# Lifeboat Transmitters



## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Don't know if these things have been discussed yet, but here goes. Apart from their obvious uses, I always disliked them and felt that most were ill-designed.

When new, they were all packed perfectly and everything fitted in. After unpacking, it was a work of art to close them up again without extreme re-arranging and struggling.

They always seemed too big and bulky to me, but maybe that was unavoidable.

On one ship (passenger vessel, non-air conditioned), the chief R/O always took a delight in waiting for the hottest day in Durban and sending the 4th and myself (3rd) out into the blazing sunshine to set up the transmitter. We were not allowed back in again until we had contacted Cape Town Radio on 8 Mhz. During this time, he sat in the relative cool of the radio room with the main receiver tuned to ZSC in case we "lied about the QSO!" 

It was a great incentive to get through and as far as I recall, we never failed in this.

I didn't like the handle busines either. Often, on cargo ships, a cadet was sent in to turn the handles. Most of them, apparently in order to demonstrate extreme strength and willingness (very commendable, but unnecessary in this case) would go at it like maniacs making the whole thing move about frantically, thus complicating the test. They would also tire quickly until the penny dropped that they only had to keep the light lit. 

In my humble opinion, they should have had sealed rechargeable batteries in them. These could be charged from the radio office during normal times. I would have kept the internal generator and handles, but I would have had it switched so that rotating the handles would either charge the batteries or power the transceiver. Then if they had to take to the boats, the R/O could transmit away whilst the rest of the boat crew occupied themselves with other things. This would remove the frantic wobbling caused by handle turners. Then when transmission ceased, someone could turn the handles to re-charge the batteries. This would give them something very useful to do rather than dwelling on their situation, at the same time as giving the R/O a rest.

The fitted lifeboats were great and I counted myself lucky in winter in Southampton sitting inside the little radio room in Nr. 11 boat WINDSOR CASTLE out of the elements with the relatively powerful battery transceiver to keep me warm

In 1962 on the collier WANDSWORTH, we didn't have one at all (much to my surprise). We were exempt from lifeboat transmitter and DF as well in a trade where I would have thought they were quite important.

Bob


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## Quiney (Oct 2, 2008)

On one ship I had an unusual one that strapped between your thighs. The crank handle was on the top and the controls were on the side facing away from you (as opposed to towards your groin)

You had to lean over to see the knobs etc and couldn't crank whilst doing that.
The theory was that you cranked with the left hand whilst keying with your right, but that was a bit like rubbing your belly whilst patting your head - almost impossible!

Also have to agree that once opened, it was extremely difficult to re-pack everything into the lid and get it back on the base and sealed.

They were supposed to be capable of being thrown into the water from a reasonable height (6m ring a bell) and survive. I was never brave enough to test this claim.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I also heard about their flotability claims, but never tried it. Did hear of someone who did and it was duly tossed into the harbour and did not come up again. They apparently retired to the bar for a beer and eventually, a yellow thing was reported floating in the harbour barely awash. It was the lifeboat transmitter. Examaination apparently showed that on being chucked in, its buoyancy was so low that it went all the way to the bottom and stuck int the mud. Eventually, it popped up again.

Don't know if this is true, but a good tale for the bar!

Bob


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

*Splash!*



Shipbuilder said:


> I also heard about their flotability claims, but never tried it. Did hear of someone who did and it was duly tossed into the harbour and did not come up again. They apparently retired to the bar for a beer and eventually, a yellow thing was reported floating in the harbour barely awash. It was the lifeboat transmitter. Examaination apparently showed that on being chucked in, its buoyancy was so low that it went all the way to the bottom and stuck int the mud. Eventually, it popped up again.
> 
> Don't know if this is true, but a good tale for the bar!
> 
> Bob


Reminds me of a time on Llanishen, at Rotterdam, when a new Radar had been fitted and the old one was being sent ashore for rebuild, was being lowered over the port side rail to the jetty when the knot/sling slipped and the set disappeared in the oggin! unfortunately the river police were just coming up the gangway, divers had to collect it from the bottom as it was classed as chemical waste in '68! fortunately sparks was paying off later that morning.(==D)


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## holland25 (Nov 21, 2007)

The only one I ever had any experience of was the SALVITA. In Blue Funnel, at least once a trip, we used to go out in a lifeboat and when a suitable distance off, called up the ship and got the "come back" message. They always seemed to do the job, we never dared trying the flotation test.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Most of them did float but they had to have the lid properly seated and firmly strapped down. I was involved in type approving one or two in various countries in Europe. Most carried out both a flotation test and a drop test - the equipment was supposed to withstand a 20 metre (under the old GPO specs that was 60 feet) drop into water.

