# WICK RADIO



## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

I remember years ago on my birthday if my dad was at sea he sent me a telegram it arrived in a golden envelope with greetings on the front of it,a lad on a red G.P.O.moped delivered it my mum gave him a two bob bit tip,it said via wick radio do you know when wick stopped doing this,dad was fishing at the time around iceland 
i


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## John Gowers (Jul 18, 2018)

I don't know about the telegrams but in the middle 80s when I moved from ships to rigs the telephone call home was through Wick radio so the whole of the North Sea could hear what you were saying. We also had some kind of problem on the rig and when you made a call from the rig it went through the rig tannoy system sometimes no idea why, but you used to see a few red faces about when guys found out everyone on the rig had listened to their raunchy calls home.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Just looked it up and it seems UK Post Office ceased sending telegrams in 1982. Bad luck for all those sleazy Best Man speeches.

Wick Radio in the far north of Scotland was the main radio station for distant water trawlers. The station ceased radiotelegraphy transmissions in 1997 and closed altogether in 2000.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Do you know if Hull trawlers had direct contact with owners in Hull in the 1960s or did they have to use Wick?


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

rustytrawler said:


> Do you know if Hull trawlers had direct contact with owners in Hull in the 1960s or did they have to use Wick?


They would have gone through Wick or the other coast stations, depending on their location, but certainly Wick if they were well away. That's why there were occasional difficulties when they sailed without an radio operator. After the Ross Cleveland, Kingston Peridot and St Romanus tragedies they were compelled to carry a radio operator.

John T


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Hi J.T. Did you ever read the Headscarf Revolutionaries ? its all about the three Hull trawlers,Brian w Lavery wrote it a very moving book. He has also done a book about the ST FINBARR a hull trawler that caught fire on christmas day off newfoundland that was sadly lost in 1966 regards rustytrawler


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Ref #4, I wonder if any Trawler RO would admit to 'broadcasting Home' daily tally figures. No QSL or reply of course but the word gets across.

David

+


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

I think lots of trawler RO s caught tons of fish for lots of owners .Sorry but i do not know what QSLmeans,i think all ships could hear most reports,it must have been like the wild west out there


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

rustytrawler said:


> Hi J.T. Did you ever read the Headscarf Revolutionaries ? its all about the three Hull trawlers,Brian w Lavery wrote it a very moving book. He has also done a book about the ST FINBARR a hull trawler that caught fire on christmas day off newfoundland that was sadly lost in 1966 regards rustytrawler


Haven't read the book but was in Grimsby at the time and remember Lillian Billocca - unfortunately, as is often the case with whistleblowers, it didn't end well for her.

John T


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

rustytrawler said:


> I think lots of trawler RO s caught tons of fish for lots of owners .Sorry but i do not know what QSLmeans,i think all ships could hear most reports,it must have been like the wild west out there


QSL is an acknowledgement of receipt of a message.
All the companies had "radio skeds" where all their ships reported positions and catches to a nominated "control ship" (usually the last ship to arrive at the grounds). The ships all listened to the other companies' skeds. The reports were supposed to be in code but some ROs didn't bother, especially if there wasn't much to report. That itself was a clue as to what was going on and then when that ship did finally code the message up you knew they were on to something. Occasionally you could also wig in to stuff that other ships were sending and receiving via Wick to pick up information. The skippers also sent regular reports to the company by radiotelegram. All academic really as they lied like pigs in the proverbial. Each ship arriving at the grounds would broadcast "the trips" - a list of what the latest ships had landed and how much they made. Everyone was interested in that as it gave an indication of what you could expect to get.
I never heard of anyone sending blind private reports to people ashore but maybe they did, you'd have to be keen wouldn't you?

John T


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## spaarks (May 1, 2009)

trotterdotpom said:


> QSL is an acknowledgement of receipt of a message.
> All the companies had "radio skeds" where all their ships reported positions and catches to a nominated "control ship" (usually the last ship to arrive at the grounds). The ships all listened to the other companies' skeds. The reports were supposed to be in code but some ROs didn't bother, especially if there wasn't much to report. That itself was a clue as to what was going on and then when that ship did finally code the message up you knew they were on to something. Occasionally you could also wig in to stuff that other ships were sending and receiving via Wick to pick up information. The skippers also sent regular reports to the company by radiotelegram. All academic really as they lied like pigs in the proverbial. Each ship arriving at the grounds would broadcast "the trips" - a list of what the latest ships had landed and how much they made. Everyone was interested in that as it gave an indication of what you could expect to get.
> I never heard of anyone sending blind private reports to people ashore but maybe they did, you'd have to be keen wouldn't you?
> 
> John T


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## spaarks (May 1, 2009)

I seem to recall Wick also had HF WT frequencies?


