# Maritime Radio Day 2017



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

May I remind SN ex R/O's that Maritime Radio Day will take place – 

Date: 14th April 12.00 GMT 15th April 22.00 GMT

– Bands: 160m, 80m, 40m, 30 m, 20m, 15m & 10m

+/-

1824 kHz

3520 kHz

7020 kHz

10118 kHz

14052 kHz Main DX calling QRG

21052 kHz

28052 kHz

(Esso Scotia/GZJG)


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## Pete the Hydro Guy (Mar 14, 2016)

Thanks for the reminder. I try to get in on a lot of these but always for get, just too old I guess.

Pete, K2ARM


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

I participate to keep the memory alive but never been keen on the format..
Have suggested such an important part of radio communication history should be opened to a wider audience eg a world-wide competition or such-like but to date suggestion has fallen on deaf ears..


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

ps.. Just saw your intro Pete. Welcome to SN and enjoy all it has to offer. 73


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Attached is a Maritime Radio that hopefully R.O,s never had to use.


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## Pete the Hydro Guy (Mar 14, 2016)

Hi R651400, I am not much for nets and other formatted operations, I had enough of that in Service and MARS etc. I do get into a lot of Ham Contests and try to make contacts to keep CW alive. I belong to the Maritime Radio Historical Society but they only have a couple of events a year if that. I used a straight key for 50 years or more and eventually started using a keyer. I miss the old cw where you could identify the operator just by his sending. I never could use a bug even though I copied many a Chinese and Russian using them in the 50's while in Korea. I did use a bug for a while but if I kept up probably would have been given a citation or many QSD's'
Pete, K2ARM


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Judging by your history Pete you've been operating a lot longer than most. 
I gave up on the "hand-pump" many years ago and use an el-key though presently not very active except cw contesting/MRD. 
Hpe cu during MRD.. 73 F5VBU/GND


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

The Instructions for using #5.


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## Pete the Hydro Guy (Mar 14, 2016)

That should work good with the 38 mega watt hydro turbine. lol


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

chadburn said:


> Attached is a Maritime Radio that hopefully R.O,s never had to use.


Apart from the usual testing the only time I ever had to use one of those in earnest was in the early 70's anchored off Okinawa for two weeks. For some reason we took it into our heads to try for a 410 Khz correction curve for the DF so the second and third mates did the bridge end while I got into a life boat, rigged the lifeboat radio up and we went out about a mile and then circled the ship a few times giving a short dash every few degrees (instructions coming by walkie talkie) so the mates could take a fix and plot the bearings.

The Old Man took great delight in driving the lifeboat. :sweat:

Probably an utter waste of time, the curve we got looked very peculiar as I remember it but we were getting pretty fed up by the end of the first week. I'll tell you one thing though, bloody good exercise.

I am at present endeavouring to re-activate my Radio Amateur licence, although I've let it lapse since 1981. Ofcom seem to think I can do it if I have proof of my callsign issue (G4MYD) which I'm assuming my old licence and certificate (even found the chit for my morse test at Burnham Radio) will provide. Not sure why I'm doing it .. (egg)


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## Pete the Hydro Guy (Mar 14, 2016)

Hi Bob, even though the new digital communications has come into amateur radio there is something about CW that keeps me at it. I have arthritis that sometimes makes the keyer do odd things, at least that is my excuse, I simply go back to the hand key which even then could get me "are you sending with your left foot".. Even receiving, I have to use a hearing aid for each ear, can be a lot of fun. But it keeps me around for a bit longer. I hope you get back on amateur radio..
Pete, K2ARM


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

Thanks Pete. Often on a TV show or a film will have a bit of morse going and I'm forever trying to read it above the voices.

The one time I do remember being baffled was during the film 'The Guns of Navarone' when the radar control of those big cannons appeared to be using morse code ??? (whenever some directors want to give the idea of radio equipment, out comes the morse soundbite .. :sweat

I often use various SDR websites to listen in on the keybashers. Some of them really like to rattle it out at speed ...

I still have my old Samson Electronic keyer ... I'll have to clean it up a bit if I ever get back on the air. But I'm more of a trained listener these days ... (Smoke)


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

BobClay said:


> Apart from the usual testing the only time I ever had to use one of those in earnest was in the early 70's anchored off Okinawa for two weeks. For some reason we took it into our heads to try for a 410 Khz correction curve for the DF so the second and third mates did the bridge end while I got into a life boat, rigged the lifeboat radio up and we went out about a mile and then circled the ship a few times giving a short dash every few degrees (instructions coming by walkie talkie) so the mates could take a fix and plot the bearings.
> 
> The Old Man took great delight in driving the lifeboat. :sweat:
> 
> ...


