# While he had his feet up reading a book.....



## K urgess

......I was fixing his radio gear for him.

That's not totally true because I worked on a lot of coasters that didn't have sparkies.

From September 1977 to somewhere around August 1979 I worked for SAIT London as a Marine Technician.
SAIT was the Societe Anonyme International de Telegraphie sans Fils with headquarters in Belgium. The London office was down River Road, Barking Essex. I took the attached pictures as I went past in 2002.
Much like Marconi and part of the RAMAC contract group.
I did a couple of months at Barking before being sent back to Hull to cover the northeast.
After a few weeks of going around with someone else I was on my own.
I got a tool kit but had to use my own car.
The work report sheets I've got are the 4th carbon copy so may take a bit of interpretation. Bear with me if I make any mistakes in names, callsigns or owners.
Next post will be the first one I did by myself.
They may be of interest, they may not. 
I might as well post them as I transcribe them for the memoirs. [=P]


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## K urgess

*Union Star*

Flag - *Singapore*
Callsign - *9V2329*
Owner - *William Dennison*
Agent - *Watson & Gill*
Port - *Rochester*
Mains - *24v DC*
Reason - *Service Atlas 2000 Radar & instruct in operation. Deliver list of SAIT/RAMAC Agents*

*26.9.77 -* *Radar run up. Found trace limited to 5mm width, 10cm from centre. R85 (sweep length control) ineffective. No voltage at CR40. 24v stab & 30v stab OK. 150v reduced to 10 volts on 1.5 and 3nm ranges. Q17 (MJ423) found short cct between emitter and collector. Scanner voltage checked & OK. *
*(1300-1600 onboard and 2 hours travel)*

*27.9.77 -* *Using oscilloscope checked trigger & found OK. Q15 (2N4124) removed & tested OK. Replaced Q17 and trace now normal. Rx slightly off tune. Cleared water from transceiver box. Retuned Rx. Set up deflection (R85). Tested on all ranges. *
*(1200-1500 onboard and 3.5 hours travel)*

Materials - *One transistor RCA423*

I obviously didn't carry every known transistor as spares so I had to get one from Barking and go back.
I think this was built as GISELA BARTELS for G. Bartels of Harburg by Rancke at Hamburg in 1962. According to Miramar lengthened in 1964 and increased from 299 dwt to 482 dwt. Changed to CLAUS JURGENS in 1966 and to UNION STAR in 1973. I seem to remember that she'd been laid up at Rochester for a bit and just purchased by Dennison. They appear to have changed the name to KAVA SOUND shortly after my visit. Apparently deleted in 1989 and converted to a floating restaurant.
*This* looks very much like her.
I do remember that she was a bit tired and tatty. I found a spent 6mm pistol cartridge case wedged in the bottom of the radar display.
Rochester wasn't exactly easy to get to from Barking.[=P]


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## BobClay

> I found a spent 6mm pistol cartridge case wedged in the bottom of the radar display.


I must admit there have been times when I've felt like shooting a radar myself ......:sweat:


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## K urgess

*Myrsinidi*

Flag - *Greece*
Callsign - *SVPS*
Owner - *Messrs Fafalios Ltd*
Agent - *Tatham Bromage & Co.*
Port - *Purfleet*
Mains - *220v AC*
RAMAC - *Admin only (7A)*
Reason - *Repairs to EB3026 Main Receiver. No Signals. Deliver tools and publications.*

*5.10.77 -* *Receiver checked and fault traced to 5v regulated supply. Cct checked and traced to possibly faulty IC3 (CA3085) or diode CR5 (1N4148)*
*(1100-1200 onboard and 0.5 hours travel)*
*(1300-1600 onboard and 0.5 hours travel)*

*6.10.77 -* *Replaced IC3 (CA3085) with no effect. Replaced CR5 (1N4148) supply present. Adjusted R26 to give 5.6v DC output as per manual. Receiver tested and operating satisfactorily.*
*Note - Equipment under warranty*
*(1100-1300 onboard and 1 hour travel)*

Materials - *One IC CA3085 & one diode 1N4148*

I think this was the ITT-Mackay receiver. Must admit to not remembering much about this job except the lunch. That's the reason for the two times on the first day. One hour off for a ship's lunch. Bums and stiffs rule, OK.

Built in 1977 at the Neptun yard in Rostock for her Greek owners.
Changed to TIAN JING QUAN in 1992 then to FCC GLORY in 2001 and then BLUE STAR in 2003. Looks as if she may still be around. 
Can't find a picture. (Sad)


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## K urgess

*Myrsinidi*

Flag - *Greece*
Callsign - *SVPS*
Owner - *Messrs Fafalios Ltd*
Agent - *Tatham Bromage & Co.*
Port - *Purfleet*
Mains - *220v AC*
RAMAC - *Admin only (7A)*
Reason - *Inspect aerial spares on behalf of Norske Veritas*

*6.10.77 -* *Inspected aerial spares.*
*Vessel carries 45 metres aerial wire to be made up as spare antenna by ship's staff.*
*Other antenna spares as required.*
*(time and travel to previous job)*

Materials - *Nil*

Did a few surveys for various authorities but not normally noted on a standard service report.

Had a count up and found that there are 104 service sheets in this file. (EEK)


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## K urgess

*Belorussija*

Flag - *Russian*
Callsign - *UUDP*
Owner - *U.S.S.R.*
Agent - *Morflot, Tilbury*
Port - *Tilbury*
Mains - *220v AC*
RAMAC - *Chargeable*
Reason - *Tuning and service MLS 100 Lifeboat Transceiver Equipment*

*12.10.77 -* *Checked equipment and found MF RF meter faulty. Replaced meter with spare from Barking office. Equipment output poor but this due to badly rigged antenna. Equipment rigged in boat correctly and output improved. Batteries low so placed on charge overnight.*
*(N. Bond 1300-1600 and 2 hours travel)*
*(P. Denman 0930-1600 and 2 hours travel)*
*(me 0930-1600 and 2 hours travel)*

*13.10.77 - Batteries fully charged. Checked with hydrometer. Cleaned battery terminals. Output from transmitter checked with RF ammeter and found satisfactory. Tested equipment on 2182 kHz with Scheveningenradio (PCH) QSA1. Tested on 500 kHz reply from Oostenderadio (OST). Instructed chief radio officer in operation of equipment and function of controls.*
*(1000-1300 and 1400-1530 plus 2 hours travel)*

Materials - *one milliameter*

This was a lovely passenger/RORO ferry built in 1975 in Finland. Converted to a cruise ship in 1986 and renamed KAZAKHSTAN II in 1993. She was called DELPHIN in 1996 and appears to be still on the go.
Picture - http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=87430

The lifeboat gear was fixed and the batteries charged from an alternator on the engine. I took the alternator control module away for repair because the output was non existent when checked. The gear was either built by SAIT or a subsidiary. The job was chargeable because there was no Ramac contract. The radio station was immaculate and fitted with Russian gear.

Phil Denman was another ex-sparkie who had just joined so I suppose you could say I had a junior along. Nick Bond was another tech who brought us the meter from Barking.

A very interesting experience considering this was almost at the height of the cold war. The chief spark's cabin was better than a lot I had sailed in. He lived just outside Odessa and drove a Lada. He had a degree in electronics. His wife also drove a Lada and was a doctor. His two children were taught English in pre-school. He could take his wife with him to sea and he could take his children with him if he wanted. The only thing he couldn't do was take his wife and children away at the same time. He was paid more than the equivalent of the same as I was getting when I swallowed the anchor.
His second sparks was from Moscow and very outspoken about the "regime". When I turned up on the second day he was on his way up to London to buy a Yagi array for his amateur rig back home. Joking with the commissar at the top of the gangway about how he was going to learn about British democracy or so I was told.
Very insistent on having some of Churchill's favourite brandy (from the Crimea) before a celebratory lunch. Russian lunches are something else. This day there was sour cream in the borscht in celebration of the launching of a new icebreaker in Leningrad. Loud Russian radio reports and marshal music.


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## K urgess

*Belorussija*

Flag - *Russian*
Callsign - *UUDP*
Owner - *U.S.S.R.*
Agent - *Morflot, Tilbury*
Port - *Tilbury*
Mains - *220v AC*
RAMAC - *Chargeable*
Reason - *Deliver list of SAIT agencies. Return lifeboat voltage regulator and assist fitting.*

*25.10.77 -* *Returned Motorola voltage regulator unit after checking unit and repair.*
*Unit refitted to lifeboat motor alternator. Alternator voltage output poor. Engineers changing drive belt because of wear and looseness.*
*Drivebelt replaced and tightened. Batteries now charging correctly.*
*Unit operating satisfactorily*
*(1130-1400 and 2 hours travel)*

I think we had to wait for some replacement parts from Motorola. I haven't got a note of what they were because it went on a workshop report.
She must've done a trip between visits because it took 11 days to get it sorted. Alternators were only just starting to be fitted on cars so spares were not common.
We'd had a quick early lunch while the engineers were finding a drive belt and changing it.
While we were finishing off (the Russian Sparks loved getting his hands dirty for a change) there was all sorts of ringing of telegraphs and blowing of whistles which I thought was them testing the gear. I was so engrossed in trying to get it sorted that it was a while before I looked up. It was then I noticed to my horror that we were moving.
I did have some thoughts about Siberia and Lubjanka and what the Memsahib was going to say when I rang from Leningrad.
I got off with the agent and the last of the customs on one of the tugs a bit downriver. 
So I can say I sailed on a USSR flagged ship. [=P]


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## K urgess

*Arya Gam*

Flag - *Iran*
Callsign - *EDPI*
Owner - *Arya National Shipping Lines*
Agent - *Lambert*
Port - *Chapman Anchorage, Southend*
Mains - *220v AC*
RAMAC - *2M 5919/1*
Reason - *Deliver TV Antenna. Em Rx, Main Rx, Main Tx, Charger (Em Batts)*

*28.10.77 -* 
*Main Rx - MR1406A - *
*Low Signals - *
*Found loose lamp in Ae protection system fitted in Liverpool. *
*Also only one Ae for two receivers.*
*Other faults unable to cure due to V/L sailing.*
*(see seperate report)*
*(1000 -1400 and 8 hours travel)*

Material Supplied -* One FTE dome TV aerial*

Not a happy memory. 
All they asked for was the TV aerial so when I got onboard with this I wasn't too pleased to be presented with a list of faults. 
Especially having spent quite a while in a boat and they were sailing shortly. 
I seem to remember that saying this anchorage was at Southend was a bit misleading to say the least. All you could see from the ship was salt marshes.
The anchor was coming up as I went down the gangway so I didn't really sail on an Iranian vessel. [=P]
The sparks wasn't really interested and I wasn't even offered lunch. (Cloud)
Refrigerated cargo ship was built by Cockerill at Hoboken in 1970. Renamed IRAN MEEAD in 1980 and scrapped at Alang in 2003.
Seen here as IRAN MEEAD in 1985
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22878


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## K urgess

*Astraman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GRHW*
Owner - *C. Rowbotham & Sons Ltd.*
Agent - *J. R. Rix & Sons Ltd., Posterngate, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *415/240v AC*
RAMAC - *SES Card 019*
Reason - *Inspection of all Electronic Equipment*

*Inspected following equipment -*
*R/T - Pentland Bravo - Satisfactory*
*R/T - Receiver Sailor 46T - Satisfactory*
*D/F - Loop Sailor - Slipring contacts poor. Adjusted and sliprings cleaned, but contacts need raplacing.*
*Lifeline PLE - Satisfactory (Portable Lifeboat Equipment)*
*VHF - Foreland & Seavoice - Tested with Spurn Pilot & OK*
*Radar - KH 18/12c - Satisfactory*
*Autopilot - Arkas 550GM - Satisfactory*
*Gyro - Sirius MB12 - Satisfactory*
*Echo Sounder - Simrad EP-1C - Within minimum sounding otherwise OK*
*Talkback - Amplidan 3000 - New forward unit to be fitted by Drydock. Two fuses blown. Operating OK when fuses replaced.*
*TVs - 2 x 12" Ultra - Satisfactory*
*(1.11.77 - 1130-1500 + 1 hr travel)*
*(2.11.77 - 1030-1130 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 2 fuses 1A & 2A (A/S) 15mm*

First job back in Hull.
Working from home which was always favourite. Spent the next 30 years working mostly from home in various guises.
Five or Six months after my reports on Big Geordie I was at it again.(POP) 
SES was Ships Electronics Services who operated down south I think. SAIT had the contract for their vessels in various ports.
Built in 1973 by Cochranes at Selby.
Changed to STRAMAN then FERMAN 1 in 1995 then ARABIAN QUEEN in 1999.
Broken up at Mumbai in February 2001
Picture in the gallery - http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=110527
The captain's signature looks like Wm. Miller


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## hughesy

I sailed with SAIT gear a few times I really liked it. Lot less switches than marconi gear and much simpler operation to change frequency also.
Not bad gear all around in my experience

all the best
Hughesy


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## Ron Stringer

Marconi Sahib said:


> [
> SES was Ships Electronics Services who operated down south I think.


Based at Greenhithe - part of Fred Everard's empire.


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## K urgess

*Lanka Keerti*

Flag - *Sri Lanka*
Callsign - *4SSR*
Owner - *Ceylon Shipping Corporation*
Agent - *Cory Brothers Shipping Limited, Paragon St., Hull*
Port - *King George Dock, Hull*
Mains - *220VAC*
RAMAC - *7A*
Reason - *Service for Drake MR1542 Receiver - poor M/F sensitivity*

*Checked receiver by substituting aerial and found aerial faulty. *
*Traced aerials and found co-ax badly perished at gooseneck on monkey island. *
*Appears that 3 out of 4 receiver aerials have faulty co-ax.*
*Recommend replacement of all coaxial cable runs for receiving aerials when vessel next drydocked.*
*Otherwise MR1542 operating satisfactorily with good M/F sensitivity on good aerial.*
*(7.11.77 - 1100-1230 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

I can't remember what the receiver looked like. I always thought Drake made amateur radio kit. The MR1542 is probably the SAIT designation and it was probably SAIT badged.
Built as DARTBANK in 1958 by Harland & Wolff.
Changed to LANKA KEERTI in 1975 then broken up at Gadani Beach in 1985.
Seen here as DARTBANK http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=131495
and here as LANKA KEERTI http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=435


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## K urgess

*Resurgence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GULQ*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thomas Purvis (Hull) Ltd.*
Port - *Howden ****, Howden, nr. Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service for Drake Amplidan Hailing System 9000*

*Ships staff advise earth on generator board due to Amplidan 9000**.*
*Isolated earthing due to station 5 which not in use.*
*Disconnected cabling from control unit & isolated cable ends.*
*Tested all stations & operating satisfactorily.*
*1 - Engine room*
*2 - Captain*
*3 - Chief Engineer*
*4 - Messroom*
*8 - Forecastle control room*
*9 - Aft (poop)/steering flat*
*(8.11.77 - 1100-1300 + 2 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

I got to know this one quite well. A regular caller at Howden ****, which was on the River Ouse just downstream from the M62 bridge (which wasn't there at the time). There always seemed to be something wrong.
Built as PETRO QUEEN in 1967 by Angyalfold of Budapest for Norwegian owners.
Changed to PETRO TOPAZ in 1971, DE PAARSE TULP in 1973 and RESURGENCE in 1974. Converted to a tanker in 1976 then broken up at Rainham in March 1982.
There's a picture of her in the gallery here
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=134323


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## K urgess

*Lanka Keerti*

Flag - *Sri Lanka*
Callsign - *4SSR*
Owner - *Ceylon Shipping Corporation*
Agent - *Cory Brothers Shipping Limited, Paragon St., Hull*
Port - *King George Dock, Hull*
Mains - *220VAC*
RAMAC - *7A*
Reason - *Deliver Stationery*
*(9.11.77 - 1100-1130 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* ITU Publications etc.*

Sometimes just a postman. [=P]


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## K urgess

*Somersetbrook*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GOWG*
Owner - *Comben Longstaff & Co.*
Agent - *Hargreaves, Hull*
Port - *King George Dock, Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Deliver & fit Sailor R108 Receiver*

*9.11.77 - Travelled to vessel on instructions of SES but vessel not yet arrived & not listed by dock police.*
*10.11.77 - Picked up receiver from Red Star parcels, Paragon Station, Hull.*
*11.11.77 - Boarded vessel after entered drydock. Traced wiring required for fitting R108 in conjunction with transmitter without modifying transmitter.*
*11.11.77 - Returned to vessel with parts required for muting, aerial changing and cabling. -35v keyed taken from transmitter to operate muting relay which mutes receiver loudspeaker and earths aerial. Switch mounted on relay box front panel to switch receiver aerial between R108 & SR35 receivers. R108 mounted on bulkhead & supplies taken from 24v battery supply.*
*(9.11.77 - 1430-1530 + 1 hr travel)*
*(10.11.77 - 50 mins travel only)*
*(11.11.77 - 1000- 1300 + 1 hr travel & 1600-2100 + 2.5 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x 34v DC 2 pole relay CAB/34, 1 x SM2P relay base, 1x DPDT toggle switch type SW2, 1 x Box type T-B1*

I can remember the job and have a vague impression of a small coaster in a big drydock.
Built by Cochrane at Selby in 1971.
Changed to - FIRMUS in 1983, SUNRAY in 1985, DEPASPED in 1988, SPED in 1992 and MANDARIN in 1994.
Broken up at Aliaga in October 2000.
Can't find a picture.


