# SS Explorer Leith, MIMCo Equipment Search



## BigLeithTrawler (Nov 7, 2017)

www.ssexplorer.org is the website describing the restoration of a large steam powered, Aberdeen built sidewinder trawler with a view to opening her up as a maritime heritage visitor attraction in Leith Docks.
Believed to have had a Marconi main wireless station that disappeared whilst the ship was laid up in the Cromarty Firth quite a few years ago. Any Marconi 50s/60s equipment looking for a museum home would be of great interest.


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## Riccarton (Mar 23, 2009)

The Museum of Communication in Burntisland has Marconi equipment and could be a possible source.


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## BigLeithTrawler (Nov 7, 2017)

Many thanks - will check it out.


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## BobDixon (Oct 17, 2008)

The only photo I have seen is of RT equipment which was installef in the Radio Room and consisted of SP Radio Sailor equipment, something like a T126 transmitter and R105 receiver.
Thete is a good chance that her main WT station would have been Marconi, probably with an Oceanspan transmitter and an Atalanta receiver (possibly originally an Elettra/ Mercury receiver combination).
You may want to make an enquiry of the Scottish Maritime Museum. They wete given the complete Marconi station removed from one of the 1950's era Cal-Mac ferries. To the best of my knowledge they have never put it to use - if that is correct they may have it stored away somewhere (that's not to say they would be willing to part with it!)


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## BigLeithTrawler (Nov 7, 2017)

Many thanks - I will check this out. I have made enquiries about what happened to the Fort Perch Marconi Marine Radio equipment after Fort Perch closed a year or so ago and I will be visiting Sandford Mill Museum in Chelmsford by appointment in just over a week's time by appt to look at their collection. I recall that many smaller trawlers, typically Ross Bird Class and also seine netters had Sailor equipment fitted in the early seventies in place of older MIMCo and Coastal Radio stuff respectively. I imagine that originally Explorer would have had the MIMCo equipment you mention. Maybe an Oceanspan VII and possibly Atalanta or earlier receivers plus the associated 24V battery charger switch box, Alert watch RX, perhaps Gannet/Fulmar and maybe a Dynatron and Amplifer and speakers for the crew, etc, etc.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

The Ross Tiger is part of the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Museum. It is moored next to the museum, and is open to the public. It was a middle distance trawler and so RT only fitted, and if memory serves, it had Marconi gear. Across the river in Hull is the Arctic Corsair which was WT fitted. I have not been aboard, so do not know what the gear was.

David.


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## BigLeithTrawler (Nov 7, 2017)

Hi - many thanks for the interest I'm familiar with both the vessels mentioned and the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Museum.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

Nice video on the site BLT. I did my ticket at Leith Nautical back in the 60's (in the days of Henry Robbs shipyard) and tootled about that area on Google Earth following your video.

One thing ... I don't remember the weather ever being that good ... (Jester)


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Worked UK, Faroe, Norway and Denmark on my time on Explorer all by radio telephone, we carried no WT or radio officer, I only had restricted radio ticket. However at after end of radio/chart room a cabin opened on to this space, this in my time was occupied by senior fishing mate. It is possible that when she first sailed that she carried an operator, Unfortunately I cannot remember what the name tag above the door read. The department's other research ship Scotia did carry a radio officer. Whether he was a civil servant like most ot the crew or employed by a radio rental firm is unknown.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

That really is a good website, and looks like it's going to get better. Well done.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Don't know if this will help but attached is a copy of a small article published in the _Marconi Mariner_ magazine issue for May/June 1957, about the radio/electronic equipment fitted aboard FRS _Explorer_.


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## BigLeithTrawler (Nov 7, 2017)

Many thanks indeed to all the present respondents in my original post. I strongly expected that Radiolocator MK IV would have been the original radar but as some KH and Decca equipment presently exists on the ship then I surmised that it might possibly have been one of those makes. The existent D/F loop and radar equipment are considerably smaller, mixed manufacture replacements for what had obviously to the eye gone before and they look very(!) out of place to me on initial inspection. Thanks again everybody for your interest it's very encouraging. I shall be visiting the ship again next month and I can hopefully then make a more informed appraisal, trying to trace things backwards from the original deckhead insulator, (which is missing, plated over).


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