# Maritime Radio Day



## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

I have been asked by friend to put following on for information. Maritime Radio Day - April 10 - 1200 to 11 April 1200 UTC. Full details can be obtained from web site at http://www.doese-apprt.de/mrd/index.html
 Regards, Roger


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## steve Coombs (Sep 27, 2005)

Thanks


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

That site is either extremely busy or it's gorn orff ... I'll try again later.

= Adrian +


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

There's also information at http://www.radiomaritimeday.org


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

Oh well that was that, bit of a disappointment really. I participated as ZS1TTZ ex ZSWR and made only one qso, to the OLP chaps at OL35OLP on 21mhz late yesterday (Saturday). I did hear the mighty GKA operated by GB0GKA on 7mhz last night but QRK1, no chance of making contact. 
It's such a pity as for the past few weekends we've had excellent propagation to Europe on the higher bands, but this weekend it all dried up, with my currently poor antenna system being a further handicap ... still, there's always next year ..
Did anybody else here have a bash?
= Adrian +


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

This has to be a rather negative contribution I'm afraid. 
I did not participate, having no HF antennae since a hurricane 19 months ago, and my tower remains rather unsafe. One day I will get around to replacing it.
I have to say, though, having looked the link in 5TT's post 4, that there seems to be a lot of bureaucracy involved in participating: there were no 'points' or 'awards' for raising, say, Portishead from the South Pacific with an Oceanspan! Also it seems less than realistic to observe W/T silence periods on HF!
I can see the attraction of having a set time and frequency(ies) to contact other former R/Os, (and be able to send at a decent speed without worrying about the other operator's ability to read) but turning it into a sort of competition demeans the whole exercise.


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## BobDixon (Oct 17, 2008)

There seems to be two facets to this activity, one a sort of contest and the other a non-contest. Either way, on the day conditions weren't great and there was a great deal of QRM from other contests. Worked just 11 stations although some others seem to have managed a great deal more.

Various ideas are being floated for the future - moving the event to weekday - moving the event to mark the Titanic disaster - dropping the use of SP's (we went quiet and everyone else piled in!).




Naytikos said:


> This has to be a rather negative contribution I'm afraid.
> I did not participate, having no HF antennae since a hurricane 19 months ago, and my tower remains rather unsafe. One day I will get around to replacing it.
> I have to say, though, having looked the link in 5TT's post 4, that there seems to be a lot of bureaucracy involved in participating: there were no 'points' or 'awards' for raising, say, Portishead from the South Pacific with an Oceanspan! Also it seems less than realistic to observe W/T silence periods on HF!
> I can see the attraction of having a set time and frequency(ies) to contact other former R/Os, (and be able to send at a decent speed without worrying about the other operator's ability to read) but turning it into a sort of competition demeans the whole exercise.


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

Comments all noted and appreciated. I'm not a big contester myself but I was keen to have a go at this, and I like the idea of it being a contest as such, as these things always seem to get a few more stations on air than would ordinarily be the case, but clashing with another contest was a bit of a problem, especially as the others didn't have to observe silence periods. Having said that though I worked more stations from the "other" crowd than I did MRD stations ..
The silence period bit I'm in two minds about, it's kind of novel having to be aware of them again and it's amazing how quickly I got back into the habit of glancing at the clock before reaching for the paddles.
Anyway it was fun trying and I'll be back next year whatever form the event takes on ..

= Adrian +


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I am not an Amateur, but did take part as an SWL with a basic long wire and a fairly decent receiver.

21052 was pretty useless. All I could hear was QRM from a continuous tone.
OL35OLP was fairly ubiquitous so must be favourite for the prize !!

David
+


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

I wonder if you didn't have the same problem on 21052 as I had David? It was coming from my PC network cable, I had to pull the cable out while on and around that frequency ...

= Adrian +


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Adrian

Just tried that - no difference - It does on 2182khz tho !!

21mhz was quiet 0730gmt 11/4 tho, but tone back on later.

David
+


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

It is my PC, under the bench. Just as it is with 2182khz. All sorts of weirdy qrm as it is booting up.