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Yes they did and GKR could be a good DX channel to the UK from distant waters..
At Stonehaven GND we had a daily 2 mc/s WT sched with trawlers at 2100z...


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## 411353 (11 mo ago)

R651400 said:


> Yes they did and GKR could be a good DX channel to the UK from distant waters..
> At Stonehaven GND we had a daily 2 mc/s WT sched with trawlers at 2100z...


Just scratching away at my memories.
MSG was that Masters Service or something like that ( not to be confused with msg - message)


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Been on before but still worth another shot....


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

What is GKR?,thanks


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

GKR's HF service from 1982.....originally planned for use for the UK's Deep Sea Trawler fleet but often used by ships to bypass the large QRYs at GKA......


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

rustytrawler said:


> What is GKR?,thanks


GKR is (was) the callsign of Wick Radio. Similarly GND was Stonehaven Radio, GNI was Niton Radio etc....

Larry +


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Thanks over and out .Isthat what you say ?


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

rustytrawler said:


> Thanks over and out .Isthat what you say ?


Just to be pendantic...

During R/T communications, "Over" means you are expecting a reply, whilst "Out" means end of work and no reply is expected. 

So the phrase "Over and Out", although much loved in films and CB etc. was never used commercially.

Larry +


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

I was all set to work at Wick Radio in the late '70s after a 6 month training period at GKA, however, shortly after being offered that position I got an offer from a shipping company and decided to take that option instead. I often wonder how different my life would have been had I missed that telephone call !!

= Adrian +


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Your life up in Wick i guess would of been wet and cold


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

A bit like at GKZ. A ship would call on 500 with a TR QTO Hull and...........oh............I won't be starting on Monday !!

David
+

GKZ - Humber Radio
500 - Main WT calling frequency
TR - Traffic Report, ship movement etc
QTO =- Leaving port


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Thanks for that, you must have had a giant code book, until you got used to it.


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## taffe65 (May 27, 2007)

rustytrawler said:


> Thanks for that, you must have had a giant code book, until you got used to it.


"Said the actress to the Bishop " 🤣 .


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

There's enough on Wick Radio in other SN Radio Room threads but for the record my contemporary during GKA training intake late 1962 Tom McLennan chose GKR as a then RO2 annd remained at GKR the rest of his working life to become station manager aka Oic...
Tom came out of retiral to send the final GKR closure message on 500 Kcs which can be heard here..


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

For interest, today is Maritime Radio Day where us R/O Ham radio types commemorate the Titanic disaster by playing at ship's Radio Officers and Coast Station Ops on the Ham bands.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

Did a company called Reddifusion,i think they were from HULL have radio equipment on ships, i do not think they are on the go now?


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## John Gowers (Jul 18, 2018)

#28 Did they not make TVs or have something to do with ITV TV programs???


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

rustytrawler said:


> Did a company called Reddifusion,i think they were from HULL have radio equipment on ships, i do not think they are on the go now?


Company was Redifon. Sailed with several Redifon radio stations and were Pretty good.


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## rustytrawler (Jul 6, 2021)

In the 1960s we had a rented tele of Reddifusion on the side of the tv there was a meter and you put two bob in it then the tv would work for a few hours, at the end of the month a man from Reddifusion would open the meter and take the rent for the tele, and hand you back any overpayment........life was simple then!!!! even though it was complicated....(two bob, ask your mum and dad)


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Not quite right - Maritime Radio Day is when ex-Radio Officers who also have amateur radio callsigns communicate with each other - all official participants are ex-seagoing or Coast Station R/Os. For example Portishead Radio was represented by 5 ex-staff members, 4 of which arranged special callsigns (GB0GKA, GB0GKB, GB0GKC and GB0GKD). Other Coast Stations were represented (DAN, DHS, PCH, GLD and a few more).

GKR was also represented.

Shame radio conditions this year were not great.....

Larry G4HLN/GB0GKB +


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

Not sure but I may have had my bottom smacked by Portishead yet again 😁 Managed 20 QSOs this year, including some nice chats, and a GKA, GKZ and a DHS so quite happy with that although nothing outside Europe.


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## Wismajorvik (Dec 29, 2011)

John Gowers said:


> #28 Did they not make TVs or have something to do with ITV TV programs???


Indeed Redifussion were part of Thames television and had a hand in tv rentals and of course the delivery by cable to households, schools etc of radio channels.
Redifon Marine and Redifon Telecomms were based in Wandsworth, Redifon Simulators at Crawley.


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