# The rough & the smooth c/s



## Robert M Hughes (Oct 16, 2010)

Based in Naples on a med -runner tanker my home coast station was IQH - as a smooth counter to this was Athens SVA ( who replied with the 'heavy key' treatment if you ran his letters together).
Anyone beat those ?

Cheers,
Bob


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

To my mind the 'roughest' would have been Das Island *2AI15*

One of my ships was *SVPI* which flowed nicely.


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## Robert M Hughes (Oct 16, 2010)

Naytikos said:


> To my mind the 'roughest' would have been Das Island *2AI15*
> 
> One of my ships was *SVPI* which flowed nicely.


Thanks for that !

Bob


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I invested in a Japanese bug for my time on ZSHI ! 

Very distinctive.

David
+


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

I well remember the battle to be first after the silence period for Das. Seem to recall he was an OBS station as well.
Hand poised over the key waiting for the SP to finish and the Globespan wound to full power - was it 400W?. 

Hawkey01


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Yes, at least he would accept QSPs from other ships, not like HZY.


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## hughesy (Dec 18, 2007)

I had a nice one 6zzw flew right off the key

all the best
Hughesy(Thumb)


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## Brian Davidson (Mar 28, 2008)

Two nice ones I had were - GRAE and ELIN

Brian


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## Corky (Feb 25, 2008)

*Goob*

Maybe not the nicest c/s GOOB, but the ships name was a bit long - ManchesterChallenge/GOOB. Any one got a longer one?


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Brian, GRAE is familiar to me - it's not Geeststar is it?

John T.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

"Maybe not the nicest c/s GOOB, but the ships name was a bit long - ManchesterChallenge/GOOB. Any one got a longer one?"


Didn't Clan Line have a Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch? 

John T.


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## Brian Davidson (Mar 28, 2008)

trotterdotpom said:


> Brian, GRAE is familiar to me - it's not Geeststar is it?
> 
> John T.


Hi John

No, GRAE was the Joseph R Smallwood, a product tanker managed by Common Bros.

Regards
Brian


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Thanks Brian, must have been something similar.

John T.


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

My worse one was a greek ship named Anemone SZSJ slightest mistake and SOS could be sent.


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> "Maybe not the nicest c/s GOOB, but the ships name was a bit long - ManchesterChallenge/GOOB. Any one got a longer one?"
> John T.


One I recall from my GKA days is 'Agios Nikolaos Thalassoropos' but I can't recall the callsign - I know the R/O used to abbreviate the name to 'A N T' and leave it to us to type the whole name out...

Larry +


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Sorry Larry, that was Corky's GOOB, not mine.

John T.


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

You're quite right.......more of a GOOF than a GOOB....


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Larry, please excuse my nit-picking but it should be _Thalassoporos_

(St. Nicholas, ruler of the sea).

I never sailed on her, but boarded as agent or pilot a couple of times.


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## Robert Wheeler (Feb 17, 2009)

Agios Nikolaos Thalassoropos - ex Everett F Wells/H3CY?
I did 3 stints on there - bit of a tedious run, but good trips all the same.


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## Eric Farrelly (Jul 10, 2010)

one of my ships British Skill c/s MGMG....proved challenging sailing near Singapore "9MG".... fun times!!

Regards

Eric


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## Trevorw (Jun 5, 2006)

Eric Farrelly said:


> one of my ships British Skill c/s MGMG....proved challenging sailing near Singapore "9MG".... fun times!!
> 
> Regards
> 
> Eric


Sorry to be pedantic, but 9MG was Penang, not Singapore!


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

9VG was Singapore.

John T.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Yep........... sure was.


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## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

I,d guess Trevorw had a good time in Penang.I know I did!


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## Roger Bentley (Nov 15, 2005)

Brocklebank's Malabar a liberty ship had call sign GCTT, someone once asked me in the Indian Ocean if were GBTT! Must have had a bad day on the key! Or perhaps he was imagining things. Cheers, Roger


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## Trevorw (Jun 5, 2006)

John Dryden said:


> I,d guess Trevorw had a good time in Penang.I know I did!


Spent a lot of time in the E & O, and very occasionally, "The Green Parrot".
Went back there about seven years ago and the E & O hadn't changed at all! Marvellous!


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## Trevorw (Jun 5, 2006)

Roger Bentley said:


> Brocklebank's Malabar a liberty ship had call sign GCTT, someone once asked me in the Indian Ocean if were GBTT! Must have had a bad day on the key! Or perhaps he was imagining things. Cheers, Roger


The one which really slipped off the tongue (figuratively speaking) was "British Endurance"/ MLZM - it was brilliant to key.
Then on "Glenfalloch"/GJKE, if you were working Japanese coast stations, you would cheat and key, JKEG! Almost immediately Chosi/JCS would reply, QSW, so you went straight to his working frequency and transmitted on 425 - saved hours!
The most difficult one to raise was NBA, the US station for the Panama canal - I've often spent two hours plus on every wave band trying to raise him - I don't believe they knew the meaning of the word, "search"!


