# 500 Khz in the 70's



## R651400

Just found this and don't think it has been on before.
Lsn closely KR!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRak_yBhrwA


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## Searcher2004

R651400 said:


> Just found this and don't think it has been on before.
> Lsn closely KR!
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRak_yBhrwA


I think it's been linked to before but always good to listen to.

I have a recording I made the night 500kc closed down in the UK, using a ham transceiver. The audio file is 465 Mb and too big for my YouTube account, so I wonder if anyone has any ideas for putting it up on YouTube or somewhere for general consumption? 

As my laughingly-called "broadband" can only manage 350 kb/s upload, on a good day, downhill and with a following wind, I'd be quite happy to mail a CD of the recording and the text copy to someone with a faster connection.


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## King Ratt

Thanks R651400. However I have this stored in my favourite Youtubes. My wife thinks I am crazy because I sometimes run it as background in my study. She is probably quite correct.
For Searcher 2004. I recorded the coast stations going QRT on that Hogmanay many years ago. I have it stored in my iTunes files. I will endeavour to post it on here. I am only 50 miles from GPK and he roared in at my QTH with the opening of the closing "ceremony".


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## Searcher2004

King Ratt said:


> Thanks R651400. However I have this stored in my favourite Youtubes. My wife thinks I am crazy because I sometimes run it as background in my study. She is probably quite correct.
> For Searcher 2004. I recorded the coast stations going QRT on that Hogmanay many years ago. I have it stored in my iTunes files. I will endeavour to post it on here. I am only 50 miles from GPK and he roared in at my QTH with the opening of the closing "ceremony".


OK KR,

That will save me a lot of messing about! I recorded the last evening in East Anglia and I'm sure there's a few "DX" callsigns in the operator's chat at the end, maybe Newfoundland, IIRC. Amazing how quiet the background noise was on 500kc then, no plasma TVs and noisy routers to contend with.

73


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## R651400

Searcher2004 said:


> I think it's been linked to before but always good to listen to...


Has it? 
I've linked 500 kc/s before but this appears to be new. 
Reason? Bringing KR's attention to GPK calling ELML for a link call.
Liberian ELML is a very early Liberian call-sign and I don't recall hearing it on previous threads or from my experience being part of the Niarchos group.
I'd also like to add that 500 kc/s from what I remember in the 50's to twenty years later the morse on this transcript is appalling.


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## King Ratt

For R651400 and Searcher2004. i have been trying with no success to post my rercording of the closing on here. I will have another go failing that, it will be coffee time.

73
KR


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## Troppo

Fantastic. Many thanks.

I am sitting here in London, after having attended IMO for 4 days.

Marine comms is, frankly, a mess. The GMDSS is a debacle.

Listening to that recording makes me very sad....

Mind you, some of the morse is indeed awful..


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## Dave the Vicar

Heck that brings back memories. Weird how I can still read most of it too!!! Tks

(I'm missing the Q codes though; All the ones google finds are 'new'... Ham/modern.
Is there a PDF of the 1970's RO handbook on the net?)


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## endure

Some real chirpers on there (Jester)


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## Dave the Vicar

Searcher2004 said:


> I think it's been linked to before but always good to listen to.
> 
> I have a recording I made the night 500kc closed down in the UK, using a ham transceiver. The audio file is 465 Mb and too big for my YouTube account, so I wonder if anyone has any ideas for putting it up on YouTube or somewhere for general consumption?
> 
> As my laughingly-called "broadband" can only manage 350 kb/s upload, on a good day, downhill and with a following wind, I'd be quite happy to mail a CD of the recording and the text copy to someone with a faster connection.



If you've any audio tools you could cut it up and post it? What's their limit?
pm me if you want a hand? Hopefully cleaner than the US recording if made close to the UK N Sea?


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## R651400

I'm very grateful to the American who modified his transistor receiver to receive and record this unique part of RO history. 
Let's face it to catch EJK/Valentia and ICB/Genoa in almost the same breath in my humble opinion is unique.


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## R651400

KR/Searcher 2004... I posted a spoof tfc list from GLD on here a long time ago.
It required a MP3 format and was broken up into three different files. 
That should give you an idea how much SN allows!


