# Aldis



## fireman1958 (Feb 13, 2015)

A friend posted a link to his website which contained an aldis file, requesting help in confirming it's viability.
Unfortunately this site deemed it spam and he was banned forever !!!
If anyone who can read aldis and could help, it would be deeply appreciated.
Kindly pm me if you have any interest in this.
Thank You


----------



## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

Viability???
Anyone who knows Morse Code can read an aldis- no big deal!


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I find reading a light very different from taking morse from headphones.

Mind you, my commercial working was 'passable' at best.


----------



## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

fireman1958 said:


> A friend posted a link to his website which contained an aldis file, requesting help in confirming it's viability.
> Unfortunately this site deemed it spam and he was banned forever !!!
> If anyone who can read aldis and could help, it would be deeply appreciated.
> Kindly pm me if you have any interest in this.
> Thank You


Sounds like they mistakenly thought your friend was trying to place an ad for a well known supermarket with a similar name.


----------



## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

#3

Most of us would agree with you, David, I'm quite sure! 

Apart from the obvious difference between light and sound, the biggest difference was surely in the speed. Was it five wpm for lamp and twenty wpm for sound? In any event, very few of us who were proficient at lamp-morse could begin to keep up with radio-morse.


----------



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Fireman1958. Good morning. Can you get the link posted for the aldis? There will be plenty of people on here who can read it.


----------



## jimthehat (Aug 5, 2006)

Barrie Youde said:


> #3
> 
> Most of us would agree with you, David, I'm quite sure!
> 
> Apart from the obvious difference between light and sound, the biggest difference was surely in the speed. Was it five wpm for lamp and twenty wpm for sound? In any event, very few of us who were proficient at lamp-morse could begin to keep up with radio-morse.


For us mates I thought it was 10 words per min for sound,possibly 20wpm for ROs,
jim


----------



## tzinieres (Oct 11, 2009)

Barrie Youde said:


> #3
> 
> Most of us would agree with you, David, I'm quite sure!
> 
> Apart from the obvious difference between light and sound, the biggest difference was surely in the speed. Was it five wpm for lamp and twenty wpm for sound? In any event, very few of us who were proficient at lamp-morse could begin to keep up with radio-morse.


Six words per minute for aldis lamp


----------



## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

On the Cyclops in 1971 as a 20yr old R/O, I used to pass some time in the evenings chatting to the 3rd Mate and competing with him on calling up ships on the aldis. One day, heading north off west africa, a Greek tanker with a very long name was blasting my eardrums on 500, obviously very close. On the 8-12 we were in sight and overtaking a slow moving tanker. The 3rd mate flashed it up and we saw a feeble flickering light reply. He flashed what ship? and i just managed to pick out the first two letters - HE - of almost unreadable morse. I said 'did you get it then?'. The 3rd said no, I said 'Heroic Colocotronis'. He gave up trying to beat me at lamp proficiency after that.


----------



## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

richardwakeley said:


> On the Cyclops in 1971 as a 20yr old R/O, I used to pass some time in the evenings chatting to the 3rd Mate and competing with him on calling up ships on the aldis. One day, heading north off west africa, a Greek tanker with a very long name was blasting my eardrums on 500, obviously very close. On the 8-12 we were in sight and overtaking a slow moving tanker. The 3rd mate flashed it up and we saw a feeble flickering light reply. He flashed what ship? and i just managed to pick out the first two letters - HE - of almost unreadable morse. I said 'did you get it then?'. The 3rd said no, I said 'Heroic Colocotronis'. He gave up trying to beat me at lamp proficiency after that.


Just settling on course 323 degs having just passed Capetown, I heard the Pendennis Castle sending her OBS to ZSC. The callsign GTPX was a familiar one as it was one that we used at college for 'commercial working' tests.

Later that night, after the 2000 to 2200 radio watch I went into the wheelhouse and when glancing astern saw a passenger ship overhauling us - the 3rd mate rigged up the Aldis and after getting a dash in reply to my AAs I sent "Are you the Pendennis Castle?" - no response. Sent it again - no response - then came back "VHF".

They confirmed that they were indeed the Pendennis Castle but, were expecting "What ship?" on the lamp - my direct question had completely thrown them. 