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

One that I liked from the sending point of view was Hall Bros "Bretwalda" GXPX. Not so good when waiting for your messages in the blind transmissions from Portishead.

Better from that point of view (and not so bad to send) was E & F's "Golfito" GBYL.


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

My favourites were RFA Tidespring/GJMC and RFA Grey Rover/GYXM; the latter being the morse ringtone when my cellphone is called.


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

Larry Bennett said:


> You're quite right.......more of a GOOF than a GOOB....


Hi Larry and All
in the 1970's
GOOB belonged to Dart America
GOOF belonged to Dart Atlantic

Both radio rooms were identical and I always had to look up at the call sign when calling GKB to ensure I had the right one.

Bibby Line had a series of callsigns that flowed well because they contained Q codes

GQSA Worcestershire
GQRE Coventry City
GQRU Toronto City

Best wishes

Alan


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

Trevorw said:


> The most difficult one to raise was NBA, the US station for the Panama canal - I've often spent two hours plus on every wave band trying to raise him - I don't believe they knew the meaning of the word, "search"!


Hi, yes agreed, often tried to raise NBA with AMVER on 8MHz, more often than not, Coast Guard Alaska would answer, so sent it there instead.

Best Wishes
Alan


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## Ivor Lloyd (Jul 18, 2005)

My favourite was Dominion Monarch GRGG 
Talk about fraustration !


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## Mimcoman (May 18, 2008)

The Akaroa was GVVV, which flowed off the key, and I also like Thos&Jas' Warrior - GTIN.


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## beedeesea (Feb 28, 2006)

How about "Corbeach".......MWPW.

Brian


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

Or "Booker Vanguard".......MHEM


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## Rhodri Mawr (Jul 6, 2008)

SA Oranje's callsign ZSNF was a good rhythmic one to send. However, a similar callsign which was not so good was SA Vaal's ZSNT - somehow that one never seemed quite the same despite the similarity.

Cheers
Rhodri


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## ex ro (Oct 30, 2005)

was on Cypriot Registered Chrysovalandou Dyo callsign 5B2108 ex Eastern Trader that was a mouthfull and a fistfull.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I still reckon MAIL was an inspired choice.

VLLB wasn't bad, nice rhythm...

GBSS is good, as is GBTT. I'd like a quid for every time those 2 were sent....!

(*))


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## R719220 (Oct 5, 2011)

Couple of lovely call signs and my very favourites were GBSW and GBTJ.... not really too sure in which order, but both were great.

Closely followed by GSJS.

Not too bad were MTQW and ZFBQ.

For me the worst were (couple of ships on which I stayed longest) GCJH and GHXU. Didn't like either of 'em (the call signs that is, not the ships).

Somewhere in between were some middling ones, GCKR, GDGL, GTKX and GTQG.


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## sparks69 (Dec 18, 2005)

MTWM was my best one.
Magic on a bug !

I liked 2AI15 it just flowed !!


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I liked GBYH - not too long to wait on the area scheme broadcast !

David
+


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## les.edgecumbe (Dec 24, 2007)

The French Passenger ship Liberte (I think) / FNTT took the biscuit for rythym....give it a whirl. Comes out like the Conga Dance... ;-)


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

les.edge***be said:


> The French Passenger ship Liberte (I think) / FNTT took the biscuit for rythym....give it a whirl. Comes out like the Conga Dance... ;-)


Great!

(Thumb)


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## R719220 (Oct 5, 2011)

Another goody was the _Mauretania_, still at sea when I started. GTTM.
Yet another was the _America_/WEDI and not far behind was the _United States_/KJEH.


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## R719220 (Oct 5, 2011)

And while I'm still in nostalgia mode, another nice c/s often to be heard on the Atlantic crossing was the old Polish liner _Stefan Batory_/SPEE.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

R651400 said:


> The ss France was FNRR and when she became ss Norway LITA which apparently in Norwegin means "small."


Does anyone know the callsign of the Normandie?


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## R719220 (Oct 5, 2011)

Troppo said:


> Does anyone know the callsign of the Normandie?


See here:-

http://www.broadcasting-fleet.com/normandie.htm

According to them it was FNSK.


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## R719220 (Oct 5, 2011)

R651400 said:


> The ss France was FNRR ....


Remember that call sign well and worked her at least once, possibly twice. For me, I have to agree with Les above, the all time greatest call sign (or at least in the very top few) was_ Liberté/_FNTT. Alas, before my time.


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## jimg0nxx (Sep 1, 2005)

I think the best call I had was GTTV/Devonia, BI Educational Cruises. She was ex Devonshire, Bibby Line Troopship. Her sister in cruising was GBBR/Dunera, also a good callsign and usually at the beginning of Tfc Lists.

Jim


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

R719220 said:


> See here:-
> 
> http://www.broadcasting-fleet.com/normandie.htm
> 
> According to them it was FNSK.


Thanks, fascinating!


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