# Head Office to Ships (Direct QSO?)



## Worldspan (Jan 2, 2012)

As I understand it, airlines have their own 'in-house' working frequencies for HF SSB. The head office can thus communicate direct with a/c in flight. BTW where are these transmitters? Are they at Heathrow and the like? On another tack, are satellite comms used by aircraft? 

Presumably shipping companies these days keep in touch with their ships via satellite and so it's just a question of picking up a phone in London or sending an e-mail. In my day, all traffic came in via the radio room and coast stations. But did any companies (anywhere) have their own radio stations for direct QSO with their fleet?

Thanks in advance for comments.

W


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

BA had or maybe still has an HF capability for direct ground/aircraft voice comms. They had several frequencies in the HF band. eg 5535 KHz, 8921 KHz and many others. Callsign Speedbird London. Portishead also handled air traffic on certain freqs not in the shipping sectors.


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

The BA HF station closed some years ago. The transmitters were located at Cove, near Farnborough. Britannia Airways, Monarch Airlines and easyJet also had their own HF stations, all at Luton Airport but I don't think that any of them are operational now.


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Aircraft have had Sat comms for many years. At GKA we used to handle some of the early sat comms traffic. It was all of a private nature ie from dedicated phones in the cabin. One of the first airlines to offer satcoms was Lufthansa. I do not believe that any voice ATC is handle on sat but still HF. This in the early days was because the signal could be lost at times when the aircraft changed attitude/course. However I understand that all aircraft telemetry is on sat. As I have been away from it for a long time now this could have all changed now. As KR says BA's station was Speedbird London. GKA was the standby station for them. We were also a dedicated station for Eastern Airlines and American Airlines. Also the main station for numerous european and worldwide carriers.As for Britannia, Monarch and Easyjet. They may have had a HF tx in the office but we handled all the ops traffic at GKA. There is a photo of me and an aero console at GKA in my Gallery - link below if anyone is interested.

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/galle...ronautical-and-point-point-rt-console/cat/530

Neville - Hawkey01


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

I thought I had posted this earlier in response to post #1. Must have pressed 'Preview' instead of the 'Submit' button.

http://www.inmarsat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Classic-aeronautical-March-2014.pdf


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## G4UMW (May 30, 2007)

Britannia intended their own HF station to handle all their ops traffic; however it didn't work as well as anticipated and they weren't prepared to spend the money required to improve it to a viable standard.

The Monarch station used Icom equipment. They had a receiver connected to an inverted-vee trap dipole that scanned their allocated channels for calls. Comms were then established via a transceiver and (I think) a 4-element rotatable Yagi.


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## J. Davies (Dec 29, 2010)

Swire Pacific Offshore had a Sailor SP Radio 400 Watt SSB station in their tiny office in Dubai in the 70's and early 80's. That was when Dubai was just a dusty town.

The office was affectionately know as Fawlty Towers. All the Gulf boats would call in every Saturday morning for a chat. 

I don't think the station was legal because it was taken from an old ship and rigged up with an aerial on the roof in the middle of the night by one of the sparks.

"Fawlty Towers, Fawlty Towers, this is Big Orange XI" etc


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

While I was working on a coastwise tanker in the late 80's early 90's the ships would use the SITOR which was a computer attached to the SSB. We would type in the message at the SITOR or typed a text message on the computer and bring up the floppy to transmit. The Company Office also had there own SITOR setup. We also had the Sat Com but the company did not want to pay for telex's from the ships. So we would get telex from the company viva the Sat Com but we would have to answer viva the SITOR. 

Joe


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## Worldspan (Jan 2, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies. So it seems HF SSB is no longer used by aircraft for QSOs back to the head office.

Interesting also to learn about PPA25 and the other direct comms.

W


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## randcmackenzie (Aug 31, 2005)

I remember hearing that Shell had their own radio station in their head shed in London.

Anyone verify or deny?


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

randcmackenzie said:


> I remember hearing that Shell had their own radio station in their head shed in London.
> 
> Anyone verify or deny?


If they did, they didn't tell the R/Os on their ships! 

Sailed with them in 1963/64 and all MF/HF traffic was routed via marine coast stations. They did have a couple of 'private' channels which were fitted on the Redifon GR286 VHFs on their ships. These were used by Shell and its agents (Davis & Newman, Brinings etc.) in several ports in the UK and elsewhere. 