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## endure

Dave the Vicar said:


> Heck that brings back memories. Weird how I can still read most of it too!!! Tks
> 
> (I'm missing the Q codes though; All the ones google finds are 'new'... Ham/modern.
> Is there a PDF of the 1970's RO handbook on the net?)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_code


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## R651400

The Inspector of Wireless Telegraphy Q code went from QRA to QUZ.. My 1956 PMG2 written regs question QUI?... Are your navigation lights working?

QRA	What is the name of your station?
QRB	How far approximately are you from my station?
QRC	How are the accounts for charges for your station settled?
QRD	Where are you bound for and where are you from?
QRE	What is your estimated time of arrival at...
QRF	Are you returning to...
QRG	Will you tell me my exact frequency?
QRH	Does my frequency vary?
QRI	How is the tone of my transmission?
QRJ	How many radiotelephone calls have you to book?
QRK	What is the intelligibility of my signals?
QRL	Are you busy?
QRM	Are you being interfered with?
QRN	Are you troubled by static?
QRO	Shall I increase transmitter power?
QRP	Shall I decrease transmitter power?
QRQ	Shall I send faster?
QRR	Are you ready for automatic operation?
QRS	Shall I send more slowly?
QRT	Shall I stop sending?
QRU	Have you anything for me?
QRV	Are you ready?
QRW	Shall I inform ... that you are calling him on ... kHz (or MHz)?
QRX	When will you call me again?
QRY	What is my turn?
QRZ	Who is calling me?
QSA	What is the strength of my signals?
QSB	Are my signals fading?
QSC	Are you a cargo vessel?
QSD	Is my keying defective?
QSE	What is the estimated drift of the survival craft?
QSF	Have you effected rescue?
QSG	Shall I send ... telegrams at a time?
QSH	Are you able to home on your direction-finding equipment?
QSI	I have been unable to break in on your transmission.
QSJ	What is the charge to be collected to ... including your internal charge?
QSK	Can you hear me between your signals and if so can I break in on your transmission?
QSL	Can you acknowledge receipt?
QSM	Shall I repeat the last telegram which I sent you?
QSN	Did you hear me on ... kHz (or MHz)?
QSO	Can you communicate with ... direct (or by relay)?
QSP	Will you relay to ... free of charge?
QSQ	Have you a doctor on board?
QSR	Shall I repeat the call on the calling frequency?
QSS	What working frequency will you use?
QSU	Shall I send or reply on this frequency?
QSV	Shall I send a series of Vs on this frequency?
QSW	Will you send on this frequency?
QSX	Will you listen to ... on ... kHz?
QSY	Shall I change to transmission on another frequency?
QSZ	Shall I send each word or group more than once?
QTA	Shall I cancel telegram (or message)?
QTB	Do you agree with my counting of words?
QTC	How many telegrams have you to send?
QTD	What has the rescue vessel or rescue aircraft recovered?
QTE	What is my true bearing from you?
QTF	Will you give me my position according to your bearings?
QTG	Will you send two dashes of ten seconds each followed by your call sign?
QTH	What is your position in latitude and longitude?
QTI	What is your true track?
QTI	What is your true course?
QTJ	What is your speed?
QTK	What is the speed of your aircraft in relation to the surface of the Earth?
QTL	What is your true heading?
QTM	What is your magnetic heading?
QTN	At what time did you depart from ...?
QTO	Have you left dock (or port)?
QTP	Are you going to enter dock (or port)?
QTQ	Can you communicate with my station by means of the Internanational Code of Signals?
QTR	What is the correct time?
QTS	Will you send your call sign for tuning purposes or so that your frequency can be measured?
QTT	The identification signal which follows is superimposed on another transmission.
QTU	What are the hours during which your station is open?
QTV	Shall I stand guard for you on the frequency of ... kHz?
QTW	What is the condition of survivors?
QTX	Will you keep your station open for further communication with me until further notice?
QTY	Are you proceeding to the position of incident and if so when do you expect to arrive?
QTZ	Are you continuing the search?
QUA	Have you news of ... ?
QUB	Can you give me in the following order information concerning: the direction in degrees and speed of the surface wind, visibility, present weather, and amount, type and height of base of cloud above surface elevation at ... ?
QUC	What is the number (or other indication) of the last message you received from me?
QUD	Have you received the urgency signal sent by ...?
QUE	Can you use telephony in ... (language), with interpreter if necessary; if so, on what frequencies?
QUF	Have you received the distress signal sent by ...?
QUG	Will you be forced to alight (or land)?
QUH	Will you give me the present barometric pressure at sea level?
QUI	Are your navigation lights working?
QUJ	Will you indicate the true track to reach you?
QUK	Can you tell me the condition of the sea observed at ...?
QUL	Can you tell me the swell observed at ...?
QUM	May I resume normal working?
QUN	Will vessels in my immediate vicinity please indicate their position, course and 
QUO	Shall I search for ... (aircraft, ship, survival craft)?
QUP	Will you indicate your position by searchlight, black smoke trail, pyrotechnic lights?
QUQ	Shall I train my searchlight nearly vertical on a cloud, and if your aircraft is seen, deflect the beam up wind and on the water?
QUR	Have survivors ... (1. received survival equipment, 2. been picked up by rescue vessel, 3. been reached by ground rescue) party?
QUS	Have you sighted survivors or wreckage?
QUT	Is position of incident marked?
QUU	Shall I home ship or aircraft to my position?
QUW	Are you in the search area designated as ...?
QUX	Do you have any navigational warnings or gale warnings in force?
QUY	Is position of survival craft marked?
QUZ	May I resume restricted working?