[=P]

(Thumb)


----------



## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

this is what ships nostalgia is all about moulder! I had forgotten it was AAA, and wait for a T. Also remember flashing up a ship off west africa and being embarrased by an hms something, professonal naval aldis.


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Barrie Youde said:


> #3
> 
> Most of us would agree with you, David, I'm quite sure!
> 
> Apart from the obvious difference between light and sound, the biggest difference was surely in the speed. Was it five wpm for lamp and twenty wpm for sound? In any event, very few of us who were proficient at lamp-morse could begin to keep up with radio-morse.


So you've been on the wrong end of my key bashing have you Barry?

I think it was 20 for plain language and 16 for code (MPT General and 2nd Class PMG. First class was something like 25s. I am sure one of the regulators posting here will remember from the top of their heads).


----------



## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

#14

Hi, David,

My own experience is strictly limited to lamp-morse; but I do recall reading somewhere of an exchange between sparkies as to sound-morse, with reference to the principle that "twenty is plenty".

As to being on the receiving end, I was only too grateful when the message sent was legible. There was a vast difference in the quality of different lamps used, to say nothing of the proficiency of the sender. Many might agree that (almost) the most useless thing ever invented (after the chocolate tea-pot, that is) was the so-called all-round morse-light plonked on the top-end of an upright piece of four-by-four timber on the monkey island. Rarely powerful enough to make it distinguishable from any accommodation-light, it had a very, very limited range.

I am sure, David, that your own legibility was quite flawless!!

ps - A very good way to keep in practice is by clicking with a biro-pen - I know, I know, I really should get out more!!


----------



## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

Is there a neurologist in the House?

We all know that the speed of light exceeds the speed of sound by a wide margin.

How, then, is it possible that the human mind can read sound signals at a higher speed than it can read light signals?

Is it simply that the Sparks, in addition to being the only officer on board, was also of infinitely greater intelligence than the rest of us?

Answers on a beer-mat, please.


----------



## Chris Isaac (Jul 29, 2006)

Light signals and wireless signals both travel at the speed of light. The wireless signal is only slowed when it reached the dense material between the R/O's ears !


----------



## sidsal (Nov 13, 2007)

As an ancient mariner ( sea in 1943) we used the Aldis all the time. As Commodore ship in convoy the light signals went on all day together with the flags of course. Then post war, watches were made interesting by chatting to passing ships by lamp. Met old shipmates many time like that. The introduction of VHF killed it and separation lanes made life very boring and uninteresting.


----------



## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

The most commonly sent letters by lamp were "V H F"


----------



## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

I used to mentally convert the light signals I was seeing into sound signals (I suppose we all did the same).

Once I made the mistake of sending via Aldis much too fast for the navigation officer on the other ship to read what I was saying and had to learn the lesson that a much, much slower rate had to be adopted.


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Chris Isaac said:


> Light signals and wireless signals both travel at the speed of light. The wireless signal is only slowed when it reached the dense material between the R/O's ears !


Does that imply that the material between the ears of those on the bridge is even denser, Chris? Or have I missed some other reason why the R/O reads the wireless signals several times quicker than the navigating officer can read the Aldis signals? (Jester)


----------



## Chris Isaac (Jul 29, 2006)

But Ron we had other things to do, like staring out of the window. All you guys had to do was listen to the radio and make sure you get the football results correctly.
But I will admit that some of you could make an excellent mug of tea and provide great company at about 2200 on the 8 to 12.


----------



## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

Varley said:


> First class was something like 25s. I am sure one of the regulators posting here will remember from the top of their heads).


When I did mine First Class 25, code 20, and if I remember rightly figures 16.



Chris Isaac said:


> But Ron we had other things to do, like staring out of the window. All you guys had to do was listen to the radio and make sure you get the football results correctly.
> But I will admit that some of you could make an excellent mug of tea and provide great company at about 2200 on the 8 to 12.


You forgot to mention repairing all the bits and bobs that people used to appear in the Radio Room with, the message was usually 'can you look at this for me sparks, I can't seem to get it to work' B\)

That was after we had made your excellent cuppa and helped to keep you awake on the bridge, we had some uses occasionally.(Jester)


----------



## bobharrison2002 (Apr 12, 2008)

Back in the 70's a major hazard on the west coast was the American aircraft carrier anchored off San Diego. Without fail they would have a bored OOW who would call on lamp wanting to know what ship where bound etc. The mates invariably would give the standard 'VHF 16" and then call the radio room for help! In all fairness the mate was the only officer on the bridge of a 20,000 ton passenger ship and had better things to do than chat with some idiot twiddling his thumbs!