This test was often performed in a local swimming pool, dropping the equipment from a high diving board. In Norway the test was carried out from a bridge over a small river running into Oslofjord. The test was carried out by the engineers appointed by the approving authority, usually their own engineers. As maker's representative, I was allowed to observe but not interfere. I used to pray that during the drop the unit would spin and land with one corner into the water first; the worst case was that it landed flat on the surface - a sort of equipment belly-flop. However during winter testing in Norway, apart from watching that no boats came into the 'firing line' during a droptest, it was also necessary to keep an eye open for ice floes drifting down the river. Dropping 20m into water is a harsh test - onto ice is something else!

Was present at a sea trials in Sunderland when the Greek super, after seeing the unit tested on deck (with Athenai Radio of course) insisted that the portable lifeboat equipment be drop-tested in the harbour over the side of his newbuilding. People were a little reluctant to do this so he picked it up and dropped it over the rail. Unfortunately he neglected a) to put the covers on - it was still rigged for the on-air tests and b) he did not tether it in any way. Big splash, few bubbles and that was that. Don't know if Marconi or the yard made him pay for it - I suppose the yard would have been billed for the gear when it was delivered to their store, so would already have bought it. I doubt MIMCo would have replaced it without charge.


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

They were always so difficult to repack after testing. On one occasion after battling for a considerable time, repositioning everything and trying again I finally got the last strap to latch closed, only to discover that I'd trapped my tie in there too, if I could have reached a pair of scissors I know I would have cut it off and left it there!! 

On joining a ship I always used to make sure there was a notepad and pencil included with the contents, and add these items if needed, but on one occasion I not only found the abovementioned items, but a carefully folded pair of underpants too, what a thoughtful chappy he was !!


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## znord737 (May 1, 2006)

My recollections of the various Lifeboat Transmitters are somewhat hazy now but reading the comments of earlier submissions most of them I agree with.

I believe that in the majority of cases designers of these units were not R/O’s and thus did not have the practical experience to know what some of the difficulties would be in (a) Carrying the unit around (b) The practicalities of operating the unit under actual lifeboat conditions. This is a personal comment only and perhaps Ron who has far more experience in this field than I have may wish to comment further.

Some of the manufacturer names that spring to mind were Clifford and Snell,
Marconi, Norse Elecktrobureau,Nera,SRA ,RCA and Kelvin Hughes, the latter I believe was a re-badged set from another manufacturer.

One Swedish Vessel I served on had a real monster of a Lifeboat Transmitter.
It took three people to comfortably transport it into the lifeboat. It weighted so much if it was thrown into the lifeboat it would have gone straight through the planks.

To top it all one of the accessories was a kite aerial, which I can confirm I was never successful in launching. The kite was nearly as big as the lifeboat and I had visions if I ever got this contraption launched we would all be surreptitiously lifted into the air lifeboat and all! 

I recollect the instructions, which recommended that in light air conditions the kite should be launched by running from the stern to the bow, I guess if one was very energetic one could run off the bow and disappear kite and all to see Davy Jones. 

What one was supposed to do to launch the kite with a full Lifeboat of Survivors was never really made clear?

Various tests that I carried out with Lifeboat Transmitters gave me the confidence that had I to operate one in an actual live situation; the performance would have been excellent. 

