitry, you could really do some head-scratching in there with your soldering iron in one hand, diode probe in the other and AVO to the side! Diode probe, I hear you say? What the hell was that? I made mine to be housed inside the barrel of an old Rotring rapidograph pen, and I have to say, it worked well. We were given the circuit diagram and idea when on the BOT radar course at Norwood, in lieu of an oscilloscope, of course, which I never saw carried on any ship I sailed on up to leaving in '82.

I notice that these days, Nixie tubes obviously still have some nostalgia value. I've seen them used in one or two TV dramas, most notably, on 'Travellers', the scifi series from Netflix, where a set is used as the readout for a digital alarm clock, or digital clock, anyway. Something about that gentlly flickering, warm lighted, rounded numeral thing which appeals.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

richardwakeley said:


> I also liked the Globespan. Typical Marconi unbreakable "tune for maximum smoke". Blue Funnel "Super Ps" had them. On Priam in mid-70s we were retrofitted with Redifon SSB gear, but retained the Globespan, which I more often used for CW than the new Tx. Also same on Centaur, I used the old Globespan for CW work and the new Marconi Tx (Conqueror?) only for SSB. But the Apollo Rx was definitely more useful than the Atalanta.


I sailed on the Priam in 1982 after Swire bought her, renamed Kweichow . A lovely old ship. We retained the radio gear and it was a Marconi / Redifon. Very nice. The run was Far East to New Zealand and back. Happy days.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Re #8 . I would love to get my hands on an Apollo but they are as rare as hens teeth. I have never seen one on Ebay. The last conventional analogue superhet before synthesized VFOs took over. The nixie tubes are very retro. I have built two clocks from kits you can find on line. They remind me of analogue days.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

The Marconi Apollo receiver was the handiwork of receiver design engineer Frank Barker and his assistant Peter Pedlar, both now long-deceased. They also designed the Lodestar series of automatic direction-finding receiver's and the Lifeguard auto-alarm receiver.


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## majoco (Oct 15, 2008)

With all the ship-wrecking going on in India and Bangladesh, where does all the radio stuff go - or are the ships so modern that all they have is the GDMSS stuff?


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Most vessels pre-GMDSS have either been scrapped or upgraded. In the 2000's I managed to get a few radio stations offloaded in Singapore for almost scrap value, through marine superintendents I know. I normally had to bung the crew a few hundred dollars. My best catch was a complete SP Radio 1000 rack, including 800 Watt Transmitter and two great R1120 receivers. A lot of the stuff was too big and expensive to send overseas on Ebay so I broke it up for parts, especially big NERA and Redifon transmitters. The SP radio was sold as main units though. Far too good for scrap. Not being a good businessman I sold most stuff for a pittance to the ham radio community and was lucky to break even. 
I have not come across any more complete radio stations for 15 years or more.


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## PeterY (Jun 24, 2008)

My first ship as a trainee in July 1965, that had the Globespan, was the Aramac, GSWQ. No problems with it the six months I was on her. Off course the was the Area Scheme which made things easy clearing traffic. The comparable ships were the Scandinavians that had the 1.5 kW main transmitters working back to Europe directly. Happy days


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

The only problem I had with the Globespan was the high impedance keying.

Shortly before I started for the day there had been a failure of the air conditioning and 100 % 'outside' air had been introduced without re-circulation causing widespread condensation. On flashing up the transmitter it was 'key' down continuously. With the manuals out and happy thoughts of something techy to justify my existence I settled down to studying the beast. By the time I was ready to break open the cabinet the air-conditioning had been restored and largely dried everything out again. The problem disappeared. The most likely cause (I think) was that the condensation had lowered the insulation of the keying valve line sufficiently to 'see' the earth through the 'fault'.


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

PeterY said:


> My first ship as a trainee in July 1965, that had the Globespan, was the Aramac, GSWQ. No problems with it the six months I was on her. Off course the was the Area Scheme which made things easy clearing traffic. The comparable ships were the Scandinavians that had the 1.5 kW main transmitters working back to Europe directly. Happy days


They must have upgraded the radio station. I sailed on her when she was the Parthia and we had an Oceanspan and CR300 .


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## PeterY (Jun 24, 2008)

The CR300 went and was replaced by two Atlanta receivers. Parthia was transferred to become the Remueria (NZ Shipping?) for a short period then transferred again to become Aramac under the E&A flag.


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## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Varley said:


> The only problem I had with the Globespan was the high impedance keying.