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Chris Isaac said:


> All you guys had to do was listen to the radio and make sure you get the football results correctly.


You had no idea what went on and the stresses we had to endure. Sitting in a swivel chair and trying to keep your feet up on the bench whilst trying to read a book every watch was no picnic, I'll tell you. Then there was the night steward interrupting you with trays with pots of tea and plates of sandwiches. No end of difficult situations to manage.

It was bad enough at sea but on arrival, things only got worse. You never had to cope with being in port, with no duties and with unlimited shore time.


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Them's the same colours I run up the halyard, too, Ron!


----------



## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Very strange indeed. I'm working on a new-build design for a dive support vessel. Morse key on forward console and Morse lamp at the top of the mast, plus portable Aldis lamp. They will never be used in anger, especially as navigators don't know Morse. It seems IMO and SOLAS are a bit behind the times.


----------



## Chris Isaac (Jul 29, 2006)

Good Radio Officers used to volunteer to do the cargo plans on B&C ships (probably others as well). We used the Banda colouring systems. 
Colouring in seemed to keep them happy and amused.


----------



## JWJ1 (Apr 16, 2012)

Almost all the Aldis sessions I was involved in (after being called by the OOW) ended in a frustrated shambles as one (or both) parties seemed to run out of patience.

However I later served in the RNXS (until it was disbanded) and it seemed to go quite well. 

I never had any difficulty sending or receiving with an Aldis once a common speed was established.


----------



## Orbitaman (Oct 5, 2007)

J. Davies said:


> Very strange indeed. I'm working on a new-build design for a dive support vessel. Morse key on forward console and Morse lamp at the top of the mast, plus portable Aldis lamp. *They will never be used in anger, especially as navigators don't know Morse.* It seems IMO and SOLAS are a bit behind the times.


This must be why morse is still on the syllabus for both OOW (2nd Mates) and Chief Mates courses?


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Chris Isaac said:


> Good Radio Officers used to volunteer to do the cargo plans on B&C ships (probably others as well). We used the Banda colouring systems.
> Colouring in seemed to keep them happy and amused.


Did good Radio Officers become bad Radio Officers when they discovered that the cages of Grant Road were more entertaining than cargo plans?

John T


----------



## cajef (Feb 8, 2012)

Chris Isaac said:


> Good Radio Officers used to volunteer to do the cargo plans on B&C ships (probably others as well). We used the Banda colouring systems.


Never could get on with that that's why I didn't volunteer on the B&C ships I was on[=P], though did help out on the bridge on the Bowater boats going into the G. Lakes.


----------



## backsplice (May 23, 2005)

As an Ordinary Seaman on the Shell tanker ANADARA in 1960 while on the 12/4 watch I was taught to use the aldis lamp which I used to look forward to using every night .....usually finished the signals with BV or Bon Voyage ......closer passing ships we would use the key for mast head lights on the wing of the bridge .......... should have kept a log of all the contacts still know the code and occasionally tap it out ......... ten years later as it has been stated the reply was invariably V H F .- .-.


----------



## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Orbitaman said:


> This must be why morse is still on the syllabus for both OOW (2nd Mates) and Chief Mates courses?


You are right of course, but I have never met one offshore who can use Morse. I think they just instantly forget it when they get their tickets. The Aldis ends up being a portable searchlight.


----------



## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

Re light wpm and sound wpm... I think the eyes are wired up to a different part of the brain than the ears. I know I had to start almost from scratch when learning morse by ear.
Also..... the eyeball thingo tends to have a slow rate of 'fading' which isn't a problem with ears...so fast morse by lamp just becomes a blur esp if it is a bright light close by.
I suppose plenty others here recall how the waters from Suez to Hormuz used to be alive with morse in the 8 to 12 every evening.


----------



## Wismajorvik (Dec 29, 2011)

I originally learned morse by light, (along with semaphore....). The slower speeds were due to having to memorise the received letters or orally pass them to a second person, (also avoid blinking!). Later I learned morse by sound and would write messages down without reading them until there was a break. (I have received press from GKK, cut a Roneo(?) for printing and later being asked "what was in the press tonight sparks?" and replying "I don't recollect". I used the aldis at sea, (at the request of the bridge) to communicate basics with an RN vessel but with other vessels usually received the reply 'VHF'.