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## K urgess

*Lanka Ratna*

Flag - *Sri Lanka*
Callsign - *4SSQ*
Owner - *Ceylon Shipping Corporation*
Agent - *Cory Brothers Shipping Limited, Paragon St., Hull*
Port - *King George Dock, Hull*
Mains - *220VDC*
RAMAC - *7A*
Reason - *Supply replacement fuseholders for Avel Lindborg power unit for MR1542 receiver*

*Part of both fuseholders missing.*
*Replaced complete fuseholders (5x20mm)*
*Tested and satisfactory*
*(17.11.77 - 1100-1200 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 2 off 5x20mm fuseholders + 12 off 20mm 2A fuses*

Finger trouble if I remember right. 

Built as ARGO CHIOS for Greek owners in 1958 by Royal Schelde at Flushing.
Changed to SANTA FOTINI in 1969, back to ARGO CHIOS in 1973 and to LANKA RATNA in 1975
Broken up at Calicut in March 1986.
Can't find a picture.


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## K urgess

*Somersetbrook*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GOWG*
Owner - *Comben Longstaff & Co.*
Agent - *Hargreaves, Hull*
Port - *King George Dock, Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *ITT STR20 VHF Reported poor reception on channel 14*

*Unit tested with frequency generator on channel 14 & found sensitivity satisfactory.*
*Crystal slightly off frequency & trimmer capacitor adjusted to correct frequency using frequency counter.*
*Good signals heard from Humber Pilots on channel 14.*
*Tested & OK on all other channels.*
*(17.11.77 - 1400-1500 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Second call to this ship. Not a lot wrong with the VHF but you have to make an effort when the Old Man is watching your every move.


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## Hugh Ferguson

Fascinating glimpse into another world! Regards, Hugh.


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## K urgess

*Pass of Glenclunie*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GLDE*
Owner - *Panocean*
Agent - *MacGregor, Gow and Holland, Hull*
Port - *Saltend, Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Deliver and fit Sailor RT144B VHF using existing aerial if possible.*

*14.11.77 - Picked up VHF, Aerial, cable and power supply from Paragon Station.*
*(1 hour travel)*
*17.11.77 - Boarded vessel with spares & ascertained availability of supplies. Unit fitted......*
*(0900-1600 + 2 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

The end of Saltend oil jetty was not the favourite place to get to with all the equipment and tools.
This one is virtually unreadable but I can just about make out that I tested the existing dipole with a SWR meter. The existing VHF was a Redifon GR276 and it took me 7 hours to do the job.

Laid down as PASS OF GLENCOE but launched as PASS OF GLENCLUNIE, she was built by Laing at their Deptford Yard in 1963 as a 1418 ton tanker.
Changed to NADIA 2 in 1983, VALENTINA in 1984, LEONARD UD in 1985, LUCIANO in 1989, FAITH in 1991 and PERSEVERANCE in 1992.
Photoship has a couple of pictures - 
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20P/slides/Pass%20of%20Glenclunie-01.html
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships P/slides/Pass of Glenclunie-02.html


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## K urgess

*Ambience*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZPH*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos. Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service for Smiths Desynn rudder angle indicator.*

*Checked system & traced fault to sensor unit. Sensor disconnected and removed. Opened up and found ingress of moisture, damaged wiper, dirty contact to resistor.*
*Removed unit to office for repair.*
*Attempted repair unsuccessful due to open circuit potentiometer legs (Wire wound).*
*Attempts to obtain replacement unsuccessful.*
*Returned unit to vessel & re-installed until replacement can be obtained.*
*(21.11.77 - 1030-1200 + 1 hr travel & 1430-1600 + 1 hr trevel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

A simple job with an unsatisfactory conclusion. Probably docked somewhere up the River Hull at Spiller's wharf near Chapman Street bridge.

Built by Drypool at Hull for London & Rochester Trading Co Ltd, Rochester, in 1969
Changed to GINO in 1982

A picture of her in the gallery as GINO 
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=66891
and a picture of her replacement built in 1983
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=125924


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## K urgess

*Silver Beach*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SZKJ*
Owner - *S. Diaifas*
Agent - *Lambert Bros., Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *CHERMA 7A*
Reason - *Germanischer Lloyd Survey*

*Radio equipment tested & found satisfactory.*
*Direction Finder requires calibration.*
*(16.12.77 - 1430-1630 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Great satisfaction in telling someone else that their D/F needed calibration. [=P]
We had loads of Germanishcer Lloyd forms to fill so this is only basically a time sheet.

Built as BARENFELS for DDG Hansa of Bremen by Weser Seebeck at Bremerhaven in 1951.
Became SILVER SKY in 1972 and then SILVER BEACH in 1976.
Didn't last much past this survey being broken up at Kaohsiung in February, 1979.
Can't find a picture.


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## K urgess

*Catrina Weston*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GPHA*
Owner - *Weston Shipping*
Agent - *General Freight, Selby*
Port - *Selby*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Kelvin Hughes Radar type 17 - Unspecified Fault*

*Arrived on board and found Radar operating okay.*
*Master reports that required Kelvin Hughes to complete work on auto-pilot.*
*Auto-pilot meanwhile operating satisfactorily*
*(16.12.77 - 1945-2015 + 2.5 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

We found that it was usually best if someone from the ship rang up to ask for service assistance rather than leaving it to the agent's runner.
Oh well now I knew where the Selby wharves were. [=P]

Built by Coops at Hoogezand in 1971.
Became DELCE in 1984 then PORT SOIF in 1990 and then BAHAMAS PROVIDER in 1995.
Miramar doesn't give a demolition date so maybe she's still around.
Can't find a picture.


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## K urgess

*Silver Beach*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SZKJ*
Owner - *S. Diaifas*
Agent - *Lambert Bros., Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *CHERMA 7A*
Reason - *Service Main Transmitter (Elektro Mekano S264) Final stage low output & spurious oscillation*

*Equipment tested and found to be oscillating even with crystal removed**. *
*Isolated oscillation to final stage. Checked by substitution all decoupling components. Added extra decoupling & VHF parasitic stoppers. Slight improvement.*
*Frequency counter shows spurious transmissions. Output power very low. Unable to find reason for tank circuit oscillating at close frequencies to required transmission.*
*Considering age & condition of equipment consider it has become uneconomical to repair.*
*(17.12.77 - 1100-2000 + 1 hr travel & R. Marks 1030-1830 + 3 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 4 x 100Ω Resistors, 3 capacitors*

That didn't last long. It was OK when I did the survey the preceding month.
Ron Marks was my boss and neither of us could make any improvement.
Sometimes the gear was so old and decrepid that there was nothing you could do.


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## mikeg

"Sometimes the gear was so old and decrepid that there was nothing you could do"

I wonder if that applies to us older ex R/O's as well?

Kris, when you say you added 'VHF parasitic stoppers' was that meaning 100 ohm damping resistors with a few turns of wire (choke) around it connected end to end?
The caps of course were for the extra decoupling.

Parasitics can be awkward to locate, got it occasionally on the larger (150W+) AF valves based power amps I've built - usually cured by relocating a component or two or if all else fails a stopper or three 

Mike


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## K urgess

Probably does, Mike. Especially to me
You must remember that this was 31 years ago and about all I can remember is it getting later and later and us both getting more and more frustrated. Ron had to go so I put it all back together and made sure it still worked after a fashion before going home.

Kris


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## mikeg

Guess we got so used to fixing faults Kris that an indeterminate problem like that is extremely frustrating, especially when time is so short. I can remember a few intermittent faults that took a while to find - especially heat related ones that disappeared when the cabinet was opened. Frustrating and time consuming at the time but sheer elation when finally tracked down and fixed. 
I remember one fault on a pair interswitched radars, you could switch one display on and it worked fine but switch both displays on and the power fuse failed. I set up the interswitching to be two completely separate sets A & B and it still happened. I poured over the schematics for ages trying to find a common link but couldn't. Discovered in the end that it was caused by a cabinet gate switch on the interswitch unit that had two separate switch units inside, electrically independent of each other but the insulation had broken down between them. Of course the schematic just shows two gate switches but not in a common enclosure. You live and learn...(Smoke) 

Mike


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## K urgess

The two most important items in my computer engineer's toolkit were always a hair drier and a can of freezer, Mike.
Heat faults were the things we hated most. When those two didn't work it was out with the magnifying glass and search for dry joints. Amazing how many designers forget that stuff gets hot enough to melt solder sometimes. (Cloud)
It's always the little things that the schematics don't show that trip you up every time. (Whaaa)

Cheers
Kris


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## Ron Stringer

When I was working ashore at Marconi's South Shields base I was sent up to Bill Quay to a fishing vessel on the slip there. The skipper there was complaining that his R/T set (Marconi ''Albatross'' I think) worked OK in port but broke down at sea. He was very irate because this had been going on for several months and he had called for service at every Marconi depot between Leith and Grimsby. Everyone said that it was working OK and could find no fault with it.

After a long, hot trudge carrying my toolbag from the bus stop on the main road, down the long hill to Bill Quay, I found the vessel alongside, having come off the slip, and went aboard. The set worked fine and I checked it out listening to 2182 traffic and fishermen chatting on their intership frequencies. A quick test call to Cullercoats seemed fine. The skipper was very disparaging, ''That's what they all say! Bloody conmen.''

So I pulled this old, valved set apart (never seen one before) and looked for possible faults. After a while I came across a joint on a feed-through capacitor carrying the final stage HT through the metal chassis between the exciter/modulator and the final stage, which looked a little ''dry''. I resoldered the joint but continued looking for some time, finding nothing else wrong. The set was still working fine after I boxed it up and I apologised to the skipper that I couldn't find anything significant, just a minor thing that I had fixed. ''Just the same as all the other b*ggers,'' was the reply. 

At that point someone working below started the engine. Hell, the vibration was enormous, the whole vessel shaking and rattling fit to bust. I was amazed that the valves stayed in their sockets, let alone kept working. When I commented on the level of vibration, the skipper told me that it was much worse when they were under way and fishing, not just tied up alongside. I was just glad to get ashore with my eyeballs still in their sockets.

So I set off on the long trudge back up the hill to catch the bus to Palmers yard at Hebburn.

A week or so later, my boss had a call from a fisherman in North Shields fishdock asking for service to a radar. My boss, Freddie Roberts, said that he would pass the details on to our North Shields base and one of their guys would be aboard later in the morning. ''No, I don't want any of them, send that new guy you have, in South Shields, the one who can do miracles.'' Freddie was puzzled and asked for more detail and it emerged that my application of the soldering iron had fixed the ''Albatross'' and the set had worked a treat, with no further problems. Apparently the skipper had been making full use of his now-working R/T to tell all his mates (and every other fisherman listening in) about this genius that Marconi had taken on in South Shields, who could fix things that no other serviceman could.

You can't imagine the volume of p*ss that was extracted from me by the other technicians as word spread around the various Marconi depots between Eyemouth and Middlesbrough. And all because of one dry joint that, on a normal ship without the horrendous vibration, would never have been a problem.


----------



## mikeg

Marconi Sahib said:


> The two most important items in my computer engineer's toolkit were always a hair drier and a can of freezer, Mike.
> Heat faults were the things we hated most. When those two didn't work it was out with the magnifying glass and search for dry joints. Amazing how many designers forget that stuff gets hot enough to melt solder sometimes. (Cloud)
> It's always the little things that the schematics don't show that trip you up every time. (Whaaa)
> 
> Cheers
> Kris


Hair drier no problem with wives onboard (or others of indeterminate gender (==D) ) freezer spray generally wasn't in the toolkit but I've used ice sealed in polythene, bit risky but it worked.
Remember one VHF set that you could melt solder on one signal transistor cap and the set was still working fine. Didn't appear to be any fire risk so when we were finally away from the English channel and had some spare time I fixed the fault.

Cheers,

Mike


----------



## Moulder

Whilst off Anchorage I remember having to take out the synthesiser unit of a main Tx and pack snow around it on the bridge-wing to keep it in the 'fault state' long enough to fault find when it was back in the transmitter cabinet.

I also found nail varnish - courtesy of any of the wives (or a couple of the stewards) - was excellent at keeping screw connections in place during 'ballast passages'.

When on the aussie coast would always pop ashore to a local 'Dick Smiths' and buy a few cans of freezer spray for the spares locker.

Cheers,

Steve.
(Thumb)


----------



## Baulkham Hills

Hi there,

The radio room equipment during that period I was sailing as R/O never really failed during that time, I remember a dry joint in a Debeg transmitter causing an intermittent fault, but apart from that very little. I think they were really designed to be reliable, even Marconi gear, of which I was never a fan, just kept going, mind you I never sailed with the Crusader.
Outside the radio room was a different story, mostly radar problems and sometimes echo sounders. But with the advent of Satcom I had the misfortune to sail with Navidyne satcoms with 4 gyro's in the dome, which constantly failed due to bearing problems, each weighted 22 kilos and of course the dish was unbalanced when one was removed to change the bearings. At one time these were sent to the U.S. for repair, but eventually I used to change them onboard despite stern warnings from the manufacturer of dire consequences if this was done on the ship. Then the Navidyne was replaced with a Sperry with 8 gyro's. After a trial period these to were junked and JRC Sat A were fitted and worked perfectly every time.
Once I had a 500 word telegram for Lisbon (CUL) and I advised them on the key of the length of the cable, they replied send it by satellite. 
The electronic equipment on board ships today don't measure up to the reliability of the old equipment, if problems occur, in the fault finding sections of the manuals advise is as follows, replace fuse if that does not work contact manufacturers agent, and circuit drawings don't usually include diagrams of pcb's so fault finding can be a long process. Calling technicians is not an option in many places and even then they do not know the equipment as well as you do. Some equipment is computer controlled and then Bill Gates adds his own faults to the system as an added bonus.

Cheers


----------



## BobClay

Once anchored up the Gulf I made the mistake of leaving the can of freezer on the bridge after a job on the radar. When I went back to fetch it, I found the 2nd Mate using it on a fly. He told me he had frozen the fly, then let it thaw out through 5 cycles, and it was still alive (but fairly pissed off I'd have thought).

I said nothing and retrieved my can of nearly empty freezer. I hope I don't meet him again on a dark night stumbling home from the pub.


----------



## mikeg

BobClay said:


> Once anchored up the Gulf I made the mistake of leaving the can of freezer on the bridge after a job on the radar. When I went back to fetch it, I found the 2nd Mate using it on a fly. He told me he had frozen the fly, then let it thaw out through 5 cycles, and it was still alive (but fairly pissed off I'd have thought).
> 
> I said nothing and retrieved my can of nearly empty freezer. I hope I don't meet him again on a dark night stumbling home from the pub.


More of a 'glide' than a 'fly' (==D) 
I also learn't that lesson, left an Avo on the bridge, came back to collect it and found the 3rd mate putting probes to his tongue on resistance range..how bizarre


----------



## K urgess

*Lancing*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GXGV*
Owner - *Stephenson Clark*
Agent - *Stephenson Clark, Goole*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES Ref 130*
Reason - *Inspection & repair all equipment on SES Card.*

*All equipment except the following tested & OK.*
*MF Receiver Siemens G11 signal blocked after keying. The fault did not appear but appears to be due to Rx aerial being connected to main aerial & AGC being swamped.*
*Auto Alarm Q26 going into alarm condition for no reason. Fault did not appear while switched on (about 3 hours)*
*Redifon GR674 VHF duplex aerial cable badly corroded. Re-made connection to plug but cable requires replacing soonest.*
*KH Type 17 Radar. Noisy PPI due to worn coil bearings which require replacement soonest.*
*TV Bush 204U (Officers) non-operational on UHF due to not changing over. Adjusted switch bar & now OK but all tuning knobs badly worn & require replacing.*
*(21.12.77 - No note of hours on sheet for some reason)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

I think this may have just been taken over by SES and they wanted to know what they'd let themselves in for. My sheet was signed by the sparkie. Don't remember much about it except that I was surprised that he hadn't cottoned on to the fact that his receiver and transmitter were connected to the same aerial. (EEK)

Built in 1958 by Austin & Pickersgill at Wear Dock.
Lengthened in 1969 and changed to LANDING in 1978 then GALINI in 1989.
Appears to have been broken up in 1999.