David
+


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Tut, tut!
The EMC Directive was supposed to prevent all that excess radiation. (Cloud)


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

So is it coincidence, or is their a link between the qrm on 2.1 mhz and 21 mhz ??

David
+


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Harmonics? (?HUH)


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Bring back valves !!

David
+


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Analogue over digital?
Unfortunately computers are just lots of switches that are either on or off and on/off signals are square waves and what do square waves contain? - Harmonics. (Cloud)
Can't think of a way to make an analogue computer. (Sad)


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Marconi Sahib said:


> Analogue over digital?
> Unfortunately computers are just lots of switches that are either on or off and on/off signals are square waves and what do square waves contain? - Harmonics. (Cloud)
> Can't think of a way to make an analogue computer. (Sad)


Might devices such as Babbages Difference Engine and the Antikythera mechanisms not be regarded as analogue computers, although some might regard the Antikythera mechanism as a complex orrery rather than a computational device in its own right. I agree though that an electronic analogue computer would be something of a contradiction in terms. The Science Museum has on display next to Babbages Engine a mechanical analogue device for differentiating and integrating.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Kockums Loadicator.
They probably make digital ones these days, or just write generic software into which an individual ship's characteristics can be entered, but all the ones I sailed with were analogue computers.
Had to replace one or other of the multi-turn pots a few times and a meter once.
Actually managed to get hold of a copy of the circuit diagram too!


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

I believe that the original Marconi RTI (Radar Track Indicator) as used with the Radiolocator radars, and its successor the True Motion unit used with the Argus/Hermes radars were described as analogue computers. Can't remember much about their circuitry after all this time, though the phrase 'sine/cosine potentiometer' comes to mind.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

I think the attached may contain the aforementioned "sine/cosine" potentiometers. (EEK)

I think that trying to service a modern PC designed around analogue circuits would be something of a nightmare.
Imagine a keyboard that produced voltage instead of code for each character. (EEK)
A mother board based on integrators rather than gates. (Whaaa)


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## BobDixon (Oct 17, 2008)

*Maritime Radio Day 2011* 
11.00 UTC 14th April until 23.00 UTC 15th April 

QSP de 
Alfredo De Cristofaro [email protected]
09:29 3rd December 2010


http://digilander.libero.it/radiofficer/qna.html

Dear Sparks,

the Radio Officer Staff is preparing the yearly Event for former Radio Officers and Radiotelegraphist Amateurs Radio

The MARITIME RADIO DAY 2011.

Starting from this year we will run the Maritime Radio Day during the week and not in the week-end to avoid big interferences from the various Contests.

We have chooses the date of 14th and 15th April 2011.

The Event will start at 11.00 UTC of the 14th April until 23.00 UTC of the 15th April.

These hours will permit at people busy during the day with their jobs (because many partecipants are not in pension), to be on the air in the evenings hours ( after the work).

Perhaps starting from this year will be used also WARC Bands but please follow this mailing list to see the updates.

The people wanna take part at the event could register their partecipation send an e-mail to R/O Rolf MARSCHNER to the following e-mail address: [email protected] in the e-mail must to be indicated the name, surname, amateur radio callsign and for former Radio Officers the last ship (name and callsign) they served, for amateur radio only their own callsign.

For any inquiry please write your question replying to this e-mail and we pray to everybody to sponsorize as maximum as you can this Event inside your Countries using your Mailing Lists and Radio Magazines.

Please stay tuned for further updates.

You will find updates also on the website run by R/O Juergen GERPOTT from Germany. I will report the link as soon as the website will be updated.

You can find information also on the Radio Magazine QST/MM run by R/O Andre CORDIER, also the link of the website of Andre will be sent to you in the further e-mails about MRD.

Best regards to everybody.

RADIO OFFICER STAFF

*Links*
http://digilander.libero.it/radiofficer/qna.html

http://groups.google.com/group/radio-officers/

http://coastradio.intco.biz

http://qst.mm.monsite-orange.fr/


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

Hi Bob and thanks for this, 
I must say I'm not sure about it not being a weekend event, in my case to have a good crack at it would mean taking a day or two off work, or rely on the lower bands in the evenings which last year weren't productive at all from this part of the globe. 
Will have to have a think about this ...
= Adrian +


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