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## Searcher2004

Dave the Vicar said:


> If you've any audio tools you could cut it up and post it? What's their limit?
> pm me if you want a hand? Hopefully cleaner than the US recording if made close to the UK N Sea?


Dave,

I think 15 minutes is the YouTube limit unless you upgrade your subscription and the file is 46 min long. I can see if there's any software to chop it up, unless you know of anything that comes with Win7? 

Cheers

Searcher


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## Duncan112

Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ is a good freebie - I use it to produce mobile ring tones from longer recordings - don't know what the upper limit for size is though.


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## Dave the Vicar

endure said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_code


But note how they are the ham codes? Is it 100% overlap?


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## Dave the Vicar

Thanks. I can't tell if it's complete, but looks so!


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## Dave the Vicar

Searcher2004 said:


> Dave,
> 
> I think 15 minutes is the YouTube limit unless you upgrade your subscription and the file is 46 min long. I can see if there's any software to chop it up, unless you know of anything that comes with Win7?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Searcher


Sorry, I'm on Linux - let me know if you're stuck. I'll do it and return it,
or upload it if you like.


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## endure

Dave the Vicar said:


> But note how they are the ham codes? Is it 100% overlap?



"The original Q codes were created, circa 1909, by the British government as a "list of abbreviations... prepared for the use of British ships and coast stations licensed by the Postmaster General""

They were originally for official use. Hams just stole them (Jester)


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## LouisB

R651400 said:


> I'm very grateful to the American who modified his transistor receiver to receive and record this unique part of RO history.
> Let's face it to catch EJK/Valentia and ICB/Genoa in almost the same breath in my humble opinion is unique.


I think it amazing that when working CW in difficult and crowded conditions, and despite narrower filters with very sharp skirts and latterly variable digital filters, the main discriminator for resolving wanted transmissions was the operators ears and brain. I know not strictly 500 Kcs but never the less an amazing feat in an advanced technical age. Just thought I'd mention it. 

LouisB. (Scribe)


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## Troppo

Like someone else mentioned, I just let the file run in the background while doing some work on the laptop....

It felt like I was in a time warp to the mid 80s....back on watch.

Spooky.


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## Searcher2004

Dave the Vicar said:


> Sorry, I'm on Linux - let me know if you're stuck. I'll do it and return it,
> or upload it if you like.


OK Dave, thanks for the offer of help. I'm seeing my son tomorrow and he's got a full YT account and a very fast broadband connection, so I'm going to ask him to upload it. I'll link to it when he tells me where it is.

Cheers

Searcher


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## R651400

LouisB said:


> ... I know not strictly 500 Kcs but never the less an amazing feat in an advanced technical age. Just thought I'd mention it...