A few pictures in the gallery including these two
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=73466
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=82939


----------



## andysk

mikeg said:


> More of a 'glide' than a 'fly' (==D)
> I also learn't that lesson, left an Avo on the bridge, came back to collect it and found the 3rd mate putting probes to his tongue on resistance range..how bizarre


3rd mates always were strange, it was part of growing up from being a cadet.

They then matured into madness as 2nd mates - like the one I sailed with on Hector Heron who used to hang upside down from the bridge wing awning spars in the afternoon watch !


----------



## Shannoner

Hi Kris, the second photo of the Lancing shows her in Drogheda in 1977. I now live in Drogheda, and the docks look a lot different now. 
I had just commenced my studies in Jordanstown, Belfast for my MRGC in that year.
Do you know what sort of cargo she used to carry? Just curious as to what she was bringing into Drogheda.


----------



## mikeg

andysk said:


> 3rd mates always were strange, it was part of growing up from being a cadet.
> 
> They then matured into madness as 2nd mates - like the one I sailed with on Hector Heron who used to hang upside down from the bridge wing awning spars in the afternoon watch !


Hector Heron...more like Die Fledermaus (==D) 
No accounting for folk. Mind you some R/O's also had odd behaviour - like the one who wore two wrist watches one on each wrist. When asked why, he showed the watch on the left wrist and said 'This one doesn't work'
(EEK)


----------



## K urgess

Hi, Shannoner, 
Not sure what she carried but it could well have been coal. I seem to remember that she was alongside a coking berth or something at Goole.
I'm sure someone aboard the good ship SN will have sailed on her and might know.
Cheers
Kris


----------



## Mimcoman

mikeg said:


> Hector Heron...more like Die Fledermaus (==D)
> No accounting for folk. Mind you some R/O's also had odd behaviour - like the one who wore two wrist watches one on each wrist. When asked why, he showed the watch on the left wrist and said 'This one doesn't work'
> (EEK)


...or the Junior Sparkie who sailed with me, whom I found sitting in the knee space under the operating desk calling GKA using the morse key on the top of the table "because I wanted to see what it was like"...


----------



## mikeg

Mimcoman said:


> ...or the Junior Sparkie who sailed with me, whom I found sitting in the knee space under the operating desk calling GKA using the morse key on the top of the table "because I wanted to see what it was like"...


Had a junior sparky who'd changed his religion and prayed to Mecca several times a day. We listed these times between tfc lists, navs and wx transmissions. Had to check the compass repeater for direction of Mecca confirmation - I'm sure the wheelhouse occasional swung the ship when he was on a mat outside....


----------



## K urgess

All this talk of juniors.
My chief tried to leave my cabin via the wardrobe one night with a Japanese safety helmet on his head and shouting banzai. 
It took two of us to point him on the right direction. [=P]


----------



## K urgess

*Lek Dart*

Flag - *Singapore*
Callsign - *9V2725*
Owner - *Arcom Shipping Ltd*
Agent - *Ruhman Shipping, Goole*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *110V DC*
RAMAC - *7A SAIT 7963*
Reason - *Service VHF Transceiver.*
*Unit (Becker ALCAR 24) tested & found no transmission on high power.*
*RLE safety relay (final stage protection) operating.*
*Protection circuit operating normally so aerial suspected to be open circuit. *
*Aerial inaccessible without safety harness & none available so unable to check at this time.*
*Vessel proceeding to Leith then to Kings Lynn.*
*(13.1.78 - 1100-1300 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Don't remember much about this except that the aerial was on the end of a yard from the after mast and almost impossible to get to. Breathed a sigh of relief when I found out there wasn't a harness and it could get passed on to someone else.

Not listed in Miramar but some details attached to this photo -
http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=461807
If the VHF aerial was on the yard at the top of the after mast I'm not surprised I was happy to chicken out. [=P]


----------



## K urgess

*Lek Dart*

Flag - *Singapore*
Callsign - *9V2725*
Owner - *Arcom Shipping Ltd*
Agent - *Ruhman Shipping, Goole*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *110V DC*
RAMAC - *7A SAIT 7963*
Reason - *Fit new VHF Antenna.*
*Becker ALCAR 24 tested with new antenna connected and operating satisfactorily.*
*Antenna fixed to Monkey Island rail port side. Existing antenna cable cut at base of mast & connected to antenna.*
*Unit tested and operating satisfactorily.*
*(13.1.78 - 1600-1730 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x 50Ω coaxial plug + 1 x Bantex dipole VHF antenna (50Ω)
* 
Well, there you are. Turn the page and find that we came up with a solution after all. [=D]


----------



## K urgess

*Anax*

Flag - *Greece*
Callsign - *SVWR*
Owner - *Maureen Corporation*
Agent - *Eastern Liners, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *?*
Reason - *Service Ferguson crew TV receivers.*
*Replaced sound selector switch board with spare carried on board.*
*Volume, tone & brightness slider controls dirty tracks cleaned and checked with Avo. Replaced & set operating satisfactorily. Reception good on three local channels.*
*(19.1.78 - 1500-1700 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Crew's TV obviously a priority job. I don't think this was a contract job because of the lack of a Ramac card.

An SD14 built in 1976 by Austin & Pickersgill. Changed in 1978 to HOJI YA HENDA and broken up at Lisbon in 2003.
One missed out of Standard Ship Designs by Fairplay International. Not listed.

There's a picture of her under arrest as the HOJI YA HENDA at Lisbon in the gallery here -
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=72585


----------



## K urgess

*Pelops*

Flag - *Greece*
Callsign - *SVMR*
Owner - *Kratigos Ship Co.*
Agent - *Lambert Brothers, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *Nil*
Reason - *Repair Telefunken S519 MW Transmitter.*
*R/O requires EL152 valve and 12000pF 700v ceramic capacitor.*
*Fitted C24 capacitor and replaced V2 with used spare EL152 (no new available). Checked for output but no Ae amps. Checked for RF at V2, input OK but no output. Checked all voltages & all connected components, all OK. Cleaned S4b with spray and now operating satisfactorily.*
*(27.1.78 - 1100-1130 + 1 hr travel)*
*(27.1.78 - 1230-1300 + 0.5 hr travel)*
*(27.1.78 - 1400-1700 + 0.5 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x 12000pF 700v capacitor + I x can AF spray*

Wonder stuff that AF Spray. Probably totally banned now because of the content. Another one without a Ramac contract.

I think this is the HENDRIK OKKO FISSER built at Emden by Nordseewerke in 1955. Changed to KLOSTERTOR in 1959 then PELOPS in 1971 and broken up at Gadani Beach in 1983.

This picture looks to be about the right one -
http://www.seefahrtsfreunde.de/images/hendr.okkofisser.jpg


----------



## K urgess

*Resurgence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GULQ*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thomas Purvis (Hull) Ltd.*
Port - *Howden ****, Howden, nr. Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Aldis Lamp supply, Sailor T122 Tx/Rx MF station faulty*

*Aldis Supply - No 24V Aldis Lamps available but method of connecting dropping resistor demonstrated to Master for fitting during voyage when 24V lamps available**.*
*Sailor T122 Tx/Rx. Loss of received signals and no Tx load. Found aerial changeover relay not operating correctly. Receiver side dirty contacts cleaned. Transmitter side due to insufficient battery voltage on load to operate relay.*
*Batteries not holding charge and require replacing*
*(30.1.78 - 1200-1300 & 1400-1530 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

I think I must've been on the Resurgence almost every time she came to Howdendyke.
See previous for details and pictures.


----------



## K urgess

*Resurgence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GULQ*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thomas Purvis (Hull) Ltd.*
Port - *Howden ****, Howden, nr. Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Amplidan talkback, fit Aldis dropping resistor, service crew TV*

*Amplidan talkback very noisy**. Static like noise. Checked circuit and all OK. Cleaned thoroughly with contact cleaner & brushed off ac***ulated starch dust. Operated satisfactorily for approx one hour then noise returned. Conclude noise is superimposed on 24V DC from engine room. Ship's staff to check switchgear.*
*Fitted Aldis socket and dropping resistor above port wheelhouse door and connected into 220V DC emergency supply. No 24V Aldis lamps available but operates 24V lamp satisfactorily.*
*Crew TV. Cleaned & adjusted tuner knobs which worn & "popping out" when turned.*
*(6.2.78 - 1030-1300 & 1400-1730 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x can contact cleaner spray*

Back again. Never did get the Amplidan to behave itself. At least I can say the usual cargo was starch.
I have no idea what all the Aldis lamp stuff was about. I just did as I was told. (Whaaa)


----------



## Coastie

Marconi Sahib said:


> Flag - *Singapore*
> Callsign - *9V2725*
> Owner - *Arcom Shipping Ltd*
> Agent - *Ruhman Shipping, Goole*
> Port - *Goole*
> Mains - *110V DC*
> RAMAC - *7A SAIT 7963*
> Reason - *Fit new VHF Antenna.*
> *Becker ALCAR 24 tested with new antenna connected and operating satisfactorily.*
> *Antenna fixed to Monkey Island rail port side. Existing antenna cable cut at base of mast & connected to antenna.*
> *Unit tested and operating satisfactorily.*
> *(13.1.78 - 1600-1730 + 2 hrs travel)*
> 
> Material Supplied -* 1 x 50Ω coaxial plug + 1 x Bantex dipole VHF antenna (50Ω)
> *
> Well, there you are. Turn the page and find that we came up with a solution after all. [=D]


Hi Kris.

Would that be a PL 259?


----------



## K urgess

Dredging up from the depths of the grey matter I would say that was an "N" type, Chris.
I can't remember fitting a BNC externally on a ship's aerial but it WAS a long time ago. (?HUH)

Kris


----------



## K urgess

You never know when it'll come in useful. [=P]
The Marconi ones were copper drip guards like the ones on top of the main and emergency aerial lead in insulators. Well worth collecting.
The marine connectors came with a black rubber shroud like the ones used to cover electrical cable glands. If not then some of that green gunge, whose name escapes me, would do the job of checked regularly.


----------



## K urgess

*Lanka Devi*

Flag - *Sri Lanka*
Callsign - *4SSY*
Owner - *Ceylon Shipping Corp.*
Agent - *Cory Brothers, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SAIT 2M Card 6486*
Reason - *Station Inspection*

*Inspected Station.*
*(8.2.78 - 0900-1000 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Quick and simple. Probably an annual inspection to make sure the Ramac card matched the equipment and that there was nothing terribly wrong. 
That must make almost a full house of Lanka ships. [=P]

Built as ARAMIS by Short Brothers at Pallion.
Changed to LANKA DEVI in 1972 and broken up at Gadani Beach in February 1985.

Couple of pictures of her in the gallery - 
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=98027
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=134057


----------



## Coastie

Marconi Sahib said:


> You never know when it'll come in useful. [=P]
> The Marconi ones were copper drip guards like the ones on top of the main and emergency aerial lead in insulators. Well worth collecting.
> The marine connectors came with a black rubber shroud like the ones used to cover electrical cable glands. If not then some of that *green gunge, whose name escapes me,* would do the job of checked regularly.


Swarfega?

Thanks Gents, for that about the 50 ohm connector, I hope you don't think I was being awkward, just inquy![=P]


----------



## K urgess

Try this one, Chris
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=2632766


----------



## Coastie

BNC's the bane of my life when I worked in a Television company. I COULDN'T wire them to save my life! I was never shown how and I just couldn't get the hang of it!


----------



## K urgess

*Apostolos A*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SVKN*
Owner - *Transatlantic Seaways.*
Agent - *Sharp, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SAIT 7A Card 6838*
Reason - *Supply & cut cam for SAIT automatic keyer AK5011*

*Cam supplied & cut with ship's new callsign SVKN.*
*Fitted to unit.*
*Tested & OK.*
*(8.2.78 - 1530-1630 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x callsign disk*

That's very good. Here we are in 1978 and the ship has been APOSTOLOS A/SVKN since 1973. Can't say if it was us that noticed the deliberate mistake or not.

Built as KLADNO at Hitachi in Japan for Czech owners in 1959.
Changes - APOSTOLOS A. in 1973, NAZAKAT in 1981, ELHAWI SHAMS in 1982, SHEIKH IBRAHIM in 1983.
Broken up at Bedi in June 1985.

Can't find any pictures at the moment.


----------



## K urgess

*Lanka Devi*

Flag - *Sri Lanka*
Callsign - *4SSY*
Owner - *Ceylon Shipping Corp.*
Agent - *Cory Brothers, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SAIT 2M Card 6486*
Reason - *Assist & advise Marconi technician re muting fault on Commandant HS transmitter (under guarantee).*

*Traced & cured handset and main receiver muting fault caused by 100kHz pickup in wiring from transmitter.*
*Handset earpiece R/T sidetone taken direct from receiver 600Ω output.*
*Installation diagram modified accordingly.*
*(9.2.78 - 1130-1200 & 1300-1430 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

It would seem that all was not well with the installation. I seem to remember that it was a bit of a quick job done between my inspection the day before and Marconi's cry for help. 
With hindsight probably inadequate earthing or shielding. You can't just shoehorn a high power synthesised digital transmitter into the space left by a 16 year old Oceanspan.
This is the type that was fitted -
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=94516


----------



## Shannoner

Kris,

Nice to see a photo of the Commandant, 29 years after I last had my sweaty hands on it while doing the practical for my MRGC. 
All the kit from the Marine Radio and Electronics Dept. at Jordanstown in Belfast was sent over to the museum in Liverpool when the Dept. closed. I must make a point of visiting the museum if I am ever over there.

Cheers,

Mick


----------



## Mimcoman

Marconi Sahib said:


> Flag - *Sri Lanka*
> Callsign - *4SSY*
> Owner - *Ceylon Shipping Corp.*
> Agent - *Cory Brothers, Hull*
> Port - *Hull*
> Mains - *220V AC*
> RAMAC - *SAIT 2M Card 6486*
> Reason - *Assist & advise Marconi technician re muting fault on Commandant HS transmitter (under guarantee).*
> 
> *Traced & cured handset and main receiver muting fault caused by 100kHz pickup in wiring from transmitter.*
> *Handset earpiece R/T sidetone taken direct from receiver 600Ω output.*
> *Installation diagram modified accordingly.*
> *(9.2.78 - 1130-1200 & 1300-1430 + 1 hr travel)*
> 
> Material Supplied -* Nil*
> 
> It would seem that all was not well with the installation. I seem to remember that it was a bit of a quick job done between my inspection the day before and Marconi's cry for help.
> With hindsight probably inadequate earthing or shielding. You can't just shoehorn a high power synthesised digital transmitter into the space left by a 16 year old Oceanspan.
> This is the type that was fitted -
> http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=94516


Re the pickup. 
On two identical Conqueror installations I sailed with, there was pickup on the two-wire individually-screened mike input cables from the console terminal strip to the transmitter input terminal strip (the line input was unaffected). When running duplex RT, the noise would gradually build up during reception and the transmitter output would gradually rise, until the noise became audible in the receiver output, even with an accurate rejector filter in circuit. 

The cure was 0.01uF caps from the cable screen braids at the unearthed ends to ground. 

The consoles were the later slim-line consoles (the one with the black console desk space which wasn't deep enough for a logbook), but not all of these consoles I sailed with were affected, only these two installations on bulkers built in Copenhagen. 

I have wondered if there had been a change of cable type in these installations, but as I had had no reason to look at the cable on other consoles, I never made a comparison. The length of the cables would have been more or less the same in all cases, with the transmitter being installed at a right angle on the left hand end of the console.