----------



## joebuckham (Apr 1, 2005)

Wismajorvik said:


> I originally learned morse by light, (along with semaphore....). The slower speeds were due to having to memorise the received letters or orally pass them to a second person, (also avoid blinking!). Later I learned morse by sound and would write messages down without reading them until there was a break. (I have received press from GKK, cut a Roneo(?) for printing and later being asked "what was in the press tonight sparks?" and replying "I don't recollect". I used the aldis at sea, (at the request of the bridge) to communicate basics with an RN vessel but with other vessels usually received the reply 'VHF'.


some lazy so and so was too tired to even send "vhf" in reply to my attempt at a practice session, mid atlantic in the fifties, but did manage to switch on the Mary's funnel floodlights.


----------



## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

Orbitaman said:


> This must be why morse is still on the syllabus for both OOW (2nd Mates) and Chief Mates courses?


A purely token gesture as nobody under a certain age really "knows" it.


----------



## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

The large navy Aldis lamp on RFA Orangeleafs monkey island was used as a source of torture by the SRO against a very hung over and suffering JRO. Having the night before "Cape Smoked" myself to oblivion it was the SRO's suggestion that I needed some good fresh air while we rassed with two U.S. destroyers off Cape Town in 73. I was trusted with a pencil and a very quiet notepad and made to stand very close to the projector. The row it made when the lever was banged down was very noticeable to my ultra sensitive brain. Needless to say I was tea total for at least a day after that.


----------



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

That would be the 20 inch projector I expect. Which SRO or probably ROA was that?

73

KR


----------



## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

You are right it was the 20" and might as well have been a pile driver that morning. ROA was Neil Wilson Smith and ROB was Maurice OHalloran. They were both great to me the whole time and I enjoyed every minute of it. They were always firm but fair and did a good job knocking the rough edges off. The rest of the crew were great. Old man was J C Moffit who remained out of the picture most of the time. U.S destroyers were USS Stribling and USS Jonas Ingram. They were on their way to Vietnam. When Mike Jamieson the 2/Es wife appeared they were falling over each other trying to get to the long range binoculars. Couldn't have asked for a better start.
73


----------



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Hi Bill.B
I knew Wilson-Smith. He left years ago. Also JC Moffat aka Mo-Fat the Chinese Admiral. Mike Jamieson left and joined the RMAS tugs. Think his wife was Geraldine. Nice lady.
73
KR


----------



## bill thompson (Aug 16, 2011)

I worked at Nobby's Signal Station Newcastle NSW for a while.There was a huge pedestal navy lamp (most of the other guys were ex Navy signalmen) and (thank god) a merchant navy sliding shutter type aldis lamp.

I played around with the big lamp but never felt at ease with it.The navy guys would not countenance the aldis lamp.

Horses for courses I guess.This was in the days prior to VHF.While all of the signalmen were quite flash (lol) with the morse the same cannot be said for a lot of the incoming.The patience of saints comes to mind.

Cheers Bill.


----------



## Farmer John (Feb 22, 2012)

What happened to the original poster? He has left us with a wonderful thread for nostalgia, but then has gone.

I know when on watch, if things were quiet and something came the other way, it was irresistible to grab the clicky lamp and have a go, you knew you had to get this under your belt sometime, so a quick go was a way to polish the lamp skill. I found it very difficult to read from the light, I think one problem was that when you were practising ashore, the "light only" we used to work on usually had some element of sound as well, and that taught you a very poor skill. Only when you have a soundless flash do you have a true practice.


----------



## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

Farmer John said:


> What happened to the original poster? He has left us with a wonderful thread for nostalgia, but then has gone.
> 
> I know when on watch, if things were quiet and something came the other way, it was irresistible to grab the clicky lamp and have a go, you knew you had to get this under your belt sometime, so a quick go was a way to polish the lamp skill. I found it very difficult to read from the light, I think one problem was that when you were practising ashore, the "light only" we used to work on usually had some element of sound as well, and that taught you a very poor skill. Only when you have a soundless flash do you have a true practice.