Glad you did because I can't explain it either. 
I still continue to participate in amateur radio morse competitions and to have the ability to extract one solitary signal from ten or more simultaneous transmissions on the same frequency or close by never ceases to amaze me.
Mind over matter?


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## 31552

Dave the Vicar said:


> Heck that brings back memories. Weird how I can still read most of it too!!! Tks
> 
> (I'm missing the Q codes though; All the ones google finds are 'new'... Ham/modern.
> Is there a PDF of the 1970's RO handbook on the net?)


try this link


https://archive.org/details/HandbookForRadioOperators

1975 edition

links to the downloadable content at top left of page


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## endure

31552 said:


> try this link
> 
> 
> https://archive.org/details/HandbookForRadioOperators
> 
> 1975 edition
> 
> links to the downloadable content at top left of page


That is excellent. Thank you very much!


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## duncs

R651400 said:


> Just found this and don't think it has been on before.
> Lsn closely KR!
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRak_yBhrwA


I think this recording is fabricated. It is not real. I've never heard the like on 500.

Duncs


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## R651400

Was looking for clues myself as there seems little ship activity and I've never called QRZ? from a coast station.
The morse from each coast station does seem to be very similar keying and far from perfectionist but if the transcript is a fake then one has to admit very cleverly done. 
Can anyone with a "dicky-dapple" give me the name of ELML that Portpatrick is calling?


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## Dave the Vicar

31552 said:


> try this link
> 
> 
> https://archive.org/details/HandbookForRadioOperators
> 
> 1975 edition
> 
> links to the downloadable content at top left of page


That looks like the tatty old one I had (and threw out). Orange cover?


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## endure

I don't think it was recorded all in one go. It seems to be genuine recordings that have been strung together. That's definitely Niton's transmitter as I remember it.


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## endure

Dave the Vicar said:


> That looks like the tatty old one I had (and threw out). Orange cover?


Orange cover.


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## endure

Lots of morsey noises here

http://archive.org/search.php?query=(uploader:"[email protected]")


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## Dave the Vicar

endure said:


> Lots of morsey noises here
> 
> http://archive.org/search.php?query=(uploader:"[email protected]")


Bit like listening to ghosts? 50 year old morse? Not good morse at that!

The one I'm listening to is US Eastern seaboard, v.quiet compared to N sea, remember the dash to get on after the 3 minutes silence (+/- 15mins?) to one of the local stations!


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## 31552

Dave the Vicar said:


> That looks like the tatty old one I had (and threw out). Orange cover?


The Blue one. Orange was the previous issue ISTR.

Its certainly not as tatty as my own one; mostly sellotape now.


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## R651400

Link is PCH's final 500 khz message 31st December 1988 with replying stations that will give some idea of the different notes used by GB coast stations. GDBC was the ferry Hoek van Holland.

http://radiogaga.e-dentify.nl/pa3abk/media/PCHfinal.mp3


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## King Ratt

Nice one R651400. I had not heard this clip before. VMT.

KR


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## R651400

Don't think the msg was hand keyed KR but there you are. 
Ref GPK's closure message and as an alternative to Yt... 
The ROA website perhaps?


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## ericfisher

R651400 Thank you.Just listened to that PCH clip and replies from so many old familiar coast stations to him. Marvellous! Was hand done I'm sure. Ex R/O soon to be 90,I could and did read every word.. Didn't need to write it down. Remarkable how easy to mind read such perfect morse code. Takes me back to old days '42 - '56. Cheers, Eric


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## R651400

If it was Eric it was beautifully keyed unlike my video in posting 1!
Worked at GND and GCC and only learned since being on SN the variation in GB coast station notes was because of a slight frequency offset from 500 kcs as opposed to changing the frequency of modulation. GCC's was certainly very distinctive.


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## Troppo

The slightly different freq was intentional, from memory.

It certainly worked well.


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## Troppo

Of course, you all do know that the UK was, in fact, in breach of SOLAS by closing the 500 service in 98.



The GMDSS did not come into full effect until 1 Feb 99, so ships were fully within their rights to maintain the 500 service until then...

The Aussie stations closed on 1 Feb 99.