----------



## K urgess

This was the first time I'd come across the problem. I never met it at sea.
I can't remember the layout of this radio room but being from the early 60s I doubt it had a console.
It's good to hear that there was a better solution than re-jigging the sidetone circuit.
I was surprised that Marconi didn't have a cure. Probably brought out a TM later.
Cheers
Kris


----------



## K urgess

*Dominence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GONF*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping.*
Agent - *Thos. Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Kelvin Hughes type 176 Radar.*

*Reported intermittent loss of echoes. Brilliance & noise normal. Tuning control has no effect. Echoes disappear suddenly & return approximately 5 minutes later after radar had been on for twenty hours. Fault appeared about 4 times.*
*Fault not apparent when tested; all voltages normal, tuning correct, no moisture in waveguide. No obviously faulty components or dry joints. *
*Tested on battery supply without charging, slight loss of echoes but not as severe as reported. Batteries tested & in good condition.*
*SES informed & advise to leave until fault becomes more definite.*
*(17.2.78 - 1000-1300 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Nice little coasters but had a lot of niggling faults.
I hate intermittent faults that you can't find even with a Birmingham screwdriver. [=P]

Built in 1970 by Coops at Hoogezand, Holland.
Miramar has no disposal data at all so she may still be around.
Couple of pictures in the gallery that give some renaming information.
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=53415
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=123714


----------



## K urgess

*Blatence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZPP*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping.*
Agent - *Thos. Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull* (probably at Spillers wharf near Chapman Street bridge)
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Sailor RT144 VHF & Cresta 100 RT Transceiver.*

*VHF Reported intermittent operation. Checked with SWR meter & found ratio very poor. Coax to aerial connection poor. Remade plug & tested with Hull Radio strength 5.*
*Problems due to signal mast movement. Braces & hinge worn so that mast vibrates badly and moves with the wind. Recommend repairs to tighten up mast and make more rigid as soon as possible.*

*RT - Reported non-operation receiver crystal position 16 (1834kHz). Cleaned crystal base and switching. Now operating satisfactorily on local signals**.*
*(20.2.78 - 0900-1000 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Good job strange gear never put me off. I can't remember a thing about Cresta 100 gear. Sailor was easy gear to work on.

Built in 1969 by Hepworth at Paull near Hull. Just downriver from Saltend.
Changed to LATEN in 1985 (imaginative!) then CALF SOUND in 1986.
Foundered in September 1989.

The only photograph in the gallery is of one of her sisters, the ELOQUENCE.
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=118413


----------



## gwzm

Hi Marconi Sahib,

I think the green gunge whose name you were trying to remember was Henley's compound. Just like plasticine except it was ten times as sticky. Sometimes found it in the connection box to the DF loops on the monkey island and a real sod to clean out so you could check for loop continuity.

= salaams es bv = gzsv + VA


----------



## K urgess

That sounds like the stuff.
Didn't it come in a greased paper packet about one inch diameter and six inches long?


----------



## G4UMW

http://www.wt-henley.com/downloads/pdf/Plastic_Compound_web.pdf

Wonder if it's the same Henley who made the "Solon" soldering irons?


----------



## K urgess

Could be G4MUW.
I've just given my son one of the 25 watt "Solon" soldering irons that were supplied as part of the radio room toolkit.
Looks like they're now quite rare and collectable. (Sad)


----------



## G4UMW

Wish I'd kept one of mine now - I got through enough of them!

Another product used to waterproof antenna connectors was Denso tape. Often described as looking like a bandage soaked in cow s**t, it smelt much more pleasant but shared the adhesive qualities!


----------



## K urgess

You can still get the Denso tape or something similair.
Used it once for a temporary repair to a plastic gas pipe.
I'm sure the local hardware store still has it.
The modern stuff is possibly a bit light in colour. More like a dirty nappie. [=P]


----------



## mikeg

G4UMW said:


> Wish I'd kept one of mine now - I got through enough of them!
> 
> Another product used to waterproof antenna connectors was Denso tape. Often described as looking like a bandage soaked in cow s**t, it smelt much more pleasant but shared the adhesive qualities!


Another is self-amalgamating tape - flows into itself when stretched and wrapped around cables and the like. An alternative is heat-shrinkable tape that looks like a fully moulded joint when done.


----------



## G4UMW

Self-amalgamating tape is good but is adversley affected by UV radiation. A professional aerial rigger told me that he always uses self-amalgamating tape and covers that with a layer or two of ordinary PVC tape. For a real belt and braces job the whole lot is brushed with Waxoyl or melted petroleum jelly (Vaseline).


----------



## mikeg

I like the belt & braces approach, recently I buried some swa cables, potted joints then the whole lot wrapped in self-amalgamating tape..to be sure, to be sure..

(Smoke)


----------



## andysk

G4UMW said:


> ...... For a real belt and braces job the whole lot is brushed with Waxoyl or melted petroleum jelly (Vaseline).


I found on one ship a tin (or jar ?) of Mercurial Ointment, made from sheep fat. It was apparently used to treat the more socially adventurous of our shipmates for unwanted residents ! I used it on aerial shackles and clamps, it never washed off like petroleum jelly did. When I returned to one vessel after about year, I knew the R/O hadn't done anything to the aerials, when I came to unscrew the shackles, they shifted without a problem.

Probably not allowed to use it today, something nasty in it I expect, but it certainly worked.


----------



## G4UMW

andysk said:


> Probably not allowed to use it today, something nasty in it I expect, but it certainly worked.


According to Google, mercurial ointment is a mixture of metallic mercury and fat so I think it's safe to say there was something nasty in it!


Do you get taller in hot weather?


----------



## mikeg

andysk said:


> I found on one ship a tin (or jar ?) of Mercurial Ointment, made from sheep fat. It was apparently used to treat the more socially adventurous of our shipmates for unwanted residents ! I used it on aerial shackles and clamps, it never washed off like petroleum jelly did. When I returned to one vessel after about year, I knew the R/O hadn't done anything to the aerials, when I came to unscrew the shackles, they shifted without a problem.
> 
> Probably not allowed to use it today, something nasty in it I expect, but it certainly worked.


....after you'd cleared all the dead crabs off the deck? (==D)


----------



## K urgess

Seems these are stirring up a few grey cells.
Always a good thing.(==D)

Most of the cargo ships I was on didn't allow you to neglect your aerials and running gear. It was a constant battle between the serang/bosun and myself. He would want to get the aerials down and the derricks ready well before arrival and I had TRs and QTCs. Besides, left up to them the main aerial usually ended up in a tangled pile on the mast housing unless I checked.

I usually noticed that any sort of PVC insulating tape went hard in the tropics and then lost all it's glue. Best stuff was the black cloth insulating tape that smelt of tar. And I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. Obviously not enough grey cell stirring yet. I feel a senior moment coming on. Doh! [=P]


----------



## mikeg

Denso-elt is a bitumen tape that smells of tar, was it that Kris?

http://www.denso.de/gb/pdf/denso_elt_binde.pdf


----------



## ChasD

Marconi Sahib said:


> Seems these are stirring up a few grey cells.
> Always a good thing.(==D)
> 
> Best stuff was the black cloth insulating tape that smelt of tar. And I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. Obviously not enough grey cell stirring yet. I feel a senior moment coming on. Doh! [=P]



Hi M.S. ! I know that stuff as "Friction Tape" but that may be an Americanism, for outside use I always used self vulcanising rubber tape, still do on things like satellite dishes which I have a habit of putting up/fixing for buddies/neighbours, one of my rare concessions to my mast climbing past ! Regards ... ChasD


----------



## K urgess

Doesn't look like it, Mike. (Sad)
This was insulating tape before PVC became the vogue.
Cloth based and only in black. Tended to be sticky on both sides.
I seem to have "Emery tape" stuck in my mind.

I've seen that self-vulcanising stuff, Chas. Good stuff.


----------



## K urgess

*Ice Lark*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GWZQ*
Owner - *Sealion Shipping.*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Elektro Mekano S114 R/T.*

*Reported intermittent & poor transmission. *
*Fault not apparent at this time. Checked & tightened internal connections (spade type connectors), cleaned all switches & dusted chassis.*
*Checked aerial & found OK. Tested transmitter with Humber Radio on 2182kHz & received report strength 5.*
*Recommend check aerial at regular intervals for icing & salt on insulators. Signal halyard just aft of chartroom window may touch aerial when wind from starboard.*
*Still requires crystal for 2381kHz.*
*(22.2.78 - 1030-1230 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

I wouldn't have thought spade connectors would be suitable for a piece of shipboard kit like this.

A smart little tanker that I can't find on Miramar.
If the following photos are the same ship, and it looks like the one I went aboard, then she got quite a way away from the Humber by 1987
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18755
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21918
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21919


----------



## andysk

Marconi Sahib said:


> Seems these are stirring up a few grey cells.
> Always a good thing.(==D)
> 
> Most of the cargo ships I was on didn't allow you to neglect your aerials and running gear. It was a constant battle between the serang/bosun and myself. He would want to get the aerials down and the derricks ready well before arrival and I had TRs and QTCs. Besides, left up to them the main aerial usually ended up in a tangled pile on the mast housing unless I checked. ....... [=P]


AFAIR all the Serangs I was with on Clan Line were pretty accomodating about the main aerial, never had a problem with them I don't think. And certainly didn't have any tangled piles on the monkey island MS ! Maybe I was just lucky, but the Clan Line crews were pretty loyal, one guy we paid off in Madras had done 50 years with the company !


----------



## Tony Selman

It was similar in Brock's, I cannot ever recall an incident with a Serang with him wanting, or taking, the aerials down before we had finished on arrival in port. I can recall a couple of main aerials breaking when leaving port but that could happen to anyone and happened with european crews as well.


----------



## K urgess

*Newport*

Flag - *Liberian*
Callsign - *A8CE*
Owner - *Transocean Shipping Co.*
Agent - *Brantford International Shipping, Hull*
Port - *Hull, King George*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SAIT 7092 2M*
Reason - *Replace crystal selector switch NERA MKS600 main transmitter & inspect station.*

*28/2/78 - Crystal selector & oscillator chassis removed from HF final stage & taken ashore for repair.*
*1/3/78 - Returned crystal selector with new switch (ship supply) & refitted in HF section. Operating satisfactorily.*
*1/3/78 - Inspected station*
*(22.2.78 - 1100-1300 + 1 hr travel)*
*(1.3.78 - 1100-1300 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Another strange bit of kit.

I think she may have been ex-GISNA built for Norwegian owners by Ekensbergs at Stockholm.
Changed to ARISTOGEITON in 1969, NEWPORT in 1974, DIAMANTENIA in 1980 and DIAM in 1983.
Broken up at Shanghai in Janaury 1984.

Can't find any pictures.


----------



## Ron Stringer

Marconi Sahib said:


> Most of the cargo ships I was on didn't allow you to neglect your aerials and running gear. It was a constant battle between the serang/bosun and myself. He would want to get the aerials down and the derricks ready well before arrival and I had TRs and QTCs. Besides, left up to them the main aerial usually ended up in a tangled pile on the mast housing unless I checked.


The tangled messes I could manage but in the days of the old ceramic disc suspension insulators (like big brown saucers, still around today on lower voltage, rural power lines), the jolly practice of just letting go the aerial halyards caused me no end of grief. On most of the ships that I was on, unless you supervised the lowering of the aerials, several of the insulator segments would be shattered and chipped as they hit the deck. Thereafter the transmitter tuning would go to hell in heavy weather or rainstorms, until you were able to get enough replacement discs to restore the insulators to full working order. 

The later grp insulators were far more resilient to impact, standing up much better to physical abuse but were not half as good as insulators. Once they had a covering of salt spray, conduction across the surface caused the plastic to burn, leaving a charred carbon track. With further use, this gradually increased in width and depth until the ''insulator'' became a dead short. Remember carrying out many tests in the high voltage r.f. testing facilities to find the best arrangements of material and finish for the grp insulators. Tests were carried out in a darkened room (made it easier to spot leakages as the r.f. arced across gradually, not with an instant ''crack'' as happens with a 50 or 60 Hz supply). The item being tested was connected to the r.f. output of a high-power transmitter (the driver section of an MF broadcast transmitter) and suspended inside an earthed/grounded wire-mesh cage. Then the output power was increased and the applied voltage monitored. Once 20 kV was exceeded things started to happen. Very impressive to see the ''tongues'' of r.f. energy creeping across the surface and flickering towards you from any high points of the object under test. By spinning shaped copper end-pieces on the grp insulators we could make them withstand almost 40 kV when new; the r.f. just flashed from one copper end-piece to the other, without touching the surface of the grp. In use, however, the sand-blasting effects of salt and spray would roughen that surface and tracking would eventually occur at lower voltages. Bear in mind that on a short wire antenna, even a ''Salvor III'' reserve transmitter had no problem in generating between 19 kV and 25 kV. 

The best insulators that we tested and put into service were the ceramic ones which looked much like larger versions of the long-serving white, receiver insulators. It was substantially larger and the ribbing was much deeper, especially the ribs at each end. That design was happy at 50 kV and even after years in service, a quick rinse in fresh water restored them to full working voltage.

In the days of the linked disc insulators, MIMCo provided all aerial materials (the made-up complete wire aerials and the spares) as part of the rented radio station. Replacements were supplied free of charge. The cost was enormous but the inadequate accounting systems in use at that time tended to cover this up. As soon as I had the opportunity, aerials (and batteries) had to be purchased by the shipowner and could not be obtained on rental. Two effects were noticeable soon after that change. The number of requests for replacement insulators reduced, since the R/O now had to get an order from the Master or the owner's office, and insulators became a profitable item instead of a massive loss-maker. The change to the newer types of insulator and the move to self-supporting transmitting antennas arrived at around the same time, so wire aerials and suspension insulators became much less of a problem to owners and suppliers.


----------



## K urgess

*Bright Sky*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SXFA*
Owner - *Catapola Shipping.*
Agent - *Cory Brothers, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *12172 7A*
Reason - *Service JRC NSD-1516BL Main Tx. Instruct R/O in use of FAX machine.*

*HF tuning requires adjusting. Overloading 4, 12 & 22 mHz. *
*Adjsuted automatic tuning stops as per manual & now operating satisfactorily on all bands.*

*JAX-21A Facsimile machine demonstrated to R/O.*
*(6.3.78 - 1100-1300 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

You would have thought the R/O might have been able to tune his main transmitter!
The Fax machine was a weather fax not the modern day one we now think of.

This was probably KOYO MARU built in 1969 for Hashimoto Kisen K.K., by Imabari Zosen and renamed tro BRIGHT SKY in 1976.
Subsequently to CORINA in 1986, PAN FOND in 1989, TT STAR in 1993, HIGHSUN in 1995, HIGH GLORY in 1998, YUAN TONG 3 in 1999 and finally CHANGXING in 2000.
A long and varied career and no disposal date on Miramar so she may still be around.
There don't appear to be any pics around.


----------



## andysk

Ron Stringer said:


> The tangled messes I could manage but in the days of the old ceramic disc suspension insulators (like big brown saucers, still around today on lower voltage, rural power lines), the jolly practice of just letting go the aerial halyards caused me no end of grief. On most of the ships that I was on, unless you supervised the lowering of the aerials, several of the insulator segments would be shattered and chipped as they hit the deck. Thereafter the transmitter tuning would go to hell in heavy weather or rainstorms, until you were able to get enough replacement discs to restore the insulators to full working order. .......


Never had a problem with broken insulators either, perhaps I was just very lucky !

I did see a demo in the Science Museum in London once of their HV insulator test rig, a klaxon warned all in the vicinity, then a huge flash followed by a crack, and smell of something indescribable wafted about the hall. Very spectacular. But that was about 30+ years ago !


----------



## Ron Stringer

andysk said:


> ... then a huge flash followed by a crack, and smell of something indescribable wafted about the hall. Very spectacular


Yes, that is what I meant when I said that at normal mains electricity frequency the voltage leaps across the gap and produces an explosive bang (and the smell of ozone to which you refer). Once the flashover had taken place, the equipment shut down and had to be reset for the next text. We used high voltage testers of that type as well, for checking various components used in HT supplies.

The r.f. test site was something quite different. Here when the gap was breached it was a gradual thing, appearing something like the growth of fine root fibres from a plant. The beginnings of the arc spread slowly from the end connected to the high-voltage source, across the surface of the component being tested, but also fanned out into the space around, away from the object. The arc was sustained, lasting as long as you kept the power on and spread out into the space within the cage, with the purple/blue tongues of the arc flickering like snakes' tongues, towards the metal cage from the object under text. Very science fiction (or horror movie) stuff, as the multiple ''tongues'' seem to be alive and trying to get at you through the cage.

There are some toys showing the same principles; a glass ball in which a blue or purple discharge takes place from a point in the centre, reaching out towards the glass. But they don't have several kW of power driving them.


----------



## andysk

Ron,

Did you use the facility at Brandenburg's in Thornton Heath, Croydon ? I believe they had a HV insulator test facility there at least up to the mid 1980's when I stopped going by on my way to work (at IMRC) The site is now a block of flats !


----------



## Ron Stringer

No, Andysk all our insulations tests were carried out in-house. Marconi had a high power, high voltage, d.c. and 50Hz a.c. tester within the New Street factory. However for the r.f testing we used the facility at the Marconi Research laboratories at Great Baddow (where the 180 m tall mast stands).


