# British Coast Stations farewell to 500 kc/s



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Posted on an another thread thought it merited one on its own..









qrt500 : Terry George, G4AMT : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


QRT 500 kc/s wireless telegraphy 1901-1997 QRT 500: The final WT transmissions from UK Coast Stations A TRANSCRIPT is provided (or a Morse Libretto if...



archive.org


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I haven't seen that for ages. Ta.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Interesting comment "British Telecom were informed by HM Coastguard that 500 kcs was no longer a requirement etc."
The GKR message was sent by Tom McLennan (sk) my 1963 Atlantic Cafe Burnham-on-Sea room-mate during our GKA training. 
Must be something in the air up there as he never left going from lowly RO2 to Station Manager and from what I gather from the transcript was brought in from retiral to send the farewell msg.
34 years on his morseing wasn't as crisp as I knew it.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

500 kHz was a requirement until Feb 1, 1999. HM Coastguard were full of ****.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

For what it's worth imo HM Coast Guard would have had little say when all this was going on if the UK Coastal Radio Service was still a HMG Department (GPO) and not a privatised BT.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Why criticise the UK? Internationally, 500kHz was only ever mandatory for ships, there was never any requirement for any country to provide coast stations. So theoretically the UK could have closed the MF coast stations at any time since they we're established and was under no obligation to provide a 500kHz watch ashore nor any response facility on that frequency. After all, much of the world's coastline and many countries in the UN did not enjoy such luxuries.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Sad, but true - especially as the British Isles led the way in providing CRSs and a distress watch.

At least Inmarsat is based in London - but not using Goonhilly anymore!


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

Really, well done, I haven't heard morse of that quality used in for years, by the time it ended , , , , , , , , 
anyway TUSU OM, VA


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I personally made sure that Australian coast stations maintained 500 until 010001Z Feb 99...mind you, I had no argument from Telecom (the provider)...

The brains trust at HMCG replaced the professionally designed, installed and maintained Coast Radio Network and 5 ton watch with 250W Skantis on 2182 operating into 20' whips on the side of their buildings...

Scandalous incompetence.

Mind you, the Kiwis were as bad - they shut down ZLB, ZLW and ZLD in 1993 and replaced the 5 ton watch with 1 station on 2182....

Third world stuff.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Interestingly - The very last HF W/T QSO that ZLW made was with me!
Using my Radio Amateur callsign I was on 14.050MHz and listened to ZLW on 12MHz. 
I had telephoned (the cost!) Larry at ZLW to set up the sked. 
Cross-band, Cross-service but to hell with the regs! 
I later found out that it went out on ZLW4 , ZLW5, ZLW6!!


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

That must be one of a very few. Never heard of another such C-S/'ham' sked.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I worked GKA with my amateur call cross band for their close down event. 14/12 MHz...from memory..


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

pippin said:


> Interestingly - The very last HF W/T QSO that ZLW made was with me!
> Using my Radio Amateur callsign I was on 14.050MHz and listened to ZLW on 12MHz.
> I had telephoned (the cost!) Larry at ZLW to set up the sked.
> Cross-band, Cross-service but to hell with the regs!
> I later found out that it went out on ZLW4 , ZLW5, ZLW6!!


Good for you.

I sent the last ever QTC to the Oz Coast Radio Network from VIX (RCC Canberra) to and from VIM (Melb) on 8 MHz on the morning of 01 Feb 99.

I took the key with me when I walked out the door that afternoon....poetic, really. 

I have it in pride of place in my radio shack.


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

Troppo said:


> I worked GKA with my amateur call cross band for their close down event. 14/12 MHz..


Do you know if something like that was done for GKA as was done for GLD ?
Best regards


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Somewhere on SN there is a link to a video of the final broadcast from GKA. I forget where it is (forgive me, it was a couple of decades ago) but Larry Bennett can probably guide you there.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Ron Stringer said:


> Why criticise the UK? Internationally, 500kHz was only ever mandatory for ships, there was never any requirement for any country to provide coast stations…….


European coastal rdio service beginnigs are well docu-mented.
Originating with the formation of the International Telegraph Union ITU 1865 (UK a non-signatory) at the 1905 Berlin Internation Radio Tegraph Convention 600m (500 Kcs) became the international maritime W/T distress and traffic wavelength and SOS the W/T international distress signal.
At the ITU Berlin Convention member states (including UK) also agreed through international treaty tor a coastal radio service with Nordeich Radio DAN commencing maritimeW/Tl operation in 1907.


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

Ron Stringer said:


> Somewhere on SN there is a link to a video of the final broadcast from GKA. I forget where it is (forgive me, it was a couple of decades ago) but Larry Bennett can probably guide you there.


FYI - The link for the GKA closure video is 



Best Regards


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

Can anyone remember the name of the pub almost opposite the gladstone dock gates in Liverpool.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

What's that got to do with the price of fish?



gordonarfur said:


> Can anyone remember the name of the pub almost opposite the gladstone dock gates in Liverpool.


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

What a daft question, obviously I intend to instruct my chauffeur to drive directly to the pub rather than waste valuable


pippin said:


> What's that got to do with the price of fish?


time. Tempus Fugit don,t you know.


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