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## Ron Stringer

Troppo said:


> Of course, you all do know that the UK was, in fact, in breach of SOLAS by closing the 500 service in 98.
> 
> The GMDSS did not come into full effect until 1 Feb 99, so ships were fully within their rights to maintain the 500 service until then...


The GMDSS came into force in 1992 but, as a concession, shipowners were allowed to retain (but not install) and operate non-GMDSS radio stations aboard ships until February 1999. So whether or not they did so was a matter of choice permitted under the concession.

Of course _*all*_ coast stations were purely voluntary provisions - no country was obliged to provide any coast stations whatsover! The Radio Regulations and SOLAS only ever mandated what safety radio equipment Merchant ships carried and what radio watches they maintained. SOLAS made no reference to coast stations and the RR only specified how a coast station should be operated *if* any country should decide to provide one.


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## Troppo

As you said, Ron, ships were allowed to retain their W/T stations until 1 Feb 99.

Flag states were thus obliged to provide the corresponding shore infrastructure until that date.

Which is why we kept our W/T service in Australia until the full implementation of GMDSS.

The MCA dropped the ball.


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## R651400

Troppo said:


> It certainly worked well.


Without question.


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## Ron Stringer

Troppo said:


> As you said, Ron, ships were allowed to retain their W/T stations until 1 Feb 99.
> 
> Flag states were thus obliged to provide the corresponding shore infrastructure until that date.


Do you have a source citation for that obligation?



Troppo said:


> Which is why we kept our W/T service in Australia until the full implementation of GMDSS.


As I said earlier, that was purely a matter of choice/preference/politics for Australia, since neither they nor any other country were required to do so by SOLAS or the Radio Regulations.

In 1977 at IMO it had been decided to adopt the proposed FGMDSS (Future Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) and to introduce it (as the GMDSS) in 1987, so as to give the industry 10 years to get things in place. The promoters of the new system were the countries in Europe and North America i.e. the West. In those Cold War times, it was almost axiomatic that Russia would be against it. And so it proved. Foot-dragging by a group containing the USSR/Eastern Bloc, the FOC states and some 3rd World countries, eventually delayed this by a further 5 years, to 1992. Even more haggling extracted the concession to extend the implementation date for existing ships (i.e. that ships that existed in 1992, not the initial date of 1977 or even the initial implementation date of 1987) to 1999.

Some maritime nations in Europe and North America were unwilling to delay beyond the initial date of 1987 and thereafter readily gave concessions to the dropping of W/T watchkeeping requirements aboard ships with satcoms and some other facilities. 

Of course when implementation got under way from 1992 onwards, the penny dropped that a GMDSS radio installation was far cheaper than a W/T station and did not incur the staffing costs of a radio officer so the FOC countries jumped ship, leaving only the USSR/Eastern bloc countries and China supporting further delays - for politico-strategic rather than economic reasons.



Troppo said:


> The MCA dropped the ball.


In your opinion only. Clearly the UK authorities held a different opinion in that they had already (voluntarily) established all the elements necessary to provide the shore-side components of the GMDSS by 1992, in support of their stance at IMO. They saw no advantage for maintaining an unnecessary facility at the expense of the British taxpayer and closed it before the final implementation date.


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## Troppo

Using your logic Ron, why didn't the UK turn off the W/T watch in 1992, then?

So, what the UK was saying was a gigantic SOD YOU to ships that, _quite legally_, kept 500 until the final changeover date.

What if one of those ships sent a distress message on 500 on 2 January? Tough luck, mate...you should have fitted GMDSS.

Safety at sea, the MCA way.

Shameful.

Australian ships dispensed with the Radio Officer in 92, but we maintained 500 in our shore stations until the cut off date, as was right and proper.

It wasn't a political decision, it was a decision made (by me) to cater for ships that were in full compliance with SOLAS.

Mind you, nothing has changed....I was disgusted watching the UK's pathetic performance at IMO last week re Iridium.


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## Ron Stringer

Troppo said:


> Using your logic Ron, why didn't the UK turn off the W/T watch in 1992, then?