But all other MF/HF traffic went through coast stations; even the data transmissions using Marconi Autospec/Editor equipment over HF links, went via Portisheadradio between the ships and Shell Centre in London.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

In the U.S. there were (are?) several private HF SSB stations. Whether these were independent or joint ventures between shipping companies I don't know; they certainly had nothing to do with ITT/RCA and were not 'open for public correspondence'. As there were a limited number of U.S. flag ships sailing deep sea traffic congestion didn't seem to be a problem.
The callsign KHT comes to mind as one such station; where it was located I never found out, obviously West of the Mississippi, and I rather think East of the Rockies as it was easy to get a response when in the Atlantic/W. Indian Ocean.

I recall the Swire station in Dubai and once had occasion to use it when waiting for a ship that was loading at Das Island. Around 1973 I think. 
I had important business to discuss relating to bonded stores and knew that the R/O I was to relieve would be listening on a 4 Mc/s R/T frequency; so somehow I got access to the Swire radio. It was emphasised that they were doing me a BIG favour. I sat down and began changing frequency and all hell broke loose; it seemed none of the office-wallahs knew anything about the radio and were convinced I was destroying their communication system. ('Push this button to talk, turn that knob to make it louder' was all they knew!)

It took a promise of a sleight-of-hand out of the aforesaid bonded stores to smooth things over. I did retune it back to their frequency when I had finished though.


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## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

Also in the Philippines, the interisland shipping companies all had their own W/T and R/T stations to communicate with the ships - probably long gone in this day of almost 100 percent cellphone coverage.


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

*Head office QSO*

Slight deviation, but you might get the drift.
Two stories.
Sailed with Globtik Tokyo with telex. As Ron stated earlier all UK H/F traffic went through Portshead. In the early '70s telex didn't have auto calling, you QSO on CW for the operator to go to GKS. Once there you could have the channel for ages without being charged for 'real time'. Captain at the time was Ian Maclean, who liked a flutter on the horses. Contacting Globtik at Exchange Flags Liverpool, he would ask which of Ravi Tiko's horses (the owner of Gobtiks, I believe) were running. Before we got a system going, the office would go to local bookies. The telex link was maintained throughout.

On another ship Valiente (Maggie Booth) we had a regular sked with the agents office. He used to transmit on the Iquitos (Peru) aero beacon, informing of the height of river at the pontoons, plus wanting 200 cigs and bottle of whiskey.
Oh happy days

O


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

This is way off-topic but members may 'like' the story:

P.Arnold: did you know/meet Joe Stemmler at all? An american engineer who lived in London and was Ravi's VP Engineering (or similar title) when they were looking into nuclear power for VLCCs. Lost the tip of a finger by putting it into a pump casing on Globtik Venus at Suez when some wallah hit the start button.


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## P.Arnold (Apr 11, 2013)

*Head office QSO/ Globtiks*



Naytikos said:


> This is way off-topic but members may 'like' the story:
> 
> P.Arnold: did you know/meet Joe Stemmler at all? An american engineer who lived in London and was Ravi's VP Engineering (or similar title) when they were looking into nuclear power for VLCCs. Lost the tip of a finger by putting it into a pump casing on Globtik Venus at Suez when some wallah hit the start button.


I am ashamed to say, I remember the faces, but not the names. I certainly don't remember an American. It's sad, but I do remember the dog, 'biscuit' 
Regards.


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## Ventefjord (Apr 7, 2011)

In the 80's (and perhaps also the previous decade but before my time) one oil company operating in the southern North Sea (Phillips Petroleum most likely, can't remember now - too long ago...  ) did have a daily routine of calling up all their marine "client's rep's" onboard their chartered ofshore vessels to exchange informations. This was done on the MF SSB band somewhere on the 3 megs as far as I remember. Obvious the onshore superintendant were sitting in his head office in Stavanger operating a SSB radio and "conducting" his fleet without the help from Rogaland or Farsund Radio. 

Elsewhere around the globe in the early "haydays" of offshore explorations (seismic vessels, diving vessels and so on) it was very common to have direct SSB radio communication with the onshore representatives because in many places it was not possible to establish normal radio telephone calls through coast radio stations. Sometimes this could be very dangerous for the onshore representantive sitting in his hotel room or office talking into a radio while without him knowing it a coup d'état were in progress. This happened once in an African country. Happily for him he survived but the first thing he asked for when the communication were re-established afterwards was to find out of his insurances if he was covered by incidents like this....