Thanks Bob, somewhere in the files I have the instructions for the RAF version using the Box Kite Aerial which we used to buy Post War from the surplus stores and fly in the nearest field.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

For anyone interested in having a listen to Maritime Radio Day (#1 frequency chart) who don't have a receiver, the link below is a SDR located in Holland. 
If not interested try changing the frequency box to 198 and bandwidth to AM. LW BBC Radio 4 comes in beautifully. 

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Managed to find someone who has a working one of these, the machines in the RN were connected to the gas protected DTN System and maintained by the GPO. 
During Exercises the Tape Relay Room at Pitreave had to be one of the noisiest places around.
Now that I have found a machine I will be going to see the chap who has the equipment to get a print out of the Tapes I have had in a Briefcases for around 25 years, one is of Concord the other of Mrs Slo***'s Pussy------------------cat.


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

I participated in the MRD a few years ago and there was a big contest running at the same time. The problem was us MRD participants had to observe a 3 minute silence period twice per hour and when we did so the contest stations moved in and nicked our frequencies, I gave up in the end.

= Adrian +


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

chadburn said:


> Managed to find someone who has a working one of these, the machines in the RN were connected to the gas protected DTN System and maintained by the GPO.


ITT-Creed Model 444 Teleprinter. Must have been the heaviest printer ever made since Caxton's day. Had the joy of fitting them aboard ships at the far end of jetties at the Shellhaven, Coryton and Pembroke oil terminals and the gas terminal at Canvey. Definitely character building.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Ron Stringer said:


> ITT-Creed Model 444 Teleprinter. Must have been the heaviest printer ever made since Caxton's day. Had the joy of fitting them aboard ships at the far end of jetties at the Shellhaven, Coryton and Pembroke oil terminals and the gas terminal at Canvey. Definitely character building.


I am glad I did not bring one home!! as I was offered one when I went to the decommissioning of a Nuclear Bunker before the Bunker was being offered for sale. 
Happened to ask one of the lads what was going to happen to the lightly used Creed, he told me that they would go for scrap and offered me a machine to take home, unfortunately I was on my Honda Fireblade and could not get back with the car for another week.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

#16..Adrian/5TT.. Maritime Radio and Morse are synonymous.. 
Join the fray to make this an international event for all cw enthusiasts and not the cloistered 25 or so participants with all the unnecessary Msg/TR and SP observed paraphernalia..
Whoopee no Silence Periods to be Observed this year..
Think we're getting there..


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Ref #15

I have pounded out some stuff on that over time. Not as good as the 7B though. Here is a tape I have had a few years now.

David
+


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Great stuff David, it is a long time since I have seen a hard copy of Teleprinter art, hopefully everything will turn out ok with my own tapes although they are a getting fragile.
There is a photograph of one of the tapes in my Gallery


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

David,

Did that not originally come from the QEII seem to remember it hanging around over Christmas time. 

Neville


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Thanks for the reminder. I am registered at MRD and nearly forgot.... conditions from Singapore have been dire on all bands lately, but I will give it a try with 500 Watts and a doublet/balanced tuner for most bands. 20m would be the favourite.

John /9V1VV


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

The one thing with set band frequencies John is even with the small amount of participants we don't have to call until blue in the tooth..
Lkg fwd to a good MRD..


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

QTR 1155 UTC/14 ... Just about to start..


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

20m was semi-open for a couple of hours to EU on both nights here.

Conditions were not that good and some stations were barely readable at QSA 1 QRK 3.

I hope this year was enjoyable for everyone that took part.

My full list is a follows:

Coast Stations :

GB0GLD
DL1DAN

Ship Stations:

IK6IJF
OE6XMF/4
DL9ZOG
RA1ALS
DK4VQ
LA3FL
EA8VI
DF4BV



73 de John 9V1VV


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Re #22

Neville

Yes it did. I found it in the back of something purely by accident.

David
+


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I listened in on MRD for a couple of hours. Mostly on 14052khz during the afternoon of 15th. Logged these c/s 
PA1SLB
DF4B
OE6XM
IK6IJF
CT1APP
I5EFO
S69EHV
G3WNQ
DL0DAN
DJ8SW
PA4VHF
DJ8SW
CT1ELZ / GB0GLV
RZ3D
LA3FL
RO25SP (?)
IQ6SB/IQP
DL0MCM
Y02BBX (?)


David

+


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