I don't know the reason for that decision but there was political pressure to terminate the 500kHz watch as far back as 1992. Within the DoT they were not in favour of early shut-down but I was told by insiders (but have no evidence) that the Treasury wanted them to save money. By that time the MF coast stations were operated by BT with a subsidy from the DoT for the distress and safety services. (Revenue from MF ship/shore traffic did not cover operating costs and BT were not prepared to fund the 500 kHz service, demanding a subsidy from the DoT to keep the stations open). Since the Treasury had already provided the DoT with the money requested for the GMDSS, they were reluctant to extend any such subsidy and argued that the DoT should not expect to get additional money to keep the old system going.

But as I said, it would have been within the UK's rights to close the old system without replacing it with anything at all - or we could just have declared UK waters to be Area A3 or A4 - as did some other countries. That they didn't and instead kept the MF W/T stations open for several more years is surely to their credit (although there are plenty of taxpayers and other critics of Government excesses who might disagree).

To the best of my knowledge, no seafarer suffered from the UK's choice of discontuation date.


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## Troppo

Government bureaucrats....sigh....

Same here. They royally stuffed up the coast radio network by requiring the states to provide services to small ships.

What a mess...


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## R651400

Troppo said:


> ....Mind you, nothing has changed....I was disgusted watching the UK's pathetic performance at IMO last week re Iridium.


Keep the ball rolling this is interesting stuff for us old morse RO's... 
By UK do you mean some governmental department?
I would have thought Iridium would be the future move forward for all ship communications and owners would go for it anyway without it having to be IMO compulsory?


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## Troppo

No, the UK delegation at IMO's Nav, comms and SAR sub-committee meeting.

Iridium will come, without a doubt. The UK voted against it....but they were outnumbered. Lots of politics and lobbying....I know from personal experience.


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## Troppo

Here is the press release from Iridium - it sums up the situation well


Iridium's Application to Provide Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Services Receives Support From International Maritime Organization Sub-Committee

Iridium Moves One Step Closer to Recognition as a GMDSS Mobile Satellite Service Provider

MCLEAN, Va., July 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) today announced that its application to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the provision of mobile satellite communications in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) was reviewed by the IMO Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR). The application will now proceed to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its next meeting in November, before advancing to a group of experts for comprehensive technical and operational evaluation.

Overwhelmingly, the delegates stated support for the United States position to advance Iridium's application to the next stage for evaluation. Final approval will be up to the Maritime Safety Committee, following review of the experts' report by NCSR, which is expected by mid-2016.

"This is a victory for Iridium and the maritime industry," said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. "The overwhelming support for our application to provide the industry an alternative and equally capable option for GMDSS services is a testament to the value and benefit the Iridium(R) network can provide to maritime safety." This is particularly important for coverage of Polar regions, where the in***bent GMDSS provider is not able to provide service.

Iridium's constellation of 66 low-Earth orbit, inter-connected satellites operates as a fully-meshed network and provides robust and reliable coverage everywhere on Earth -- including Polar regions -- where demand for reliable voice and data communications is on the rise as shipping and trade routes continue to expand into these remote waters.

Iridium will begin deploying its second generation constellation (Iridium NEXT), in 2015, offering greater capacity, bandwidth and data speeds, as well as backwards compatibility for existing products and services in the market.

In anticipation of IMO recognition, Iridium is working with established maritime communications equipment manufacturers for the production and certification of GMDSS terminals that use the Iridium network, along with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers and service providers for the provision of maritime safety communications. Once approved, the shipboard terminals will meet both the GMDSS and operational communications needs of a vessel, giving the industry the option of a single, affordable communications terminal to satisfy both safety and business communications wherever they operate. Expected to be available before the end of 2015, GMDSS terminals using the Iridium network are designed to have an operational longevity of nearly 20 years, eliminating the need for vessel owners and operators to purchase new equipment every few years.