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## Ivor Snowden (Oct 17, 2012)

Running down the west coast of South America in late seventies and early eighties on the old PSNC run, the head office in Lima had their own radio station OCA4 ( 2 frequencies..... 1 mf and the other in the 8mhz band ) We were expected to make contact twice per day once west of panama canal for cargo updates etc. It was a much more efficient means of communication in those days, rather than the w/t only service offered by the local coast stations.
I vaguely recall that the office in Santiago also had its own station, but I do not think that one got used very often.


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## Paul Braxton (Jul 21, 2005)

Hi Ivor (msg #19). 

I remember those days, working with the agent in Lima via an H/F R/T link on 8MHz with the old Marconi Oceanspan VII. It was in '70/'71 on the old "Port Lyttelton"/GLPJ enroute from NZ to (probably) Matarani, a port just north of Mollendo on the coast down there.

It was always a bit flakey, to say the least. Either he couldn't hear us very well or vice versa. It all came to an end when the only crystal I had designated for the purpose, which you had to plug into an external port on the front panel of the TX, failed, ending the process until a new one could be sent out. It took so long to arrive that we gave up and relied on the old W/T msg's via OAA/Callao.

We may have passed each other. Don't recall ever using an M/F frequency with them, just the HF one. It was always nice to begin hearing some faint coastal MF stations beginning to drift in on 500 kHz when coming in from the Pacific. That after so many days of hearing nothing at all by day on that frequency bar static. Used to listen to all the broadcast stations. Remember one had a jingle that went: "Dos cien trenta, Radio Talara!" (230 on the medium wave band).

Did you ever go to Matarani? We went there a few times to discharge milk powder. Also went to Pimental and Callao. Pimental was pretty basic and interesting to watch them unloading into offshore barges, all by hand using ship's gear. No berthing facility there in those days.

Went for a few walks ashore in Matarani. There wasn't anything much to do there, no runs ashore as there was nothing whatsoever to go for a run to, unless you took a ride to Mollendo, which I never got round to doing. It was an amazing place, outside the port. Just a sort of desert with rising ground going for miles, dust storms, weird rock formations and what appeared to be an abandoned stone built village,partially buried in sand.

All the best, Paul


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## Worldspan (Jan 2, 2012)

Well, as the initiator of this thread, I’m psd it’s had so many hits and grateful to those who’ve replied. It was always something that had intrigued me.

And the post from Paul Braxton is one of those that sets me off along the ‘if-only' path. It had always been my yen to potter down the west coast of South America but I didn’t stay long enough to go solo. In the event, things turned out fine, but when I read his descriptions of Mataran, Pimental and Callao, back I am in dreamland again. But we only get the one go.

OK, I know that the ham bands are alive (and often kicking with QRQ) but when I read: _“It was always nice to begin hearing some faint coastal MF stations beginning to drift in on 500 kHz when coming in from the Pacific,”_ I wonder how one could ever begin to explain that notion to someone who hasn’t been part of the fraternity. And I muse that the era of the radio op lasted for a mere 80 years. 

W


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## Paul Braxton (Jul 21, 2005)

Hi Worldspan, and thanks for your thread.

Yes it was very nice to do all that 'tootling around the SA coast, at least it was back in those days. Actually it was really nice to do the same on the northern coasts; Colombia, Venezuela: Cartagena, La Guaira, Maracaibo and of course to Trinidad, et al. In fact I swear those raven haired girls parading down the sea front in Cartagena in the early evenings were some of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen, anywhere in the world. To swing for, as they say, tho' thankfully I never had to!

You are probably right. That whole thing of being out alone on the vast Pacific for two weeks without sight or sound of anyone else was a wonderful experience, at least it was for me. Somehow cleansing, in effect, after several weeks on the Kiwi Coast and all that entailed. It was always lovely to finally set sail for Panama again, or SA coast as we did occasionally on Port Line or Shaw Savill. 

All alone, with just some QRN to write about in the radio log: 'Nil heard', repeated over and over. Sometimes, just as a chancer, (as I heard a few others doing from time to time) I would give a CQ call, just to see if there was anyone else within 500 kHz range. And there sometimes was. It was always surprising to hear somebody booming in, that you didn't know about, just wanting a chat. Sometimes even another ship of the same company and you could then exchange gossip, crewlists, etc. Then they would pass slowly out of range and you'd be all alone again, just you and the quiet, quiet ocean. 