----------



## Corky

*Brown HV insulators*

I now (for my sins) work for the local Electricty Board. One of our substations supplied a cement works, and all the equipment gets covered in a film of cement dust - including the insulators on top of the 66kv transformers and associated switch gear. It was the practice to scrap these insulators clean every couple of months, a horrible messy job, until someone sent a insulator off to some test facility to check on the IR. The results showed that the insulation properties has actually increased with the coating of cement!

Another substation is next to the Redcar steelworks, and in days (before H&S)
they used to "jetwash" the insulators on the 132kv transformers, whilst they were still energised.... Don't think I wouyld volunteer to hold the hose..


----------



## K urgess

*Jo*

Flag - *Panama*
Callsign - *HO4796*
Owner - *La Mouette Shipping. Crescent Shipping (Managers)*
Agent - *Thos Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *5639/2 1R*
Reason - *Remove TC5724 VHF Serial 1817 - contract ended.*

*Transceiver unit & mounting bracket removed from bulkhead. Supply disconnected & labelled**.*
*Aerial removed.*
*(8.3.78 - 1200-1300 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

This one wasn't very big if I remember.
And that's about all you'll get. A two letter name like JO entered for a search on Miramar gets 167 pages of results and in our gallery gets 500 hits.
So unless someone remembers her and has got a picture then that's yer lot. [=P]

Having type all that I now find that a search on Google using the ship's callsign brings up -
http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=213382http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=213382#comments
http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/kars_1955.htm
And having got that it's a short hop to -
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/show/316659


----------



## K urgess

*Rosemary Everard*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GMXA*
Owner - *Everard & Sons Ltd.*
Agent - *-*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Colect, deliver & fit Aeranamics ASHI/DA3A TV Antenna.*

*Collected unit from Red Star Doncaster & delivered to vessel.*
*Mounted dome on existing TV mast & run cable to Officer's toilet where mounted power supply & splitter in place of existing system.*
*Power supply taken from Pilot's cabin socket.*
*(9.3.78 - 1400-1700 + 3.5 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

My first Everard's.
Built in 1964 by Clelands at Wallsend.
Changed to THEODOROS G. in 1984, BERLICE in 1993, and ROSEMARY EVE in 1997.
Another one that got a long way from home. Reported missing, probably sunk between San Carlos and Zapara Island, Venezuela in April 2001.

A couple of pictures in our gallery
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=67618
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=70105
You can see the result of my efforts in the first picture just in front of the funnel.(Thumb)


----------



## K urgess

*Ice Lark*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GWHZ*
Owner - *Sealion Shipping.*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Supply & fit xtal fro 2381kHz to Elektro Mekano S114 transmitter.*

*Fitted 2381kHz xtal in position 14. *
*Refitted 1967kHz xtal in position 1. Previously removed for xtal type.*
*Tested & operating satisfactorily**.*
*(20.3.78 - 0930-1000 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x 2381kHz xtal.*

Can't get away from them. I was living in hope that she would get the crystal fitted somewhere else after my last visit.

Seems I'd misread the callsign last time. This appears to be the correct one because it appears in a later report.
The call sign I quoted previously (GWZQ) was the collective for *P (Paddy) HENDERSON & CO*


----------



## ChasD

*Bit Of A Bronzy Job !*

Came across the attached doc's while scratching around in the less well explored regions of the filing system (also known as the wardrobe). Its a draft copy of my original report, dated around 1984, on a problem some shell boats had with the Decca 10cm scanner, which had a habit of rattling itself to a standstill if given the opportunity. The change of the gearbox usually had to be done at sea, so a bit of good bronzy weather was essential - them critters ain't small !
But after manufacturing the kit down below,and with a couple of good lads to assist it was a fairly straightforward job and a change from the more routine ! 
The gearboxes were redesigned with stronger bearings and an exchange unit was usually readily available.


----------



## K urgess

Interesting, Chas.
Seems things hadn't changed. Marconi had similair problems in the late 60s and early 70s but it was normally the scanner parting company from the gearbox.
I always thought the vibration on the all aft ships a lot worse than the earlier cargo vessels and split accomodation tankers.
I found a scanner in a cupboard on the bridge deck once that had fallen off. When replaced it had been forgotten about.
I sailed with a Decca radar, only 3cm, on my first trip. One of the worst vibrating ships I was ever on when empty but never affected the radar.


----------



## ChasD

Some of the 'All-Aft' boats had appalling vibration, I have been known to sleep with 'ear-defender' cotton wool in use on certain v/l's. A common problem was that the mast could have a resonant frequency close to the prop revs, especially with the heavier 10cm units at the top being massive enough to alter that frequency, so the vibes were enough to make your eyeballs rattle ! All part of the fun, especially when a gust of funnel gas put you in an 'oxygen-free zone' for longer than was comfortable while up there !


----------



## Ron Stringer

*Resistance to Vibration and Shock*

Never understood why the requirements concerning the resistance of radiocommunication and radionavigation equipment to vibration were never linked to the conditions existing on ships. When obtaining type approval for radio or radar equipment, we had to demonstrate that it operated correctly when being vibrated in any plane with an acceleration of 1G at all frequencies up to and including 50 Hz. We spent hours subjecting the equipment to repeated tests, designing out any resonances found and then repeating the tests with sustained testing at those resonant frequencies remaining. All to ensure that the equipment could survive those, specified conditions. To be sure, for in-house testing we used to take 2G to 2.5G as our test standard. Then when we came to the official testing (by the GPO - later Home Office and DTI for radio, ASWE for radars and navaids) engineers, we were confident that we would sail through without problems. 

Yes, this was over-design you may think, but in reality it was not so. The reason is that there was no equivalent requirement for the installation site - radio room, bridge, radar mast platform - to be restricted to vibrations of 1G and frequencies of up to 50 Hz. We found radio rooms where there were vibrations in excess of 100 Hz and radar platforms and funnels where the accelerations were in excess of 7G. Radar scanner failed? No problem it is still under warranty, replace it for free. When we asked the owners to brace the radar mast they recoiled in horror. Don't you make your equipment able to work under shipboard conditions? 

Of course if manufacturers had made the equipment able to operate under such extremes of vibration and shock (as they had to for military applications) the merchant shipowners would have fainted at the resultant prices they would be charged. I had several (fruitless) attempts at persuading the UK type approval authorities to research the actual conditions existing on various types of ship and then produce requirements for the installation sites in line with the requirements for equipment. No, no, far too difficult was the response.


----------



## K urgess

*Faience*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZMY*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping.*
Agent - *Thos. Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Sailor RT144 VHF.*

*Checked power output and SWR, both satisfactory. *
*Found microphone connections loose and dirty giving intermittent modulation.*
*Tested with Hull Radio & strength 5 good modulation**.*
*(5.4.78 - 0730-1830 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x 2381kHz xtal.*

I had a lot of time for Sailor gear. Nice equipment and good value for money which is probably why it was fitted to so many small coastal cargo vessels and tankers.

Faience was built by Budenes Gruno at Foxhol in 1969 for London & Rochester Trading. Changed to ISLAND TRAVELLER in 1986 and struck off in 1996 according to Miramar.

Three pictures in the gallery -
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=57430
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=89179
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=90121
The last one shows the dangers of loading china clay from unbalanced three wheeled trailers.[=P]


----------



## BOB GARROCH

I had a similar problem on a VHF repeater transmitter on top of an eight thousand foot mountain in the Karoo(Desert) of South Africa, After the tenth attempt to repair in very unfriendly conditions, I decided to remove the equipment and carry it down the mountain. I let the Carry bag fall off my back as I was stepping over a gap between two mountains and the repeater fell three thousand feet. I didnt bother looking for it


----------



## BOB GARROCH

Hi As the Regional manager of Motorola Shell asked me to check out a problem with the off shore loading terminal. Communications where not working between the control room on the vessel and the shore control room. This is only happening on new tankers. At the same time Unicorn tankers have a similar problem. poor communications with portable radio's from the ships control room to the fore deck . Is this to do with the glass being used in the Port Holes these days. ?????


----------



## K urgess

Could well be, Bob, if they've changed the spec for porthole glass in hazardous situations. Could have had metal added for some reason.


----------



## K urgess

*Ermis*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SXGT*
Owner - *Avriolas Shipping.*
Agent - *-*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *11650 2M (7A)*
Reason - *Service MT1623 Maint Tx. Instruct R/O in use of equipment.*

*FG 6200A on/off switch faulty. Catch pin worn. Removed button return spring so that switch now push on/ pull off. *

*Radio officer instructed in use of equipment.*
*(25.4.78 - 1030-1300 + ½ hrs travel & 1400-1530 + ½ hrs travel )*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

I seem to remember he'd joined it in Rotterdam or somewhere with no handover. That sort of thing hadn't bothered me but, hey, diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes.

I'm pretty sure this is the ship built as ALKMAN by Kieler Howaldt at Kiel in 1960. 
Changed to ERMIS in 1974. 
She may have been in the process of another change because Miramar has her changing to KALLIXENOS in 1977 whereas this job was done in early 1978.
Changed to ARION in 1980 and then broken up at Gadani Beach in April 1984

Can't find any pictures.


----------



## Naytikos

Still around up to a couple of years ago. She came here as Kazakstan and again as Delphin with mostly german cruisers. I was local agent.


----------



## Naytikos

Enough memories triggered by all the foregoing posts to keep me going for weeks. Someone mentioned the Crusader and someone else parasitics.....
My first Greek ship was a 45k bulk carrier with a Crusader/R408 set-up. (Also Hermes/Raymarc upstairs, least said the better). On joining in Kawasaki I was told, 'be careful how you tune the Crusader on 22mc/s 'cos it will suddenly go into parasitic oscillations and you can't touch the cabinet it gets so hot!'
Sure enough it did. Working SVA/GKL from the Far East without 22mc/s wasn't funny but we made it to Goa. 30 days loading at anchorage gave me time to play. The parasitics had caused the insulation of all the bunched wiring to melt and some of them were beginning to short. The gear was only 6 months old so I got the technical chap at the London office to ask Marconi's what they thought. That got nowhere. Their best response was 'we can only wonder how this happened....!'
Swapped out two otherwise perfectly good QY4-400s and the problem went away, leaving me with a lot of rewiring to do.
Now let me not begin talking about the ledex switch.....!


----------



## Mimcoman

It would be interesting to find out which equipment gave forum members' most trouble - from a faulty-finding point of view. While I had problems with the Crusader, I still have good memories of it; it seemed relatively easy to diagnose faults (although i enjoyed reading about GTZM-sahib and the Esso Northumbria). My bugbear was the AEI escort radars.


----------



## K urgess

Having re-read my comments about the R/O in my last about the Ermis I think I might have been a bit unfair.
I remember joining my first ship as solo sparks and quietly panicking when I couldn't find out how to switch some of the gear on.
In this case it was a bit like the blind leading the blind 'cos I'd never seen some of the kit on the Ermis before either.
At least my French was good enough to be able to make sense of some of the manuals. [=P]


----------



## Ron Stringer

*Fault-Finding*



Mimcoman said:


> My bugbear was the AEI escort radars.


One of the reasons that the Crusader was fairly easy to fix was the amount of effort put into creating decent service handbooks, with well thought-out, logical and well-tried, fault-finding procedures. Ron Taylor, MIMCo's Service Manager at the time was very keen on this approach and, with the help of various Crusader experts from the Technical Division, and especially from Ray Cowhig who ran the Crusader training courses for R/Os and technicians (both from Marconi Marine and its customers and agents) at Chelmsford, produced excellent do***entation. That was MIMCo at its peak, and thereafter there was always pressure to cut down on do***entation and support staff. Ray later left MIMCo and lectured at Warsash but died young in a car crash.

AEI Radar were at the opposite ends of the spectrum and the do***entation was never very good, but the situation was made worse by their practice of continually changing the designs of their printed boards whilst determinedly retaining the same handbooks. I was involved in fitting several of their smaller radars (AEI 650?) on the Tyne and never had two where all the boards were the same. What is more, if during the installation of a brand new radar you found a damaged board and sent for a replacement from Lincoln or Leicester, the board you received bore little or no resemblance to the original. Often even the drawing number would be different. The only really useful part of the handbook was the block schematic - beyond that level of detail, everything was variable! The large set (AEI 600?) were better do***ented but I still found them over-complicated and quite difficult to fault-find. MIMCo's service manuals tended to be somewhat better than AEI's, perhaps because we rented so bit a proportion of the production, and therefore had an interest in reducing repair time.

Mind you, MIMCo were responsible for releasing the ''Raymarc 8'' onto a poor unsuspecting marine world.


----------



## mikeg

Marconi Sahib said:


> Having re-read my comments about the R/O in my last about the Ermis I think I might have been a bit unfair.
> I remember joining my first ship as solo sparks and quietly panicking when I couldn't find out how to switch some of the gear on.
> In this case it was a bit like the blind leading the blind 'cos I'd never seen some of the kit on the Ermis before either.
> At least my French was good enough to be able to make sense of some of the manuals. [=P]


Les manuels français sont meilleurs que non du tout (==D) 

I remember a Master who joined at the same time as me, on his first visit to the bridge asked me to demonstrate the radars to him that I'd never seen before - trying to look quietly composed but was inside quaking..it all went fine and he never knew the difference, phew


----------



## Naytikos

With apologies to Ron, but I didn't think much of the Crusader do***entation. The yellow fault-finding manual seemed to be largely a list of resistances along various paths and the blue one with schematics and circuit description actually had a section with a completely erroneous explanation of how a particular part of the circuit worked. 
The company I then worked for had 9 sister ships all with the same MIMCo gear and, because of the never ending problems with both the Crusader and Hermes, never bought any more. They switched to ST1400s and Decca Radars for all subsequent builds. Earlier ships had ST450s and K-H radars so I suppose someone from Marconi's had done a good sales job just when SSB was coming in.


----------



## Ron Stringer

Naytikos said:


> With apologies to Ron, but I didn't think much of the Crusader do***entation.


No need to apologise, I never had anything to do with the Crusader (other than trying to repair them) or their do***entation. However there were many ''unsolicited testimonials'' received in Chelmsford from people, both within and outside MIMCo lauding the handbooks and service support. Of course the flattering comments would have been retained and the less complimentary remarks quickly dumped, so I suppose that is to be expected. The Crusader was sold in large quantities to other marine radio companies, and fitted by them or sold to shipyards in their territories for fitting on the newbuilding surge that took place in the 1960s and 1970s. We had installation engineers on permanent assignment to Japan who fitted hundreds of them. 

However I was too late on the scene for that since my involvement was with the later successors being developed in the late 1960s, 'Commander' and 'Conqueror'. IMHO these were much better products but, despite our protests, the designers at MWT still refused to countenance the use of ceramic output tubes/valves, insisting that the need for forced-air cooling was a safety and reliability hazard. So we lost out on the benefits. Not until MIMCo was given design control did we get a transmitter ('Challenger')with a ceramic output stage. This was a fantastic product to use, bags of power and so very easy to handle and tune. Unfortunately by that time the age of the 1.5 kW transmitter and separate receivers was gone for ever, like the R/O, to be replaced by the low-power, remote-controlled, solid-state transceivers of today.


----------



## K urgess

*Gainsborough Miller*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GWHN*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping.*
Agent - *Thos. Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Kelvin Hughes KH17 Radar.*

*8/5/78 - Reported double heading line and noisy dispaly after warming up.*
*Checked operation headling line switch - OK. Second heading line 4 to 5 degrees to starboard of correct line & very intermottent. No indication of contact bounce.*
*PPI gearing greased lightly, sliprings and brushes cleaned and checked.*
*9/5/78 - Obtained heading line reed switch**. Fitted & aligned.*
*Equipment tested & operating satisfactorily.*
*(8.5.78 - 2000-2100 + 1 hr travel & 9.5.78 - 1130-1300 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Heading marker reed switch.*

Not bad little radars but a bit awkward to work on (especially in the dusk).

Built in 1971 by Cook at Wivenhoe and changed to WESTERENCE in 1979, EVE RITA in 1987, MANTAN in 1991, AVOCA in 1992 and finally CASAM III in 1993.
Miramar doesn't record any disposal data so she may still be around.

A picture in the gallery here -
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=120808


----------



## IMRCoSparks

*KH17 Radar*

I was the Furuno warranty technician on the Canadian west coast during the early 1970's.
At that time the British electronics companies held sway with radars. Decca and Kelvin Hughes. They were fitted practically on all small vessels - Tugboats and Fishing Vessels.