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## richardwakeley

R65,
You are right, Iridium is already very much aboard ships as owner's non-GMDSS gear. In particular, many vessels are now using either Iridium or Inmarsat-Fleet Broadband, or both, for e-mail. Globe Wireless have pretty much phased out their MF/HF system using Icom transceivers and installed Iridium. It also seems to be first choice for phone calls.
The recording you posted was very nostalgic, brought back my memories of the distinctive steady tone of the UK stations and the chirp of the Spanish.
Brgds, Richard


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## Ron Stringer

Déja vu (or déja entendu?) but this sounds very like the arguments from 35+ years ago at IMO regarding the adoption of satellite communications as part of the GMDSS. At that time the only satellites and ground stations were owned and operated by America's _"Comsat-General"_ so the Russians and their cohorts opposed it on political grounds, others on the grounds that it would not be proper for any single country to control a significant part of an international safety system (with the ability to deny it to those with whom it might disagree), those who saw it as something which would exclude poorer countries that did not have (and could not afford) ground stations like Goonhilly and those that were just against change. The Radio Officers' Union were amongst the latter.

To most of us on the sidelines, it was obvious that technical progress could not be stopped and, since the quality and speed of the service provided was far better than everything else available, satellite relay was clearly here to stay and taking over in general communications and would therefore come to marine communications, both commercial and safety. But at IMO the opposition was fierce.

In order to overcome the objections of the Russian bloc and those who could not accept single ownership, it was decided to set up a subsidiary of the UN which they called the International Maritime Satellite Organization, better known as _INMARSAT_, where all countries could be represented and exercise their vote. Still there were objections, lots of filibustering and time-wasting in IMO committees which delayed matters and it was several years before any of the new _INMARSAT_ satellites and equipment built to their standards were accepted for distress and safety use in the GMDSS. Much later _INMARSAT_ was spun off into a commercial company, which is as it is today.

_Iridium_ has been available commercially for over a decade now (as had the _Comsat-General/INMARSAT_ system) without being accepted by IMO. So it seems like I have seen and heard it all before.


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## King Ratt

In Feb 1998, I wrote an article in the then "Short Wave Magazine" entitled "The Rise and Fall of Sparks".
My concluding words were " In the very near future the Iridium Project will place in orbit a batch of Low Orbiting Satellites to provide worldwide cellular phone facilities at a relatively low cost. This will enable the ship's captain and anyone else onboard to talk from anywhere on the oceans to anywhere on the globe. Sadly, it will soon be goodbye to "sparks" as we welcome in the 21st century. 73 de PMG G906. "
I am surprised this move by Iridium did not happen earlier.


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## Troppo

Yep - it is all about Inmarsat protecting their cosy little monopoly on distress comms....

Aided and abetted by the UK...who should know better.

Shades of King Canute....


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## R651400

500kc/s to Iridium.. Now there's a spectrum for speculation if ever there was. 
Small question why does Iridium with 64 low level sats giving world-wide shipping a global coverage have to worry about IMO and inmarsat as it's opposition?


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## Keith Adkins

Forget the iridium and all that malarky I'm just pleased that I could read the morse(poor or otherwise) especially Gibraltar(ZDK) with his tfc list, it really did all come flooding back!


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## Troppo

R651400 said:


> 500kc/s to Iridium.. Now there's a spectrum for speculation if ever there was.
> Small question why does Iridium with 64 low level sats giving world-wide shipping a global coverage have to worry about IMO and inmarsat as it's opposition?


Because Iridium wants to provide distress comms, not just commercial comms.


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## R651400

Thanks... Are there any blind areas that Inmarsat distress doesn't function eg polar?


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## richardwakeley

R65,
Yes. Inmarsat satellites are geostationary, parked over the equator, and don't cover the polar regions. These areas are deemed as 'area A4' for GMDSS. Duplication of the MF/HF is required. I have worked on a couple of Fednav bulkers which were so fitted for loading at a mine in the far north of Canada. Iridium will obviously be preferable for vessels in these areas.
Brgds,
Richard.


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## Manchester

31552 said:


> try this link
> 
> 
> https://archive.org/details/HandbookForRadioOperators
> 
> 1975 edition
> 
> links to the downloadable content at top left of page


Brilliant - brought back some memories. Thanks for the link.


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## Dave the Vicar

Manchester said:


> Brilliant - brought back some memories. Thanks for the link.


Yet another one! Mine was orange. I'm puzzled why it needed updating so often (if ten years counts as 'often') Tks


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## Searcher2004

*500kHz recording*

Hi All,

I think it was earlier in this thread that I mentioned that I have a recording of the night the 500 kHz watch ceased in the UK. Is there anyone here who could host the recording so that others can listen to it? 