And not knowing Morse Code.


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Surely that was Globespan's problem. It and Portishead, of course.


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## schris (May 25, 2012)

majoco said:


> With all the ship-wrecking going on in India and Bangladesh, where does all the radio stuff go - or are the ships so modern that all they have is the GDMSS stuff?


Here's an example . . .

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amplidan...057753?hash=item3b3065f159:g:UbYAAOSwn3VaueF3

You can click on "visit shop" to see their other stock . . 


Don't forget to add 20% import VAT and an £8 fee to Royal Mail for collecting it . . .


cb


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Wow. I can retire on my Morse key collection now! To think I had two of them and gave one away to one of my Dutch colleagues. Gonna be a lot of Counterfeit ones out now. &#55357;&#56835;


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

schris said:


> Here's an example . . .


...and not a very good one going by his Ebay feedback.


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## schris (May 25, 2012)

R651400 said:


> ...and not a very good one going by his Ebay feedback.



Not of late anyway. . .

There are a few similar sellers in India - who knows who they really are though.


This guy in Poland used to have a few interesting keys to sell, including a few amplidans and Ericson's .

I didn't buy anything from him, so I can't give any personal feedback . .

https://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=stanjoe54&ftab=AllFeedback


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## majoco (Oct 15, 2008)

Fortunately I already have an Amplidan which I bought on our local web auction for NZ$70. I did a bit of research and found that the last 'new' one was sold in 2006 for US$350! £527 from India is not a risk I'm prepared to take.


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

PeterY said:


> The CR300 went and was replaced by two Atlanta receivers. Parthia was transferred to become the Remueria (NZ Shipping?) for a short period then transferred again to become Aramac under the E&A flag.


I had followed her subsequent career with interest,good to talk with somebody who sat in the same radio room.


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## Paul Braxton (Jul 21, 2005)

...and '73's back to you, Martin. Nice area of the country to live in, Manawatu. 

...and Ron (ref. your post #11 ): presumably you knew those two guys at Marconi, the ones you referred to who came up with the 'Apollo'. If so, do you recall any interesting stuff about them; how they came up with the ideas and worked it all out? I'd love to flesh them out a bit, as I was an ardent admirer of the outcome of all their design work. 

Quite liked their 'Lodestar', and 'Lifeguard', too. Still remember how fiendishly complex I found the original valve one was at college. 

I guess they would have been quite proud of their baby, the 'Apollo'. I would have been.


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## PeterY (Jun 24, 2008)

I have been clearing out some of my old marine equipment manual and found that AWA - the Marconi Rep in Australia - had build Globespan transmitters under licence in 1957 call Argonaut (not be be confused with the Marconi VHF. I once worked for AWA and now recall that there was an up surge in ship building in the mid 50's and there was a need for equipment. I think there were about 10 or so build. I have an original manual for this transmitter dated July 1957.


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## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

J. Davies said:


> I sailed on the Priam in 1982 after Swire bought her, renamed Kweichow . A lovely old ship. We retained the radio gear and it was a Marconi / Redifon. Very nice. The run was Far East to New Zealand and back. Happy days.


Good day. I think Kweichow was Phemius, sistership of Priam with the same radio gear. Priam went to Orient Overseas I believe. In fact Phemius was my last ship in Blue Funnel, sailing from Europe to Indonesia and finally lay up for sale at Singapore in early 1982. Aother SN member, Makko, was on that trip. Not long later I went up to Hong Kong looking for a job and first applied at China Nav. But they said no vacancies, otherwise maybe I could also have sailed on Kweichow. I joined Indo China SN instead.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Globespan chain drive!


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

richardwakeley said:


> J. Davies said:
> 
> 
> > I sailed on the Priam in 1982 after Swire bought her, renamed Kweichow . A lovely old ship. We retained the radio gear and it was a Marconi / Redifon. Very nice. The run was Far East to New Zealand and back. Happy days.
> ...


Richard, you are correct, my mistake. The Kweichow bar was one of the best I have seen. Mahogany and thick pile carpet. Swire sold her in 1983, so they didn't own her for long.
Kweichow's sister ship was Kweilin. I think that was ex-Priam. Swire sold her shortly after Kweichow .


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

*Globespan User*

I remember that in 1973/74 P&O Canberra/GBVC had a Globespan as the main W/T transmitter, it might have been a little old but it was very reliable. She also used an NT201 for R/T and a Reliant as an emergency Tx.


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