Along came the Japanese manufacturers - Furuno, Sitex, OKI JRC etc. They performed well and were very reliable. Most importantly, they cost about 30% less.
Within about five years they had practically taken over from the established radars. Kelvin Hughes left town. Decca concentrated on the bigger radars.

Its interesting that the same thing happened over here to British cars in the late 60's - eclipsed by the Japanese.


----------



## K urgess

Same thing was happening with radars over here.
None of these ship visits of mine are new builds, if I remember right. So we didn't see much of the new generation of kit.
Even SAIT were selling cheap Japanese radars at the time.
They were so cheap that all sorts of fishing boats suddenly sprouted radar scanners because they could afford one.
Cheers
Kris


----------



## K urgess

*Tauros*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SYUM*
Owner - *Tauros Corporation.*
Agent - *British & Continental Shipping Co., Immingham*
Port - *Immingham*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *None*
Reason - *Service Tokyo Keiko MR160-59A-7 Radar.*

*Arcing between pulse transformer & earth.*
*Blocked fan filter.*
*Test old magnetron.*

*Cleaned air filter.*
*Arcing due to incorrect changeover from short to long pulse.*
*All relays - badly pitted contacts - cleaned thoroughly.*
*Short, intermittent improper changeover apparent after cleaning but unable to clear because of condition of contacts and no spares.*
*Tested spare magnetron & found faulty.*
*(12.5.78 - 1030-1300 + 2 hrs travel & 1400-1700 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

Got to see some really varied equipment in this job. [=P]

The benefits of preventative maintenance. The ship was all of 5 years old.

Built in 1973 by the Taiwan Ship Building Corporation at Keelung.
Changed to LAHESIS in 1988, to IASON in 1991, to CAPTAGIANNIS in 1997 and finally EMMA I in 2002 before being broken up at Alang in June of 2002.

Can't find any picture but there is a report of a grounding while called CAPTAGIANNIS in November 2001 *here* and what could be a painting of here stern under the same name *here*.


----------



## charles henry

A bit off the present equipment discussion but anyone remember the post 
WW2 phonetic alphabit, started off AMSTERDAM BALTIMORE CASABLANKA
etc, sounds silly but it came to mind and I cant remember it and its driving me batty 
de chas


----------



## IanSpiden

charles henry said:


> A bit off the present equipment discussion but anyone remember the post
> WW2 phonetic alphabit, started off AMSTERDAM BALTIMORE CASABLANKA
> etc, sounds silly but it came to mind and I cant remember it and its driving me batty
> de chas



this sounds like it ( amazing what you can find in google !!)

A - AMSTERDAM- N - NEUCHATEL-
B - BALTIMORE* O - ONTARIO*
C - CANADA * P - PORTUGAL*
D - DENMARK * Q - QUEBEC*
E - EDDYSTONE- R - RIVOLI-
F - FRANCISCO- S - SANTIAGO*
G - GIBRALTER- T - TOKIO*
H - HANOVER - U - URUGUAY*
I - ITALY * V - VICTORIA*
J - JERUSALEM- W - WASHINGTON*
K - KIMBERLEY- X - XANATIPE-
L - LIVERPOOL- Y - YOKOHAMA*
M - MADAGASCAR- Z - ZULULAND-


----------



## K urgess

On the same theme.
Does anyone remember the Vernons Pools phonetic alphabet?
At least I think it was Vernons.
Apple, Baker, Charlie or something like that.
Not quite the wartime codes and very confusing for us as had learnt Alpha, Bravo, Charlie Delta, etc. (Whaaa)


----------



## charles henry

IanSpiden said:


> this sounds like it ( amazing what you can find in google !!)
> 
> A - AMSTERDAM- N - NEUCHATEL-
> B - BALTIMORE* O - ONTARIO*
> C - CANADA * P - PORTUGAL*
> D - DENMARK * Q - QUEBEC*
> E - EDDYSTONE- R - RIVOLI-
> F - FRANCISCO- S - SANTIAGO*
> G - GIBRALTER- T - TOKIO*
> H - HANOVER - U - URUGUAY*
> I - ITALY * V - VICTORIA*
> J - JERUSALEM- W - WASHINGTON*
> K - KIMBERLEY- X - XANATIPE-
> L - LIVERPOOL- Y - YOKOHAMA*
> 
> No, that must have been a later edition, remember R was ROMA and Z was ZANZIBAR, oh well who really cares, de chas


----------



## Mimcoman

And then there was the one which started:

A for 'orses;
B for mutton:
C forth Highlanders
D for dumb;
E ffervescence;
Gee whiz;
etc etc ('cos I can't remember any more).


----------



## K urgess

Somebody's had a lot of patience digging all those up. (Whaaa)


----------



## charles henry

Then there was the strange one used by by RN types during WW2 when running bingo. Kelly;s eye(1) Doctors orders (9) Legs (11) and so on. The players would respond with tried and true responses to each number. I once went to a bingo in Gib and it was very entertaining
de chas


----------



## BOB GARROCH

PL259 are the source of interference and should be banned. I do not allow any of my technicians to have one in their possession. Not many technicians know the correct way of making them up any way.


----------



## charles henry

R651400 said:


> H for scratching
> I for novello
> is as far as I can remember...
> 
> this site says it all.....
> 
> http://montgomery.cas.muohio.edu/meyersde/kitchensink/alphabets/


Thanks, this site had it, I was wrong about Zanzibar but the rest of them fall right into place. 
Amsterdam, Baltimore, Casablanca, Denmark, Edison, Florida, Gallipoli, Havana, Italy, Jerusalem, Kilogram, Liverpool, Madagascar, New-York, Oslo, Paris, Quebec, Roma, Santiago, Tripoli, Uppsala, Valencia, Washington, Xantippe, Yokohama, Zürich 

By knowing these my pmg1 states, "Has the ability to send and receive spoken messages correctly by telephone" god bless their pointed little heads..

de chas


----------



## BOB GARROCH

R651400 said:


> You been into that mealy meal beer Bob? Never had any probs with PL259 assembly especially the push fit Japanese type circa 1980, two of which I still have giving excellent QRM free service.


The problem with the PL259 is that most technicians do not know how to assemble it correctly. They screw the PL259 onto the outer braid instead of a proper solder joint. At high levels of RF this causes an RF dry joint and a consequent intemittent high VSWR. I have been requested many times to sort out problems in remote parts of Africa and it is nearly always the PL259. One had been in place for over 25 years. 
in our busines Public safety, PL259 are banned and we have a programme to eradicate them from all Radio sites. All modern Motorola radios have zero cabinet radiation so the fitting of a PL259 would destroy the design.

I have recently designed a trunking system for a refinery, using Motorola radios and was trying to use one fitted with a dummy load to communicate directly into a Motorola MTR2000 repeater from 30cm away. They could not communicate together until I fitted a sniffer to the dummy load. 
Maybe I should have used a PL259 .


----------



## BOB GARROCH

R651400 said:


> ....or is Motorola using the wrong technicians and/or PL259's?
> The PL259 type I was referring to has a metallic silver "T" type sleeve that fitted over the inner connector insulation making a tight contact with the outer braid. A rubber compression ring ensured a direct non-soldered, sleeve/braid to plug body and earth contact when tightened by the base screw.
> Twill last for a thousand years or more.


ahh yes I remember that one, used on mobiles with Rg58. I am generally talking about dealer technicians who are cocking things up and I was talking about the Rg213 connector


----------



## IMRCoSparks

*PL259's*

The PL259 connector is sort of the backbone connector in the small boat communications industry. 
Practically all VHF's, CB's, SSB's used these connectors.
Our biggest problem in the service department was trying to get the boat owners to use RG213 coax instead of the much cheaper RG58.
Some dealers would insist that there is "no difference" between the two coax's in terms of losses and efficiency.
The PL259 was initially difficult to solder to RG213, (100w iron minimum) but after 50 or so tries, it became easy. When those butane irons came along it improved things tremendously when working outside in the cold (Canada cold!)
However, we still ran in to connectors with no solder at all and some of them worked quite well.


----------



## BOB GARROCH

IMRCoSparks said:


> The PL259 connector is sort of the backbone connector in the small boat communications industry.
> Practically all VHF's, CB's, SSB's used these connectors.
> Our biggest problem in the service department was trying to get the boat owners to use RG213 coax instead of the much cheaper RG58.
> Some dealers would insist that there is "no difference" between the two coax's in terms of losses and efficiency.
> The PL259 was initially difficult to solder to RG213, (100w iron minimum) but after 50 or so tries, it became easy. When those butane irons came along it improved things tremendously when working outside in the cold (Canada cold!)
> However, we still ran in to connectors with no solder at all and some of them worked quite well.


the problem arise over 50 up to 100 watt


----------



## BOB GARROCH

R651400 said:


> Do I read the Micom 2E uses N type connectors which I've used in the past for Rg213. A different ball game to the type I was referring to in 128 above.


YES the N-Type is the best connector to use.It does not radiate especially on radio masts. And we would not entertain RG213 coax as it radiates as well, rather use RG214 or even better LMR400 . if using RG28 rather use Rg223 which is double screen .

Our problem is we have large radio sites with up to 20-40 VHF/UHF repeaters and the on-site interference can be a problem if system not designed or installed correctly. remember we have combiners and duplexers and receiver distributors as well, so there are many connectors. Rule of thumb, use the best to begin with. Kill the PL259.


----------



## Ron Stringer

In the '60s, MIMCO VHFs used the horrible TV-type coaxial connectors for all internal connections and, generally, C-type connectors for the antennas. Both were rubbish - the first used to vibrate and fall out and the C-type, although its bayonet fitting prevented it from coming loose, leaked like a sieve - both water and RF. 

Small-boat VHFs that we bought in from Storno and Pye all used PL259 connectors and UR-67 cable. Never saw two made up the same way in the field.

As soon as I was in a position to do so I standardised on N-type connectors for all connections external to the equipment but had only very, very, limited success in persuading shipyards to put in twin-screened coaxials. It cost more! We did insist on sealing the above-decks connectors inside a double layer of self-sealing rubber covered by a hard PVC tape. Made a big difference to the number of calls that we received where water had entered the cable. 

Mind you, making the provision of antenna cables and antennas to be non-rental items (which had to be purchased outright by the owner) seemed to improve the care taken aboard ship. When they were on rental, it was very difficult to prove that the antenna had not ''failed in a storm just before the ship docked'' but had been swiped off by something slung on a passing crane jib. Or that the crushed coaxial with the split sheathing had failed as a result of ''fair wear and tear''. To keep the peace, the local technician would agree with the Master and replace it for free. When they owned the antennas and feeders, somebody on the ship would insist that coaxial feeders crossing decks, or adjacent to ladders, were properly protected from feet or cables being dragged across them. No more need for the installation technician to have to try and persuade someone in the yard that a proper cover was needed.

And that was almost 40 years ago. Plus ca change...


----------



## BOB GARROCH

Ron Stringer said:


> In the '60s, MIMCO VHFs used the horrible TV-type coaxial connectors for all internal connections and, generally, C-type connectors for the antennas. Both were rubbish - the first used to vibrate and fall out and the C-type, although its bayonet fitting prevented it from coming loose, leaked like a sieve - both water and RF.
> 
> Small-boat VHFs that we bought in from Storno and Pye all used PL259 connectors and UR-67 cable. Never saw two made up the same way in the field.
> 
> As soon as I was in a position to do so I standardised on N-type connectors for all connections external to the equipment but had only very, very, limited success in persuading shipyards to put in twin-screened coaxials. It cost more! We did insist on sealing the above-decks connectors inside a double layer of self-sealing rubber covered by a hard PVC tape. Made a big difference to the number of calls that we received where water had entered the cable.
> 
> Mind you, making the provision of antenna cables and antennas to be non-rental items (which had to be purchased outright by the owner) seemed to improve the care taken aboard ship. When they were on rental, it was very difficult to prove that the antenna had not ''failed in a storm just before the ship docked'' but had been swiped off by something slung on a passing crane jib. Or that the crushed coaxial with the split sheathing had failed as a result of ''fair wear and tear''. To keep the peace, the local technician would agree with the Master and replace it for free. And somebody on the ship would insist that coaxial feeders crossing decks, or adjacent to ladders, were properly protected from feet or cables being dragged across them. No more need for the installation technician to have to try and persuade someone in the yard that a proper cover was needed.
> 
> And that was almost 40 years ago. Plus ca change...


I have been on a crusade for years to upgrade anntenna connectors. Slowly we have started to win even the regulator is now insisting on N-type connectors on radio sites. I have just made a calculation of the ammount of connectors on one of my sites 550+ thank goodness not one PL259


----------



## K urgess

*Nefertiti*

Flag - *Egyptian*
Callsign - *SUPA*
Owner - *Egyptian Navigation Co.*
Agent - *MacGregor, Gow & Holland*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *240V AC*
RAMAC - *None*
Reason - *Attended to assess service requirements. All Russian equipment.*

*Echosounder - Noise apparent at all times: no echoes: paper feed faulty.*
*Radar - Poor echoes above 8 miles: PPI edge out of focus.*
*HF Transmitter - 6 MHz inoperative on full power. " Faulty" indication for no reason intermittently. Low output on 8 MHz. Has been like this since installation.*
*MF Transmitter - Faulty (intermittently) aerial changeover to main aerial.*

*No work to tbe carried out until matter of work done in Antwerp cleared up with head office. Captain refuses to incur further expense because of dissatisfaction with work carried out in Antwerp. Captain states that only satisfactory work in Antwerp was setting up of radar heading marker. *

*ONLY to pay at Antwerp the work of correcting the heading marker of Radar other not to be paid *
*- Master Adel* (sgnd).
*(24.5.78 - 1030-1200 + 1 hr travel & 1430-1500 + 1 hr travel )*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Bit of an argument about the work done in Antwerp. I suppose he thought we were responsible. As far as I can remember I didn't go back to it so none of his gear was fixed. It all looked well ancient even though, if I remember right, the ship was brand new.

It's probably built at Alexandria in 1977 and delivered in 1978. Broken up at Alexandria in September 1998.

Found a picture of her here - http://www.shipsandharbours.com/picture/number3016.asp


----------



## Ron Stringer

*HF Transmitter - 6 MHz inoperative on full power. " Faulty" indication for no reason intermittently. Low output on 8 MHz. Has been like this since installation.*
[/QUOTE]

Kris,

Wish I had a quid for every time I have heard this story. Makes you wonder what sort of pillocks they thought we were - the same sort of pillocks as the people that they employed and who, apparently, accepted a new installation that was not working?

I used to say ''You will have to pay for any work that we do and then you must claim against the equipment warranty to recover your money. No pay, no play.'' This was said tongue in cheek since in most cases the gear was knackered and years out of warranty. If they didn't agree to pay, I walked off and left them to it.

A lot of Masters (and others) had problems in accepting that calling in a service engineer was *not* on a ''no cure, no pay'' basis; the customer was expected to pay hourly rates, whatever the outcome. Further arguments arose when they were billed and then objected to paying for time spent travelling. ''Eight hours? But your man was only on board for about an hour and he fixed the radar in half that time.'' They conveniently ignored that I had driven from South Shields to Whitehaven at midnight on Sunday to do that, and that, after I had fixed the radar, he had asked for demonstration that the set would run for over half an hour without tripping before he would sign the papers to confirm that he was satisfied with the work done. He sailed on the tide that he had planned. After driving back across country, I got home around 7 a.m. just in time to have a shower and some breakfast before leaving to start work at 8.30 a.m. *Not what I had planned* when I went to bed on Sunday evening.


----------



## K urgess

In this case the equipment, although very impressive, appeared to be about the same vintage as an Oceanspan, Ron.
Being recently built in Egypt for Egyptians with Russian equipment didn't seem to be an ideal combination.
We didn't do too many non-contract calls purely for the reasons you mention. This seems to have been passed on from Brussels.
I know the scenario well, especially when I had to cover Immingham from Hull. The bridge was only a twinkle in the designers eye and the ferry didn't run at night. Some interesting adventures.

Kris


----------



## K urgess

*Eloquence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZPT*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *RT144 VHF Broken modulation. Deliver tool set. Check all equipment dor survey.*

*Delivered tools as listed below.*
*Assisted surveyor during radio survey.*
*Tested RT144 aerial SWR & found to be above 2. New Aerial required.*
*(26.5.78 - 1030-1300 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x 10" Adjustable spanner, 1 x Junior hacksaw, 10 x Junior hacksaw blades, 1 x 6" smooth file, 1 x jointing knife, 1 x 8" screwdriver.*

Getting to know these little ships. This is the 6th "Ence". Usually docked at Spiller's wharf near Chapman Street bridge or Rank's mill near Drypool bridge. Both on the River Hull. Not much fun getting onboard at low tide.