It's nearly 475 Mb of a single wav file and my "broadband" is far too slow to allow me to upload it anywhere, so a CD would be the best way to transfer it to another member. There's a text file of the basic messages (operator chat largely left out) and also a brief description of the gear used, etc.

73

S2004


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## G4UMW

Dave the Vicar said:


> I'm puzzled why it needed updating so often (if ten years counts as 'often')


I guess that a new edition was published after each World Administrative Radio Conference to reflect the changes in procedures and regulations decided on during said Conference.


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## BobClay

Very nostalgic listen to 5 ton and brought back many memories.


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## EimbTrader

Troppo said:


> Like someone else mentioned, I just let the file run in the background while doing some work on the laptop....
> 
> It felt like I was in a time warp to the mid 80s....back on watch.
> 
> Spooky.


Hi Troppo,
well said, like i do, wife nodding her head...and to make memories perfect, switched off the aircon (living in Thailand)...

All the best
EimbTrader


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## djringjr

Searcher2004 said:


> I think it's been linked to before but always good to listen to.
> 
> I have a recording I made the night 500kc closed down in the UK, using a ham transceiver. The audio file is 465 Mb and too big for my YouTube account, so I wonder if anyone has any ideas for putting it up on YouTube or somewhere for general consumption?


I would be glad to archive it on archive.org. If you could send me a message privately I could give you my email address, but you can find it easily if you search for me.

73

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA
ex- Radio Officer US Merchant Marine, ex- Tuckerton Radio/WSC
-30-


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## djringjr

King Ratt said:


> In Feb 1998, I wrote an article in the then "Short Wave Magazine" entitled "The Rise and Fall of Sparks".
> My concluding words were " In the very near future the Iridium Project will place in orbit a batch of Low Orbiting Satellites to provide worldwide cellular phone facilities at a relatively low cost. This will enable the ship's captain and anyone else onboard to talk from anywhere on the oceans to anywhere on the globe. Sadly, it will soon be goodbye to "sparks" as we welcome in the 21st century. 73 de PMG G906. "
> I am surprised this move by Iridium did not happen earlier.


I called the Vice President of AT&T's Long Line division to tell him about the information I had received from correspondents while serving as editor of "The Professional Marine Communicator". I told him what you just said and how Motorola was bragging it would put AT&T out of business because they were going to have a flat rate charge of 5 cents a minute from anyplace to anyplace on the world. He did not believe me, but he apologized because he said he had a big meeting with the AT&T President and ALL the Vice Presidents, saying it must be something important.

Two weeks later, he called me back and told me that what I had told him was true, that I had the information before he did. Well, he and the readers of the newsletter that is!

Best to all,

David J. Ring, Jr.
ex R/O US Merchant Marine


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## Naytikos

I hereby declare an interest: I hold shares in INMARSAT.

That said, it makes little sense to require all of the shore centres to have to duplicate their satellite up/downlink equipment; modify the consoles to accommodate two incoming sources, etc. etc.

AND the situation of the Iridium being under the control of one, national, commercial company seems highly undesirable. Iridium is there; anyone can utilise it for their operational or private correspondence, there is no pressing need to institutionalise it.


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## Searcher2004

*Final UK 500kHz Night*



Searcher2004 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I think it was earlier in this thread that I mentioned that I have a recording of the night the 500 kHz watch ceased in the UK. Is there anyone here who could host the recording so that others can listen to it?
> 
> It's nearly 475 Mb of a single wav file and my "broadband" is far too slow to allow me to upload it anywhere, so a CD would be the best way to transfer it to another member. There's a text file of the basic messages (operator chat largely left out) and also a brief description of the gear used, etc.
> 
> 73
> 
> S2004


Hi All,

I was asked yesterday if I could send the recording mentioned above to a forum member and in response I posted the files to DropBox. If others would like to download it then the URL is:-

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rcrsbo6obun6tcn/QRT_500_CD.zip?dl=0

File is 300+ Mb so may take a while on a slow link.

73

Roger


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## King Ratt

I have posted this in other threads but here it is again.


http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67522&d=1414765830


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