They were designed to do a specific task and by and large I am sure that 98% they did just that 

Znord737


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## Ivor Lloyd (Jul 18, 2005)

I was torpedoed in Jan 1944 and I remember carrying the Lifeboat Transmitter to the Lifeboat when ordered to abandon ship.. The Uboat surfaced and we were interrogated by the U Boat Captain who then sailed away. We endeavoured to raise the aerial and I sat with the Transmitter between my knees with someone turning the handle but it was most awkward as the boat was very crowded. I never did find out if any of our signals were ever picked up.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

The more modern ones were probably very effective. I made numerous long distance contacts with them in test conditions. But why did they have to be so bulky after the apperarance of the transistor?

In the early 1980s, I decided that I would like to go on the amateur bands. The British licensing authorities did not accept that I was competant on the strength of my 1st Class PMG to give me a HAM cert, so I decided to bypass them. I paid five quid to a British Colonial (island) Government where my ship was registered and given the call sign ZD7RW. I then built a small, transmitter on a piece of board about three inches by five inches with a few transistors and powered by a 12V battery. Made numerous QSOs on it, longest one being 6,000 miles from the ship at sea. Then got tired of it and not long ago sold it on Ebay for £20.
My point is, why, why, why, were they so large even in the 80s and 90s when someone like me (11+ failed) without even a single O level to my name could throw a Tx together in an afternoon that worked perfectly? 
Bob


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## Harry Nicholson (Oct 11, 2005)

Quiney said:


> On one ship I had an unusual one that strapped between your thighs. The crank handle was on the top and the controls were on the side facing away from you (as opposed to towards your groin)
> ................
> You had to lean over to see the knobs etc and couldn't crank whilst doing that.
> They were supposed to be capable of being thrown into the water from a reasonable height (6m ring a bell) and survive. I was never brave enough to test this claim.


I had one of these in Brocklebanks. The chief r/o said it was wartime survival gear and, because of its shape, how you strapped it into your thighs, and the position of the active controls on its feminine form - it was known as 'The Gibson Girl'.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

*Portable Radio Equipment for Ships' Lifeboats*

Marconi's last portable equipment was the Salvita, the cylindrical one that looked like a small yellow dustbin with two fixed handles. Thereafter all the PLE models that they marketed were made by another company (mainly Clifford and Snell) and simply rebadged and factored.

In the May-June 1957 issue of the 'Mariner' (p.361) there is mention of the Salvita saving a life. Apparently in November 1956, a tanker [no name given, so there is a challenge for some keen detective] _''struck a submerged rock somewhere in the South China Sea, listed immediately after the impact and started to sink. About five hours later the lifeboats were manned. Unfortunately, while lowering one of the lifeboats, it canted and everyone was thrown into the water. The ship's carpenter, the only soul lost in the disaster, was lost in this incident.

The boatswain of the tanker, who was in the same lifeboat, was saved by clinging on to the 'Salvita' lifeboat radio equipment, which had dropped out of the canted boat. It was clearly demonstrated that the 'Salvita' will float.''_

Just by the fact that it was thought necessary to draw attention to the 'Salvita' floating, it would seem that mariners back in 1957 were as sceptical as they are today on this site.

All the tests of which I am aware (including type approval testing) only involved testing the performance of the equipment on the bench, into artificial antenna loads, in the climatic chambers (low temperature, hot temperature and humidity) and on the durability test beds (vibration and shock). None involved tests afloat, with equipment in a survival craft on its antenna as would be the case in an emergency. Whether those artificial antenna characteristics, which the equipment had to be designed to accommodate, in any way resembled the actual characteristics of the sort of antenna found in ships' lifeboats or inflatable survival craft is not known. I think the original research to establish the characteristics was done during WW2 but, as far as I know, were never reviewed or revalidated subsequently.

Although I was able to contact shore stations on HF (including Athenai Radio) and other ships on MF/IF when testing the equipment on deck or from lifeboats slung in the davits, I much doubt whether similar results could be achieved from a survival craft in the water. The effort needed to generate enough power was tremendous and black humour had it that the purpose of mandating the carriage of PLE was to give the survivors the impression that they were doing something positive to initiate their rescue. However in reality there was no hope of being heard but they would rapidly exhaust themselves and so die happy and avoid a lingering death in an open boat drifting at sea.