Built by Cochrane at Selby in 1969. Changed to GORE in 1985 then HOLM SOUND in 1987. Miramar has no disposal data so she may still be around.

Several pictures in the gallery
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=89304
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=118413
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=119327


----------



## K urgess

*Resurgence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GULQ*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thomas Purvis (Hull) Ltd.*
Port - *Howden ****, Howden, nr. Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service battery charger. Service Sailor R/T poor sensitivity.*

*Batteries not being charged. Found battery voltage down to 9 volts and therefore insufficient to pull in charging relay**.*
*Mains switch jammed & not closing correctly.*
*Repaired switch & pushed in relay by hand.*
*Circuit checked & now operating satisfactorily.*

*Sailor R/T fault due to low voltage.*
*(1.6.78 - 1210-1315 + 2 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Fourth visit to this one and a pleasant change to get out of Hull and into the countryside.
Automatic battery chargers were not a lot of good if the voltage dropped too low to initiate a charge.


----------



## K urgess

*Eloquence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZPT*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Fit new VHF dipole & Service KH17 Radar.*

*VHF Dipole replaced. SWR checked & satisfactory. Tested with Hull Radio CH12 strength 5/5.*
*KH17 radar reported picture breaking up, poor echoes, blowing panel lamps, range rings serrating.*
*No sign of range rings serrating or picture breaking up but checked all plugs and sockets to ensure tight fitting.*
*Blowing panel lamp in one position probably due to fitting incorrect spare. Replaced with same sort as remainder & supplied spares.*
*Re-tuned receiver & TR Cell. Poor long range echoes indicates new magnetron required but none available onboard or from Kelvin Hughes or Marconi. V/L proceeding London where new magnetron recommended to be fitted.*
*(26.5.78 - 1030-1230 + 1.5 hrs & 1330-1430 + half hour travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x Bantex VHF Dipole & 10 x 6.5v 0.3A MES lamps.*

Nice way to spend your 32nd birthday.[=P]
Don't know where she'd been in a week to find out her radar was duff.
Obviously nowhere they could get a VHF aerial fitted.


----------



## K urgess

*Patricia S*

Flag - *Panama*
Callsign - *3FBH*
Owner - *Compania Naviera Patricia S.A.*
Agent - *Medite Shipping, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *ex CRM C4163 (now non-contract)*
Reason - *Supply & deliver publications & 2 pairs 4kΩ headphones with appropriate plugs.*

*Visited vessel to ascertain contract number & exact requirements.*
*Delivered items listed below.*
*(5.6.78 - 1600-1630 + 1 hr travel & 6.6.78 - 0930-1000 + 1.5 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -*2 pairs 4kΩ headphones, 2 standard jackplugs, ITU List of Coast Stations 6 (Supp.1), List of Ship Stations 16, List of Radiodetermination & Special Service Stations 6 (Supp.1).*

Not much to remember. She had just been taken over and renamed. CRM was the French version of Marconi (Compagnie Radiotelegrafique Maritime, I think)

Built as MARQUISIEN at La Ciotat for French owners in 1959.
Sold and changed to PATRICIA S in 1978.
Broken up at Gadani Beach in April 1983.

These look like pictures of her
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships P/slides/Patricia S-01.html
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships P/slides/Patricia S-02.html


----------



## K urgess

*Cadence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZPS*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *RT144 Sailor VHF Poor reception & transmission range.*

*Tested SWR & found poor.*
*Replaced whip type aerial & coax with new Bantex, clamps & 50Ω coax.*
*Tested SWR & now OK.*
*Tested with Spurn pilot 5/5.*
*Clipped cable to mast & bulkhead.*
*(10.6.78 - 1030-1300 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x Bantex VHF Dipole, 1 set of clamps, 1 free N plug, tower clips, cable ties, 10 metres 50Ω coax (SES Supply), 1 Amphinol plug.*

We seemed to change a lot of VHF aerials on these little ships. Probably due to constant raising and lowering.

Built in 1969 by Drypool at Hull. Changed to BURE in 1985. Probably still around.

A picture in the gallery here.
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=95734


----------



## K urgess

*Jubilence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GUME*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Kelvin Hughes type 17 radar.*

*Master reported poor long range targets. Intermittent double range rings.*
*Tuned klystron and TR cell. Good echoes from 6 miles which furthest possible at this berth.*
*Cleaned slip rings and checked plugs and sockets.*
*Double range rings not apparent at this time.*
*(15.6.78 - 1415-1445 + 0.5 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

These seem to have been the most popular small ship radar on these coasters before the market was flooded with the Japanese sets. The usual problems were neglect. As long as it works.......

Built in 1975 by Cooks at Wivenhoe. Miramar have no details of this one.
Some details on this picture
http://www.geocities.com/britishcoasters/jubilence.html
and here in our gallery
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=132807


----------



## K urgess

*Wheelsman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GVQH*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Inspect, repair & rig aerials as required. Inspect & repair equipment as required.* 

*6/6/78 - Inspected all aerials. All wire in good condition, none needs replacing. Fitted new calling xtals in main transmitter & marked card accordingly.*
*9/6/78 - Lowered main aerial. Spliced downlead to main run & repaired downlead.*
*13/6/78 - Removed R/T aerial from area of new radar mast.*
*14/6/78 - R/T lead in insulator to be moved to avoid waveguide. Removed connection to main aerial & re-connected via insulator to end of main aerial halyard.*
*Showed riggers new halyards required & where to rig starboard emergency aerial.*
*15/6/78 - Inspected echo-sounder transducers adn display unit. All satisfactory.*
*16/6/78 - Rigged main aerial. Re-connected R/T aerial, shortened and insulators tied down. Main lead in insulators replaced and re-connected. All aerials inspected and satisfactory.*
*(Total 7.25 hours inc. travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

This was quite a job and runs to several sheets on various bits of kit. I think it all took place in the old Union dry dock at the mouth of the River Hull. Also my first experience of demarcations.

Nice coastal tanker built in 1967 by Clelands at Wallsend for Rowbotham Tankers. Changed to ELSMAN in 1992 then ALIDA the same year. Last name shown on Miramar is POWE in 1993. No disposal details.]

Couple of pictures in the gallery - 
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3046
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=86508


----------



## K urgess

*Wheelsman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GVQH*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Inspect, repair as necessary internal telephone and talkback systems.* 

*7/6/78 - Inspected telephones and tested several units where possible. Cleaned wheelhouse unit contacts. Cleaned Chief Officer's calling contacts and tested with wheelhouse. Master's unit tested and OK.*
*12/6/78 - Cief Engineer's unit tested and OK on incoming calls but outgoing very poor. Stripped unit and found dry joint. Resoldered joint, tested and OK. Cleaned engine room unit contacts, tested and OK. Tested all unit between each other and all operating satisfactorily.*
*13/6/78 - Inspected talkback but no power available in wheelhouse.*
*16/6/78 - Talkback circuit checked. Remade several dry joints, cleaned valve bases, adjusted tone control to minimise mains hum. Tested with engine room and operating satisfactoril in both directions**.*
*(Total 6.25 hours inc. travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

Some kit just seemed to suffer from dry joints all the time. Possibly something to do with vibration.


----------



## K urgess

*Wheelsman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GVQH*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Move RT144 VHF Dipole and re-run cable.* 

*Necessary to move dipole to make way for KH17 radar scanner and pedestal.*
*6/6/78 - Instructed shipyard personnel in positioning of dipole and mast. Tall mast to be removed from starboard side and repositioned portside monkey island in place of short VHF mast. Remove deckhead and for'd bulkhead panelling in wheelhouse. Dismounted RT144 from bulkhead along with backing plate.*
*8/6/78 - Ran new 50 ohm coax cable from repositioned dipole under deckhead panelling and for'd bulkhead to VHF position. Cable clipped to bulkhead and tied to mast.*
*Tersted and found SWR perfect. Tested with vessel anchored at Spurn Point QSA/QRK 5/5.*
*(Total 6.5 hours inc. travel)*

Material Supplied -* 15 metres 50 ohm coax (SES supply). Cable ties and clips (local supply).*

This was me treading very carefully and letting the dockyard doing it in their own way and time. No point in provoking a strike. [=P]


----------



## K urgess

*Wheelsman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GVQH*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Fit and set up T128/R105 Sailor Radiotelephone.* 

*25/5/78 - Visited vessel to discuss repairs/work required and siting of new R/T.*
*26/5/78 - Delivered new R/T to vessel to be stored over holiday weekend.*
*30/5/78 - Disconnected and removed old MC150 R/T for storage as per SES instructions. Marked bulkhead panel for cutting in order to fit new R/T same location. Returned to vessel to show shipyard personnel modifications to site.*
*31/5/78 - Mounted new R/T in alcove and fastened in place. Aerial and supplies connected. Handset mounted on bulkhead.*
*1/6/78 - Delivered MC 150 to vessel for superintendent to return to London.*
*12/6/78 - Attempted to tune unit to aerial but shipyard personnel working on monkey island and aerial may be too long.*
*14/6/78 - Modified lead-in from aerial to avoid waveguide of new radar.*
*16/6/78 - Tuned final stage to aerial as per manual. Checked all transmitted frequencies with counter. Tested with Humber Radio on 2182kHz QSA4 modulation good.*
*(Total 23.75 hours inc. travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

Relatively easy and simple job. Sailor kit really couldn't be beaten for quality and price.


----------



## K urgess

*Clyde Firth*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SYGD*
Owner - *Frangos Shipping Co.*
Agent - *Sutcliffe, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *Non=contract*
Reason - *Service Main Transmitter MT1200T. Repair Emergency Aerial changeover switch.*

*MT1200T: No HF A1 Telegraphy. Operational on A3. No drive. Relay K501 not operating. -24 volt checked & found to be -1 volt. Traced back to short circuited diode V663 which replaced with ships spare. Drive now available. Tx tested & OK**.*
*Ae change switch: Thread stripped on Em switch insulator. Exchanged insulator for rear standoff to main aerial. All connected up, tested & satisfactory.*
*(19/6/78 - 1430-1630 + 1 Hrs travel. 20/6/78 - 1430-1630 + 1 Hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 10 x 1 Amp 20mm glass fuses (local supply).*

Don't remember an awful lot about this.
Built as THORSOY by Framnaes at Sandefjord in 1964
Changed to VIKFRIO in 1972, CLYDE FIRTH in 1974, ISADORE HECHT in 1980 and DIAMOND STAR in 1992.
Broken up in January 1994

Here she is as THORSOY
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships T/slides/Thorsoy-01.html


----------



## sean

*faults*

maybe im wrong here boys, but if u guys remember all those silly little faults
think maybe ur missing a life or something. I am sill at sea after 30 years and dont hardly remember half of last weeks faults never mind something trivial from years ago.


----------



## K urgess

sean said:


> maybe im wrong here boys, but if u guys remember all those silly little faults
> think maybe ur missing a life or something. I am sill at sea after 30 years and dont hardly remember half of last weeks faults never mind something trivial from years ago.


I think you've completely missed the point.
These are from service sheets filled out at the time and are posted so that members can research the ships and gear.
That's what the site name means. Nostalgia about ships.
I doubt if Mr Memory himself could remember this lot without hardcopy. [=P]


----------



## andysk

Marconi Sahib said:


> Here she is as THORSOY


And here (http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/156654)as Clydefirth in Antwerp in July 1976


----------



## K urgess

Thanks, Andy (Thumb)


----------



## andysk

No problems Kris, I'm glad to share what I have to stimulate the memory banks in others !!

(It still seems like only yesterday ! The body says it isn't though even if the mind thinks it is !)


----------



## K urgess

*Wheelsman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GVQH*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220/440V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Repair talkback system which showing fault earth in engine room. Check all radio room equipment with R/O, check echo-sounder.* 

*Radio room equipment checked with aid of radio officer. Main receiver power supply transformer burning. Replaced 5Z4G valve with ship's spare and operating satisfactorily. Old valve internal short circuit.*

*Main transmitter overload relay "chattering". Found FS6 in power supply blown. Replaced and transmitter tuning satisfactorily.*

*No receiver muting. Poor connections to muting relay repaired and muting volume adjusted. Operating satisfactorily.*

*Elettra talkback showing earth on main generator board. Traced and found HT smoothing capacitor -ve (case) touching chassis. Removed and wrapped case with insulating tape. Re-made all connections more neatly. Tested with engine room and OK. Earth no longer shows.*

*Echo-sounder lack of coherent echoes. Probably due to very shallow water in dock. Trace obtained but with interference.*
*(20.6.78 - 1730-2100 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

Last visit after an extended drydock and refurb. A bit of overtime (I should be so lucky) to get her out on the tide.
Paperwork signed by J. H. Bates but I don't know if that was the Master or the R/O.


----------



## Moulder

Marconi Sahib said:


> Paperwork signed by J. H. Bates but I don't know if that was the Master or the R/O.


Must have been the skipper, Kris - Master Bates - I sailed with a few of them in my time.

[=P] (Jester) 

(Thumb)


----------



## Ron Stringer

*Talkback Repairs*

Service jobs on talkbacks in port were amongst my least favourite jobs (after tank-diving to sort out echosounder projectors). I hated them. You could never find anyone who was willing to stand by on the Bridge and listen out for you on the main control unit whilst you headed off to the remote that was claimed to be faulty (on the fo'c'sle, down the engine room or at the emergency steering position). Even if you got someone to listen out, by the time you had gone down several decks from the Bridge and walked the length of a tanker's foredeck, they had either lost interest and wandered off, or had been called away on another errand. In the days before walkie-talkies I must have walked miles to make test calls, or to disconnect cables to search for short-circuits, open-circuits or earths. Most of the problems were due to the effects of seawater entry or physical damage to cables or enclosures.

Then there was the problem of finding all the junction boxes along the cable run which, on cargo ships, often ran below deck through the holds. Half the time, when you did find them you couldn't reach them without a ladder or staging and to cap it all they would be packed with that horrible, green, putty-like compound. This was supposed to waterproof the box but in reality served just as well to prevent seawater or condensation from draining out. It was a pig to get out so that you could apply your trusty AVO or megger to the cable connections.

Even after the fault had been found and fixed, you still had to find someone again to co-operate and talk to you over the system in order to confirm all was working OK. In spite of what the owners might think, ships in port do not have a surplus of people with nothing to do. They are either busy with their own jobs or away ashore, making the most of their free time.

I much envied the Radio Holland approach. If a ship asked for service from them, two technicians always attended. Maybe something of an overkill to fix a faulty TV receiver but it must have been a Godsend to the technicians on talkback jobs!


----------



## BobClay

I'm not trying to be irreverent here, but I though I'd pop in this service log entry I remember from long ago, alongside in Calcutta.

The radar was a Marconi Mark 4, with a parabolic scanner. The mouth of the feed-horn had a plastic, or some sort of cellulite window, which as far as I can remember, was in some way glued to the horn-mouth. (You Marconi guys might be able to describe that better).

Anyway, one day the third mate told me he'd seen a big bird perched up on the radar, who appeared to be pecking at the feed-horn. I went up to have a look, and sure enough, half of this window was missing, seemingly pecked away.

Service log entry I made for this incident included the line:

"Radar waveguide feed-horn window eaten by sh1tehawk."

(EEK)


----------



## Ian

BobClay said:


> I'm not trying to be irreverent here.... some sort of *cellulite*


Me neither, but would that be the same sort as on ladies bums and thighs? Or possibly celluloid?(Jester)


----------



## BobClay

LOL. OK ..... (wicked thoughts, wicked thoughts). :sweat:


----------



## K urgess

Must have been the later parabolic reflector, Bob.
Unfortunately my Radioloacator manual only shows the "cheese slice" type 1450 scanner with the horn mounted against the face of the reflector so there's no room for a bird to get at it.
Even the parts list isn't much help. It only lists the clear perspex window on the gearbox for checking the oil. The horn is listed as a Type 1453.B. Feeder Horn - Drg.No. W.22396 Sh.1.B1.B.
The later models went to an open reflector with the horn in free air. I'm sure I saw one where the spares included a new horn window but I can't remember what it was made of.
The scanners I saw were almost always slotted waveguide.


----------



## BobClay

Yeah this was way back in 70/71 and I think the last time I ever saw a parabolic scanner.


----------



## Ron Stringer

Kris,

On the drawing of the cheese-slice aerial unit, there is an item at the top of the vertical waveguide called 'X-band Transformer'. We always knew it as 'the doorknob transformer. Its purpose was to transform the waveguide mode between the circular rotating portion and the normal rectangular mode that ran to the feedhorn. It consisted of two parts, one of which looked like half of the old, spherical, brass doorknobs and the other was a brass rod that screwed into the centre of the 'knob', where the shaft of a doorknob would go. Both were silver-plated for optimum conductivity.