I think there is a lot of truth hidden in your statements, Farmer John. I learned my morse on a stationery light that was triggered by a typical morse key, so it was purely on and off with no transition as with an Aldis with the always on light changed with a pivoting mirror. I found I could read a signal from the keyed light better (and quicker) than that from the Aldis. In comparison, the shuttered light was kind of midway between, but where the "off" was a much quicker transit from the full light.


----------



## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

When I was up for 2nd mates in London there were some who read the clicks rather than the light. 
Does anyone else remember the old RN signalman who used to do the evening classes in the mid 60's? He was also on the lamp in the exam.
Week before the exam he offered 'special signals' tuition for two bob.

'When I send S it will be fast, H will be slow, 5 will be fast'.

I arranged with my writer...'if I miss one I will say nothing...just write down what everyone else whispers'.


----------



## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Geraldine is correct KIng Ratt. She was a beautiful girl in every way and MIke was one of the most exceptional engineers I ever sailed with. Geraldine was voted "Miss Beira 1973" by HMS Whitby in the Mozambique Channel. Mo Fat was a piece of work and less contact the better for all. Hunter replaced him who then went on a bender on the way back from Singapore when anchored in Dakar. He cornered the 3rd mate who wansnt seen for a couple of days and eventually surfaced much the worse for wear. It was safer to stay aft than get dragged into the party! All happy days.
Spent more time asking for reruns than tearing off teleprinter paper as the B40s used to drift all over the place and we would drop the net. It was all good experience and much better than being alongside in Portland on Engadine or Sir Bedivere in Marchwood.


----------



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Aye Bill.B. Mo-Fat certainly left a bad smell astern of him. We had some beauties as OM for sure, happily in the minority.
As for Int ZDKs, check me out tuning in the sainted Murphy B40.

73

KR


----------



## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Nice picture KR. I like the radio room apparel. Plenty of heat with all the B40 and B41 receivers. Add in a Globe span, Electtra and Mercury the heat was always on. Ah the joy of watching the meter needles going whilst daring the damn system to sync. First purchase in Singapore was a Seiko for setting up the timing. 
73


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Sorry guys. Didn't sail or know the B40/41s. Would someone explain the synchronising required for me please?


----------



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Good morning Varley. B4O tended to drift off frequency and then the feed to the cryptographic equipment was lost. This resulted in loss of the naval broadcast. MoD came up with a piece of equipment with the designator outfit FAZ. The B40 fed this and it was intended to deal with a drifting signal and provide a stable output to the crypto gear. It did not function as well as hoped. 

73

KR


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ah, from the Radio Spies catalogue. No wonder it sounded strange. The only thing I remember synchronising (in the radio room) was the Seaguard selector drive motor - warm-up, engage starter twiddler, twiiiidle. (Repeat as necessary).


----------



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Hello again Varley. Did you ever encounter that other Marconi AA which you had to bang on the side to get it operating? I think it was the model before Seaguard.
Attached pic of the aforementioned FAZ.


----------



## jimg0nxx (Sep 1, 2005)

KR, I think you may be referring to the Marconi Vigilant Type M. Seem to recollect flicking the vibrator.


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

No KR, the rest of my RR time was with the Lifeguard with the exception of some unremembered SAIT gear on Conoco Europe.

Can't swear that I never tried the same starting remedy 'though!


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

R651400 said:


> ..and in reality not necessary to thump the AA case at the end of each and every watch period to kick-start the Type M (Yeoman) AA selector either!!!


I think that might depend on the type of ship. On steam turbine ships (or motor ships at anchor) there was never enough vibration to make the reed move enough to make/break the circuit and just spinning the starter shaft did not suffice. It was usually necessary to give the equipment case a knock to start things off.


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Surely this had noting to do with the selector but with matching the ship's supply to the valve HT rather than anyting to do with the selector. Many car radios of the 50s had reed vibrators to simulate AC to a transformer. Had one that I took to school with me (too ***bersome to take under the bedclothes!).


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

The selector of the _Type M_ or _Vigilant_ autoalarm signal detector device was electro-mechanical, using a series of relays and cams to measure the duration of received signals and the intervals between them. This allowed the Auto Alarm signals (a sequence of 4-second dashes separated by 1-second gaps) to be measured and registered. The cams were operated by a camshaft, driven by a synchronous motor whose speed was controlled by a device which alternated the supply at a constant rate.