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## GBXZ (Nov 4, 2008)

In 1969 the MV Gothic had a serious and I think fatal fire 800m south east of New Zealand. The distress was raised using the hand powered lifeboat transmitter and the distress was picked up by ZLB (the old and now defunct Awarua Radio). The RO and his trusty transmitter appeared on the front page of a national magazine.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

If I had been in a lifeboat in a real abandoned ship situation, I would have been very glad to have one of those bulky monstrosities with me. Also feel that they would have been effective in contacting someone. I have sailed with an old chief R/O whose boat was picked up during the war when the lifeboat transmitter's signal was picked up. Also, one night off the SA coast, we put a boat down after someone had jumped over the side. The 2nd R/O went in the fitted boat and the 3rd went in another with the yellow monstrosity, leaving chief and myself (4th) in radio room. Shortly after boats left, I was in contact with the 2nd in fitted boat and about 20 minutes later, 3rd made contact with portable set. I did note that the signal strength on the portable was good and both boats were a fair way off the ship before the person, unfortinately drowned, was recovered.

Bob


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Don't get me wrong, I too would have wanted to be in a lifeboat with a radio rather than one without. But I would have been happier with something that had been better suited to the cirumstances in which it would be used. I was so keen that on BOT Sports day each week, I would insist that the antenna was rigged on deck and I made at least one HF contact. Sometimes that took quite a while (apologies to the apprentices or EDHs that had to turn the handles for so long). But I was determined that if all went pear-shaped and we had to take to the boats, I would be confident that my bit would be working fine.

However with so little power, on a 5 - 6 metre-high antenna in a sea other than flat calm, I doubt that any reasonable amount of signal could be radiated. I felt much happier with the Salvare-type fixed lifeboat radio installations, which had the equivalent of a Reliance or Salvor transmitter output power, running off lead-acid batteries. Glad I never had to use either in emergency.

None of those arrangements could compare with today's EPIRBs that need only a few watts of UHF to reach one of the SAR satellites orbiting the earth. No skill is needed to operate them and, since in effect they only have to transmit upwards, the state of the sea is more or less irrelevant. And you are *never* out of range, with a direct link through to a Maritime Rescue Co-ordinating Centre. Not all progress is bad.


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## Finbar O'Connor (Sep 26, 2008)

Whilst experimenting on 501 khz, as EI0CF, I have tested with my
14 foot aluminium open boat, a 10 foot base insulated aluminium pole and
4 top hat wires. Transmitter power varied between 8 watts and 30 watts
from 12v and 24 volts to the PA of a small home made transmitter.
The total inductance to resonate the antenna was 955 uH. At 30 watts I
developed .95 amps RF antenna current.
Before the tide rose to lift the boat afloat tuning and antenna current were
far different from when afloat. Tuning was, natually, extremely peaky.
As an ex seagoing RO I never had to use a lifeboat rig in anger, but do
wonder how effective they were. Trying to maintain resonance in a
storm tossed sea and achieve some ERP from 4 to 5 watts on 500 khz
is problematic.
They did have several things going for them on 500 khz. Two dedicated
silence periods ( provided the guy in the lifeboat knew what time it was).
A vast number of stations both land and sea listening, and the excellent
ground return from the sea connection used.
I would be extremely interested in knowing the several different types of
antennas used and ranges achieved in tests on 500 khz using those
lifeboat sets.
Incidently my signals were received in South Wales, from my location
near Malin Head, during daylight hours. The signal was very weak but
audible.
Finbar O'Connor Malin Head EI0CF and GI4DPE


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

I got a QSA1 from Rabaul Radio/VJZ once using a Salvita. (Thumb)
That was from a fibreglass lifeboat in the middle of Rabaul harbour with the radio station quite visible to the naked eye.
Fully rigged aerial and appies cranking like fury to keep the lamps lit.
I kept getting complaints that every time I touched the key the drag on the handles became phenomenal.
That was the biggest test I ever did.
Sometimes I would run a jumper wire to an isolated emergency aerial and try to contact someone on 500 or whatever but usually it would be someone out on the boatdeck with a length of wire as an aerial learning how to use it and me in the shack listening for the odd beep during BOT sports.
I must admit to being somewhat cir***spect about their effectiveness and just used to make sure it got to the boat on sports day. 
The likelyhood of survival for sparkies being what it was on VLCCs that had a tendency to go bang it was really a matter of making sure that someone else could use the thing.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

One of the ones I sailed with (forget which one) had a socket on the front so it could be plugged into an external 24V battery. I immediately sent for a plug and when it arrived, made up a lead for it. That was great for testing it and the generator could then be checked separately. I rememer when I showed the lead to a surveyor once, he said that he had never seen anyone use the extrenal DC before and considered getting his own plug and making one up for his own use.
Bob


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Shipbuilder said:


> One of the ones I sailed with (forget which one) had a socket on the front so it could be plugged into an external 24V battery.