Even more memorable would be the little ritual of flashing up a distant light on the horizon with the Aldis, late at night. Getting a reply, setting up another QSO and then out of range again. That was often almost a ghostly sort of thing to do. Spooky, might be a better word. Getting the third mate motivated to get the Aldis out and set up, then leaning on the bridge wing dodger, levelling the sights and "A A A" sequences, waiting to see if that distant pinpoint would go through the same game, get his lamp ready and respond with a "T".

Yep, something about all that. Probably couldn't be adequately conveyed to someone, as you say "not of the fraternity", but I might try to do so oneday. When I write my book maybe.

Best regards, Paul


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

Not only is it instant communications nowadays but Head Office can also watch you at all times.
A departure from the planned track will ensure an instant call to the Master.

A far cry from the time I was Master in the sixties and a quiet word with Sparks would see him enter in his log that the traffic list could not be obtained due to interference. Blessed peace from the office!


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## Worldspan (Jan 2, 2012)

Quick note to Paul ... lovely day here and I've been oiling the garden table. A pleasant enough chore when the sun's shining. And while I was oiling away, I got to thinking about Aldis lamps ... as you do.

I'll start another thread quoting your comments ...

M


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## frangio (Jan 20, 2012)

Must take some of the romance out of being a seafarer these days that anyone can find out where you are!

Bizarrely when I was on my first ship, Strathconon, one of my friends always knew where I was. Strathconon sent daily weather observations to the Met Office and I had a friend who worked for them at Prestwick Airport. When I came home on leave I visited his office and he had marked my daily position for the 5 months I was on her!


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

posted by John Briggs:


> _Not only is it instant communications nowadays but Head Office can also watch you at all times.
> A departure from the planned track will ensure an instant call to the Master.
> _


I have more than a suspicion that certain oil companies have been doing this for 40 years, possibly by an arrangement with the U.S. Military or C.I.A. for satellite surveillance data.
When on charter to one such outfit in the 70s we were told to proceed at an impossibly slow speed on a laden leg of one voyage. We proceeded at the most economical speed for 3 - 4 weeks and then simply drifted, well away from the normal shipping route; meanwhile our position reports appeared to show that we were indeed proceeding at the specified speed.
After a week or so drifting we got a message from the owners saying the charterers believed the ship was not in the reported position and please explain exactly how the impossible slow speed was accomplished.

Our reply was to the effect that the charterers must be mistaken and the speed was achieved by making economical speed for some of the night and stopping during daylight hours. We never heard any more, and the owners' vice-president who boarded at the discharge port, when we finally got there, had no idea what it was all about, or so he said anyway.


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## captainjohn (Jun 5, 2007)

Sealand had HF SSB voice stations in their Elizabeth & Oakland operations offices in the late 60's into the 70's. They talked to all the ships on a daily basis. If they were unable to contact a vessel for 48 hours, a commercial message went out asking what was happening. I experienced this from both ends, both as Master and during stints ashore in Ops. The stations were established in response to both the Marine Sulfur Queen incident and a Mooremack sinking (I don't remember the ship name) where no one knew the ships were missing for several days and survivors of the sinking were lost to sharks and exposure. Shore staffs were excoriated for lack of "positive management." Warren Leback, VP Mar Ops, was determined Sealand wasn't going to fall victim to the same thing.


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## Ivor Snowden (Oct 17, 2012)

Hi Paul,

Yes..... went into Matarani many times........along with all the other ports up and down the Peruvian and Chile coast.
I vaguely remember there was something about Matarani being the port for Bolivia...... being landlocked it did not have its own port - but there was some arrangement with Peru over Matarani......... its so long ago I dont remember the ins and outs.
I do recall it rained once when we were there ( first time for 20 years they said ). Nobody in head-office believed the old man when he had to report in that cargo operations had been suspended for 12hours due to the rain.

I do misss those lovely Pisco Sours you used to get in all the Peruvian Bars

Cheers
Ivor


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## EimbTrader (Aug 25, 2007)

During the Tanker War 1981-1983 sailed on a few NITC managed Iranian flagged tankers carrying Krosene. On our convoy trips from Busher to Bandar Mashahr we were advised to contact NITC direct via EPW1 on telegraphy, station was onboard a plane.
They had only one (!) frequency on 12Mc/s, it was a pitty!


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