The 'vibrator' referred to was nothing like the devices enclosed in cans in the receiver power packs in the base of the '_Oceanspan I_' transmitter and used to raise the 24V d.c. supply to the higher anode voltages needed for the receivers of the day. It was a length of spring steel which resembled a hack-saw blade mounted horizontally inside the selector. It was visible through a perspex window in the front panel and was gripped at one end and fitted with a weight at the other. The d.c. supply to the motor was fed via contacts on the blade. When agitated, the blade moved, thus making and breaking the d.c. supply to the motor into pulses which drove the selector's camshaft. 

At rest the supply contacts were open and the motor did not run. To close the contacts, the blade had to be moving to and fro. The start procedure was to look through the window and check if the blade was moving and if not, give the case a knock to start it off. As soon as it was seen to be moving, push in the starter knob to engage the spring-loaded starter shaft with the mechanism and spin it rapidly to start the motor turning. Rather like the starting handle on a pre-war car. Once the motor was turning fast enough and the blade was oscillating at the correct rate the motor was fed pulses at the rate required to keep it running at a constant speed without further physical assistance. Simple, low-tech but very effective. 

And to the onlooker, the act of banging on the panel to start the process confirmed the image of Sparks being somewhat eccentric
.


----------



## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Thanks for the correction Ron.

As I remember the Seaguard the synchronous motor (permanent magnet?) for the similar selector was a valve multivibrator.

Providing adequate oomf was available the motor would have started (given the right amount of twiddle) and run at the frequency being produced. How was this made stable to an adequate tolerance?

WRT the type M I assume the frequency of the blade was made stable by dint of it having a natural frequency based on length and material like a tuning fork - ?


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Varley said:


> WRT the type M I assume the frequency of the blade was made stable by dint of it having a natural frequency based on length and material like a tuning fork - ?


Exactly. Rather like the length/weight of a pendulum being used in a clock, the length of the blade and the weight attached to the distal end controlled the frequency with which it oscillated.

You are right about the _Seaguard_. By the time it was developed that newfangled thing called electronics had reared its ugly head and the blade of the *Type M* was replaced by a multivibrator valve set up. I never heard of a blade failure but dealt with several failed multivibrators (and even more failures of valves of other types).


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

R651400 said:


> Never used the Type M auto alarm at anchor!


You missed out on anchoring off Beira or Colombo for weeks at a time? Lucky old you.


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Call me old fashioned, but what's the point of using an auto alarm when you're at anchot? It's not as if you're going to rush off to anyone's assistance.

John T


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> Call me old fashioned, but what's the point of using an auto alarm when you're at anchot? It's not as if you're going to rush off to anyone's assistance.
> 
> John T


Anchored out of sight of land it was still necessary to keep watches. If you are keeping manual watches, then you ought to be keeping auto alarm watches too. 

The MRCC at Falmouth and other coast guard stations are unlikely to rush off to anyone's assistance. However lots of seafarers have been grateful for assistance provided as a consequence of the excellent radio watch-keeping maintained at those sites.

If your ship got into trouble an hour or two away from our anchorage and your distress calls went unanswered, you might not be so relaxed to learn later that you had been ignored because I hadn't bothered to switch the AA on. Then again, maybe you enjoy cruising the Indian Ocean on a life-raft. [=P]

The only times I turned the AA off was in the intervals between sending QTP and QTO. Otherwise the gear was ready for use - after all keeping distress watch was our main purpose for being aboard. Without that requirement under the regulations, there would have been no reason to employ a R/O. If you doubt that, I would refer you to the GMDSS - once the distress and safety watch-keeping was automated, the R/O's services were dispensed with.


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Very noble, but I don't recall ever anchoring out of sight of land.

John T


----------



## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

Getting back to the Aldis, if I remember correctly you reported by Aldis on passing Gibraltar and on arriving Aden all your info came from shoreside Aldis
including Pilot berthing time etc.
Funniest one I witnessed was when on Alaric/GWRQ we got called up by lamp with the usual "What ship" We replied Alaric Fremantle to Suez and got back the word "SNAP" It was the submarine HMS Alaric on passage to Oz
Ern Barrett


----------



## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> Very noble, but I don't recall ever anchoring out of sight of land.
> 
> John T


Then you led a sheltered life, John.

Of course nobility comes so easy to those of us born West of the Pennines.