From memory, both the Clifford and Snell models 610 and 710 had that facility. Sold by MIMCo as Salvita II and Salvita III.


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

I did try - once - on the Mahronda/GDNB in 1964, to see if the lifeboat radio actually worked in a lifeboat. It was one of the IMR cubical ones that was lashed down on a seat in the lifeboat. We manoeuvred erratically around Colombo harbour as the lascars pulled on the oars whilst the 1/O and 2/O cranked the handles and I tried to raise 4pb who was within spitting distance. The mates nearly expired due to exhaustion and I thought my arm was going to drop off trying to push the key up and down. We never did get any kind of reply from Colombo Radio. The radio did pass survey in Calcutta OK though. Perhaps it's just as well we didn't have to use it in anger.

=salaams es bv de gwzm + VA


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## Bill Greig (Jul 4, 2006)

I tried the external DC input on the lifeboat transmitter one day. Unfortuneately the DC socket on the bench was marked wrongly, result was the reverse polarity blew the thing apart, electrolytics exploded all through the set and most of the semiconductors knackered. Never did manage to get it working before the end of the trip. Had to phone the office and ask for a new one to be sent out, and explain how the old one got broken!
Bill


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## mikeg (Aug 24, 2006)

Bill Greig said:


> I tried the external DC input on the lifeboat transmitter one day. Unfortuneately the DC socket on the bench was marked wrongly, result was the reverse polarity blew the thing apart, electrolytics exploded all through the set and most of the semiconductors knackered. Never did manage to get it working before the end of the trip. Had to phone the office and ask for a new one to be sent out, and explain how the old one got broken!
> Bill


You'd think they'd had diode/s in the supply line to block reverse polarity.

Kris's experiences with testing lifeboat transmitters mirrors mine, basically they were next to useless. A handheld on VHF channel 16 or the aviation 121.5 would have been a lot more practical.

The most enjoyable times I had was flying the box kite that came with some L/B transmitters to support a long wire aerial. With that I did get a reply from approx 25 miles away (Jester)


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## IMRCoSparks (Aug 22, 2008)

One of the R/O's who sailed on Jamaica Producer had the idea to test out the IMR lifeboat radio on the beach in Jamaica. The unit may be have been waterproof and floatable but it certainly wasn't sandproof.
All sorts of expensive damage occurred.


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## Dutchy62 (Feb 7, 2009)

One of the "joys" of the Salvita (or saliva as it was more affectionately known) was that it used indirectly heated valves so you had to wind the handles for half a minute before you could even begin to transmit. 

I also tried the thing from the boat deck on 500 but despite being high up, a nearby ship could only just hear it and then only after I had prewarned him I was going to do the test. The idea of some poor soul having to wind the handles in an emergency situation when already exhausted doesn't bear thinking about.


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## Pat Thompson (Jan 25, 2006)

Greetings,

During a run ashore in Grytviken in 1984 I chanced upon a shed full (well there must have been around 15) of Marconi lifeboat transmitters, cant remember the model but they were the ones that were cylindrical and around the size of a 5 gallon paint drum. Anyway we wound the handle of one of them and within seconds the ready light came on. No idea how long they had been there but still they functioned.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

After the massive fire on the Gothic, Roger Cliffe, the R/O established communications with New Zealand using the Lifeboat Transmitter - nothing else left and it worked!

John t.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

*Portable Radio Equipment for Ships' Lifeboats*



trotterdotpom said:


> After the massive fire on the Gothic, Roger Cliffe, the R/O established communications with New Zealand using the Lifeboat Transmitter - nothing else left and it worked!
> 
> John t.