And then again, I can't see too much nobility being required in order to leave the AA switched on when you are off watch. After all, it's what we were paid for. (Mops his noble brow and exits stage left).


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Ron Stringer said:


> Then you led a sheltered life, John.
> 
> Of course nobility comes so easy to those of us born West of the Pennines.
> 
> And then again, I can't see too much nobility being required in order to leave the AA switched on when you are off watch. After all, it's what we were paid for. (Mops his noble brow and exits stage left).


"Sheltered" and "anchorage" often went together, Ron, but, being a St Patrick's Day baby, maybe I had some of the luck of the Irish.

I did have a fair amount of time drifting off Christmas Island and suchlike .... in which case it was, of course, business as usual.

West of Pennines? Nobility? No comment!

John T


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

ernhelenbarrett said:


> Getting back to the Aldis, if I remember correctly you reported by Aldis on passing Gibraltar and on arriving Aden all your info came from shoreside Aldis
> including Pilot berthing time etc.
> Funniest one I witnessed was when on Alaric/GWRQ we got called up by lamp with the usual "What ship" We replied Alaric Fremantle to Suez and got back the word "SNAP" It was the submarine HMS Alaric on passage to Oz
> Ern Barrett


Ern, I assume that was the Lloyds Signal Station reports which ended up in the Lloyds List. Do you know when that finished?

The only time I did anything like that was when called up by the NATO (I was told) station at Tromso, Norway. The Aldis burst into flames and I had to send the reply using a light switch to send morse on the mast light. Think they gave up on that but nobody stopped us.

John T


----------



## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

Cant remember when the Lloyds Station at ZDK stopped passing on info to Lloyds but I left Alaric in 1960 and joined AWA so it could have been around that time or later, flew out to Sydney on a Comet and it took a couple of days, met by Matt Jobson at airport and straight down to the "Newcastle Flyer" for the 3 hour trip to Newcastle arrived past noon, signed on Lake Boga and sailed for Yla at 1pm, shattered, after a few days jetlagged and trying to work out a Pacific Transmitter which I had never seen or worked in my life...Ah, the good old days on the Black and Tan run, Deaf Robby was Skipper.
Ern Barrett


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Thanks Ern. 

The Black and Tan run was still going in the '90s, wonder if it still is - if so, let's hope the Ukrainians are enjoying it.

Never knew "Deaf Robbie" - did you communicate with him by Aldis?

I did know Noel Slack-Scott though (Chief Engineer on Lake Boga for a fair while).

John T


----------



## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

John T
Deaf Robby was quite famous as he usually forgot (on purpose) to wear his hearing aid and being a diabetic consumed a fair amount of dry sherry as in the
2 litre glass flagon variety. As you know Whyalla only had two pubs and the first thing you did was look through the window and if Robby was there you went to the other, if he came in you slipped out and went to the other!! Believe he died at sea on one of the Lake boats when he forgot to pack his insulin and 
had a seizure on the way round to Whyala. You probably met my "better half""
if you called in at York or Clarence Street,she was in Matt Jobsons/Bill Thomas
office and did R/O's payrolls, Matt introduced us as she was also Scots then must have thought he had done the wrong thing as he shanghai'd me away for 18 months on the Hamilton Sleigh/VRBO on the Japanese/Unheard of ports up
the Persian Gulf, non airconditioned tanker
Ern Barrett


----------



## Rhodri Mawr (Jul 6, 2008)

Chris Isaac said:


> Light signals and wireless signals both travel at the speed of light. The wireless signal is only slowed when it reached the dense material between the R/O's ears !


Brilliant comment - I've only just stopped laughing out loud. Even if I am a former sparks, I can still appreciate the humour in this one.

(Thumb)


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Glad she waited for you Ern. Sorry, didn't know any of those folk, everything was at Leichhardt when I started.

John T


----------



## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

John T
Yep, she went back to Scotland and I went back there to get hitched but was not allowed to as I was classed as an alien as had become an Aussie citizen so had to postpone the wedding and book into a pub for a month before getting hitched even though I was born 5 miles away from the church...Havent been back since!!!
Ern


----------



## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Something went awry there, Ern, I've got Australian citizenship and still have British citizenship. Australians don't even need a visa to get into the UK. Obviously easier now than then.

John T


----------