John

But that was not from a lifeboat in the water, using its own antenna. As made clear in earlier posts, a low power equipment such as the portable lifeboat radio is quite capable of communication over long distances from the elevated deck of a ship, especially when using an alternative antenna rig. Operating from an external power source can also make its use much easier. 

Making contact from a rolling and pitching lifeboat, in and out of the troughs of sea and swell, using the minimal antenna provided and with some poor sods trying to crank the generator while simultaneously trying to hang on to the boat, was something else entirely. If a rescue was ever initiated in those cir***stances, it would be one of very few such instances.

A sobering thought is that we shall never know how many people died in lifeboats in spite of having a portable lifeboat radio with them. I suspect it was more than were ever rescued because of the radio. 

The one person that I know of that was definitely saved by the equipment was the bosun referred to in an earlier post, who survived because he clung to the floating lifeboat radio until he was picked up. The radio's ability to communicate (or not) was not involved.


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

The lifeboat radios were required to be tested by the radio officers periodically (I believe it was once every three months, although I could be wrong about the exact interval ). Whenever that was done a "dummy load" had first to be attached to the antenna to prevent a real distress signal from being sent out. Many radio officers became lazy and simply left the "dummy load" attached all the time. 

There used to be a story going around about an unfortunate incident that occurred on a tanker that caught fire. Some of the surviving crew members managed to make their way to the bow with the lifeboat radio, from whence they they attempted to send a distress message. They hooked up the antenna, but didn't realize that the radio officer had left the "dummy load" attached. Apparently they weren't aware of what it was, presumed it was part of the equipment and left it attached. As a result, nobody ever received their distress signal. Later they were all found dead, huddled around the useless radio transmitter. 

I don't know how much truth there was in that story, but I know that it was used as an object lesson to persuade the Radio Officers not to leave the "dummy loads" attached to the lifeboat radios.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I understand what you're saying Ron - glad I never had to try it myself.

Klaat - Radio Officers lazy! I don't believe that!

John T.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Klaatu

All the PLE radios that I saw, and all PLEs built and marketed to comply with the UK regulations, had the dummy load located internally as part of the transmitter unit. It was connected to the transmitter for test purposes by means of a spring-loaded lever switch on the front panel. When testing the PLE, the R/O had to hold the lever over to the 'Test' position (while simultaneously holding the morse key down and adjusting the transmitter tuning control - just stick a brush up my a*se and I'll sweep the deck).

When you released the lever, it sprang back and the switch connected the transmitter output to the external antenna terminals. No need for external test loads.

Further to my earlier post about communication tests on HF from the deck of a ship, I should have mentioned that whilst we were usually able to raise someone by means of the PLE transmitter, it was a hell of a job to hear anyone on the PLE receiver. A crystal set would have been as much use.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

Is that what those things were really meant for? I always assumed they were foot-rests for the R/O. About 1980 DNV surveyors started demanding that the lifeboat radio be kept in the wheelhouse; never could get a satisfactory answer as to how it made sense for the R/O to go upstairs to collect the radio before going down three decks to the boats. So I always put it in a corner of the bridge when we expected the surveyor, and took it back to it's proper home after he left.
When I was at sea, ships only had four-character callsigns, so it would really confuse a coast station when one actually managed to make contact using the lifeboat radio and used the correct c/s, e.g. SVPI21


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

Lurking under the desk on the Sprucebank is a Lifeline RN500.
I found it just too tall to be comfortable when you put your feet on it. So the feet had to go on the desk. (Sad)
That was all well and good on nice little general cargo liners that had a high survival rate but when I "graduated" to tankers, bulk carriers and VLCCs that had a tendency to go bang or fill with water very quickly the priority was to have someone else who could use the thing and that it was kept somewhere it had a chance to float off.
It all depended on whether it was a "Time to go, Sparkie" or a "See you later, mate" sort of ship. 
Didn't exactly fill one with confidence when the float off locator beacons on VLCCs, fitted on the bridge deck or monkey island, were firmly painted into their little boxes. It took a chipping hammer on some of them to get the "float off" lid to come away.


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