They were regular failure items, with the shaft coming unscrewed (partly or wholly) from the 'knob', allowing the entire apparatus to rattle about in the rotating joint mechanism. Massive 'spoking' resulted on the radar display, with large blank sectors. On the 'transformer' the silver plating would become heavily oxidised by arcing from the 50kW pulses of 9GHz RF energy passing over it.

A pig of a job to replace, especially on those ships that (as was common in the 1945-55 period) fitted the radar scanner up the foremast, and even more so on those ships when at sea. Climbing the mast in a seaway, with the spare parts and tools stowed in your overall pockets to dismantle the scanner, make the repair and reassemble everything, without losing any of the parts in the wind, was not a welcome job. Was quite glad to see the back of the MkIV radar.


----------



## BobClay

This might be a bit off thread but it concerns test equipment. Yesterday when I got to work I found something of a disaster. During the night the school got a big lightning hit. This took down two servers, fried a network switch and blew out four CCTV cameras and a couple of channels on the DVR recorder for the cameras. Several thousand pounds worth of damage.

In the panic (which is a good word, cos one of the downed servers was the ADMIN server, which runs like a skunk on heat first thing in the morning), I had to dig out my old digital meter. It's a Fluke 77 I bought 30 years ago because many ships I had sailed on had only an AVO. 

I'm not decrying the AVO, I wish I had one in the garage, but as I'm sure you all know it's not really suitable for solid state equipment because of it's low input impedance. It's also a bit delicate. So I bought the Fluke and carried it with me. It's been up masts, dropped in bilges, dropped down ladders and involved in road accidents. It looks a bit battered now, and is on its third or fourth set of test leads, but is still going strong. Came in very usefull yesterday.

I wondered if I'm a full on geek, or if other sparkies carried their own testgear when they sailed ?

(Smoke)


----------



## Ron Stringer

*Test Equipment*

Bob,
I too had a multimeter (don't remember the model) for a few years at sea because the Avo 8 was such an awkward thing to cart about and to locate safely whilst trying to reach the less accessible test points. I was ashore about 2 weeks when it disappeared when I left it in the radio room of a ship I was working on in Brighams, whilst I went onto the monkey island to replace the cover on a junction box.

I also bought one of those long-shafted screwdrivers with a sliding clip on the shaft. Allowed you to place the screw in the jaws and then (at a distance) locate the screw in the hole and tighten it up. It was the first time I had seen one, thought ''What a great idea,'' and bought it in a toolshop in Portland, Maine. When I left that ship and went on leave, the first time I passed a toolshop in Manchester there was one in the window - at about half the price I had paid in the States! You can't imagine how that hurt.


----------



## Moulder

De-solder gun ...... priceless.
When on the Aussie coast, I used to get a wedge of dollars off the old man and get items like de-solder guns, small pcb tools and common components from 'Dick Smiths' - I left these on the ship when I left - they were a very useful addition to the basic Radio Room tool box.

(Thumb)


----------



## K urgess

I never carried anything much extra at sea even after having to make do with an Avo Minor. Bit of a masochist I suppose.
Now I have a box full of very expensive Flukes, Avos and clamp meters that used to require expensive calibration every year. Mainly because Brussels and others said I had to have them.
The small soldering iron was good enough at sea as was the bit of coax sheath that acted as a solder remover. It wasn't until I had to work on computers that I had to have temperature controlled irons, solder suckers and all the odd things for working on ICs that became common in the late 70s and early 80s. At first you could still manage with the old gear but then the tracks got thinner and thinner as they packed more and more into smaller and smaller spaces. The final nail in the coffin for most board repairs was multi-layered tracks and then it bacame throw away technology, especially now that surface mount is so common.
This is probably why I still like playing with nice robust valve equipment and just throw away the computer stuff when it fails. [=P]
I obviously never joined a ship after someone like you, Moulder. I was normally lucky to find even the basic BOT requirement still on board.
Best thing I bought at sea was on my first trip when my chief recommended getting a set of crocodile clip jump leads in the States. About 6 inches long in a variety of colours, I've still got a few left knocking about.
The RF probe we all built on the MED course was the only other thing. Apart from the neon screwdriver of course. (EEK)

Kris


----------



## K urgess

*Polarisman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GRHY*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Fit crystals to Pentland Bravo R/T & inspect DF.* 

*Fitted 4 transmitting & 4 receiving crystals as supplied by SES.*

*Adjusted frequencies with frequency counter.*

*Marked transmitter & receiver frequency cards as required.*

*Tested & satisfactory.*

*Inspected D/F; Operating satisfactorily with good zeros.*
*(23.6.78 - 1030-1300 + ½ hr travel & 1400-1500 + ½ hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

I loved simple jobs like this. Also didn't get much from the grey cells. I remember the ship but not the job.

Built in 1973 by Cochrane at Selby. Changed to GOD PRESTIGE in 1994. No disposal date on Miramar so may still be around.

Pictured in our gallery -
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=82842


----------



## Mimcoman

Hello Bob: Re the lightni9ng strike; as you're in Cornwall, would guess you live in/near Falmouth? The local CG station there got fried as well.

GTZM-Sahib: I bought a set of jump leads as well and still have a few around. Also a set of trimmers from the same source (Radioshack?) - not bad for 35+ years.


----------



## Mimcoman

Marconi Sahib said:


> Flag - *British*
> Callsign - *GRHY*
> Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
> Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
> Port - *Hull*
> Mains - *220V AC*
> RAMAC - *SES*
> Reason - *Fit crystals to Pentland Bravo R/T & inspect DF.*
> 
> *Fitted 4 transmitting & 4 receiving crystals as supplied by SES.*
> 
> *Adjusted frequencies with frequency counter.*
> 
> *Marked transmitter & receiver frequency cards as required.*
> 
> *Tested & satisfactory.*
> 
> *Inspected D/F; Operating satisfactorily with good zeros.*
> *(23.6.78 - 1030-1300 + ½ hr travel & 1400-1500 + ½ hr travel)*
> 
> Material Supplied -* Nil.*
> 
> I loved simple jobs like this. Also didn't get much from the grey cells. I remember the ship but not the job.
> 
> Built in 1973 by Cochrane at Selby. Changed to GOD PRESTIGE in 1994. No disposal date on Miramar so may still be around.
> 
> Pictured in our gallery -
> http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=82842


I'm still enjoying these job reports, OM. Brings back lots of memories. Keep 'em coming...


----------



## K urgess

*Jotun*

Flag - *Danish*
Callsign - *OZLW*
Owner - *Hans Gorgens*
Agent - *British Steel, Flixborough*
Port - *Flixborough*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *ISR*
Reason - *Service Storno CQM612 VHF.* 

*Reported lack of squelch control in normal operating mode.*
*Fault not apparent at this time.*
*Squelch adjusted & squelch pot cleaned.*
*Also cleaned channel selector switch, on/off/operate switch & volume switch.*
*Tested with Hull Radio, strength 3.*
*(28.6.78 - 0930-1030 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

First call of the day to a jetty up the River Trent. Judging by the travel time I didn't catch the ferry. Quite a way from Hull. Needless to say, although the jetty is still there, British Steel ain't.

Built in 1973 by Nordsovaerftet at Ringkobing, Denmark. Lost with all hands 20th November, 1983. According to Miramar at 7.30N 110.00E which is in the middle of the South China Sea.

I haven't been able to find a picture. To my eternal regret I didn't carry my own camera much while doing this job.


----------



## BobClay

> Hello Bob: Re the lightni9ng strike; as you're in Cornwall, would guess you live in/near Falmouth? The local CG station there got fried as well.


Sorry, late replying. No I live way up in the north of Cornwall, but the lightning strike did it's damage in Holsworthy, Devon. Bill so far (all the CCTV gear, we managed to fix the network/servers), £2,700.

Lightning rods all over the building, but it chose to strike an external camera. 

Go figure.


----------



## Naytikos

In response to Bob's query:
After getting wise and going to the Greeks, I bought my own oscilloscope, which travelled very well in it's original cardboard box. Always found the airlines very sympathetic about the extra luggage once the check-in girls knew I was going to join a ship. After a few years I found myself on an american owned, greek/egyptian crewed VLCC and the owners bought me a $10k tektronix scope which I'm sure could have made coffee as well if I could have ever found the right button to press.


----------



## K urgess

*Annuity*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *-*
Owner - *Everard*
Agent - *Oughtred Harrison, Goole*
Port - *Goole*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Check Viking 24 VHF.* 

*Check of Aerials requested.*

*Both simplex and duplex dipoles checked SWR and found to be perfect. Power good, modulation good.*

*Tested with Hull Radio strength 4**.*
*(28.6.78 - 1130-1230 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

Simple little job on another of Everard's little jobs. Nothing to remember.

Small coastal tanker built at Goole in 1961. 
Changed to THETA TRIENNA in 1983, BLUE EYES in 1986, JET VI in 1987 and then PROMETHUS in 1988.

A picture - http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=15259 and a painting - http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=159638


----------



## K urgess

*Polarisman*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GRHY*
Owner - *Rowbotham Tankers*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Repairs necessary for Radio Survey.* 

*5.7.78 - Attended radio survey (2 hrs + 1 hr travel)*
*11.7.78 - Pentland Bravo R/T.*
*No H/F Aerial current. Checked RF available using diode probe. Found all aerial taps wrong and several dirty switch contacts. Cleaned and setup. Now satisfactory. (5 hrs + 1 hrs travel)*
*12.7.78 - Survivor L/B set. *
*Replaced 500 KHz crystal. Tested and OK all functions.*
*Cleaned and re-greased all battery terminals. (1.5 hrs + 1 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Marconi 500kHz crystal, Tin vaseline BP, wire brush.*

Ah! The good old diode probe.
Somebody had been playing about with the Pentland Bravo because a month before I'd fitted new crystals and tested it OK.
I hated doing batteries that had been neglected. (Cloud)


----------



## Quiney

A couple of little extras that I carried (and were made as part of lab work on my MRGC at Fleetwood) were a small signal generator (just a bit bigger than a box of matches) and an rf probe.

Whilst on the fishery support vessel Starella, I insisted that they supplied me with an oscillascope. The hired/blagged a small portable one from some local service depot.

I have to agree that one of the main pieces of kit that required repair was the Talkback system (no matter what make)

All my radio room kit was IMR and was extremely reliable!


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## Ron Stringer

Marconi Sahib said:


> I hated doing batteries that had been neglected. (Cloud)


Went aboard a ship to check it out prior to an up-coming radio survey but could get no voltage indication on battery charger and none of the emergency equipment would work. Then found I couldn't get the radio battery locker door open. Spoke to the mate and he got the chippy to 'free the hinges'. This involved a cold chisel and a big hammer, and left door and hinges on the deck.

Inside were two shelves, each with a set of lead acid batteries, with about a 1-foot gap between them. Well, it should have been a gap but in fact was completely filled with a hard mass of white crystals between the top surface of the lower set of batteries and the underside of the steel shelf holding the top set.

Even though I condemned the batteries, it took me half a day to get the old ones out for scrapping (the chippy's chisel came in handy here), the locker cleaned up and made ready to take a new set of wooden 'trivets' (made up by the chippy) and the new batteries that were sent down by Marconi's.

The R/Os reading this will immediately appreciate that Part II of the Radio Logbook for the previous voyage showed that all batteries had been charged and maintained as required and that all S.G.s were recorded as 1250!


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## david.hopcroft

*What Else was there to Do ??*

When you are on passage PG to Oz and are diverted to the Medi when the 6-day war closed Suez, it tends to take a long time. So 30 days at sea with hardly a sight of land, glad you wrote yesterdays date in the log otherwise you wouldn't know what today was, then what else was there to do ??

David
+


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## K urgess

Most comfortable position.
Same thing across the Pacific, Don, but at least we were headed to Oz and the islands. (Thumb)


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## Ron Stringer

Just like the porno movies - you both kept your socks on.


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## Naytikos

I see the Sahib is wearing earphones; that's something I never ever did, hurt the ears too much. Got used to 500Kc/s on one Rx, Greek press on another, and ball-by-ball from the Beeb an another, all at the same time, on speaker. 
These days it's called 'multi-tasking'.


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## david.hopcroft

Ron Stringer said:


> Just like the porno movies - you both kept your socks on.


Always the perfect Gentleman !

David
+


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## K urgess

Naytikos said:


> I see the Sahib is wearing earphones; that's something I never ever did, hurt the ears too much. Got used to 500Kc/s on one Rx, Greek press on another, and ball-by-ball from the Beeb an another, all at the same time, on speaker.
> These days it's called 'multi-tasking'.


With that Captain, in that radio room, while said Captain was having his afternoon siesta, I would not have dared to have anything on loudspeaker. (EEK)
Besides the noise from local QRM was horrendous in the South Pacific.
Same goes for the socks. It was only a Bankboat but if your were out of uniform on watch you were in the poo-poo.


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## andysk

Naytikos said:


> I see the Sahib is wearing earphones; that's something I never ever did, hurt the ears too much. Got used to 500Kc/s on one Rx, Greek press on another, and ball-by-ball from the Beeb an another, all at the same time, on speaker.
> These days it's called 'multi-tasking'.


I took my own headphones after my first few trips, they had comfortable cushioned ear pads, kept out al the extraneous noises very wel. All those passengers wanting service in the afternoon's, and the drunken stewards wanting their bets put on the gee-gees at 2.30 am when the press was coming in !


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## K urgess

andysk said:


> I took my own headphones after my first few trips, they had comfortable cushioned ear pads, kept out al the extraneous noises very wel. All those passengers wanting service in the afternoon's, and the drunken stewards wanting their bets put on the gee-gees at 2.30 am when the press was coming in !


Wasn't long before my headphones migrated from the hi-fi to the radio room. [=P]

A typically cluttered, super-efficient, operating position. (EEK)


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## Naytikos

I spy a TYPEWRITER. Surely that wasn't provided by the ship? But a bit large to carry around if it was your own.
I used to carry a small portable for the short time I spent on British ships as it seemed that otherwise Marconi's and the shipping companies expected all QTCs, Wx etc to be handwritten.


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## tunatownshipwreck

Marconi Sahib said:


> Wasn't long before my headphones migrated from the hi-fi to the radio room. [=P]
> 
> A typically cluttered, super-efficient, operating position. (EEK)


I spy Everready "9 Lives" batteries.


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## K urgess

The typewriter was my "portable" Adler and very handy.
Well before I had to fly to ships and I would either hire a car to join a ship or wait until we got round to Hull before loading up my cabin.
This was taken after seven and a half months arriving Liverpool on the day I signed off and immediately signed on for a second seven and a half months. (EEK)

If you look closely you can see that the batteries have been soldered together with a bit of wire in between. No leak proof batteries in those days so the only answer to a radio with a completely corroded battery box. [=P]


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## tunatownshipwreck

Marconi Sahib said:


> If you look closely you can see that the batteries have been soldered together with a bit of wire in between. No leak proof batteries in those days so the only answer to a radio with a completely corroded battery box. [=P]


Clever. I wish I had learned that 40 years ago.


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## david.hopcroft

In my thumbnail, the more sharp sighted will see a wide carriage Olivetti. This is a company machine - 1967 even !! - but the price was doing the mate's typing - all of it ! Still something else to do during a 30-day passage.

David
+


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## david.hopcroft

Hi 

AEI T50MH Separate MF and HF. GMOH is 'Mobil Astral' the larger of the two. Bunkering from 'Sylvan Arrow' in Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth because of diversion from Oz to Medi.

David
+


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## Mimcoman

david.hopcroft said:


> Hi
> 
> AEI T50MH Separate MF and HF. GMOH is 'Mobil Astral' the larger of the two. Bunkering from 'Sylvan Arrow' in Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth because of diversion from Oz to Medi.
> 
> David
> +


Hi, David:

Long time no hear.

I sailed with a similar setup on Houlders' Ocean Transport. While I was sending a msg to a UK CRS, there was an almighty bang from the MF transmitter. As you'll know, you didn't mess with the coast station operators, so I keyed to the end like greased lightning and then switched off and had a look. An electrolyic cap had blown up and the inside of the tx was covered in little bits of paper. I can't remember where the cap was in the cct but I had no suitable spare or anything to make up a near value (and we were due into I think Avonmouth shortly where I signed off). However, the tx didn't seem to notice anything amiss and operated as normal for the remaining day or so.

Built the proverbial outhouse, they were.

Bill


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## david.hopcroft

Actually, they did bring out another, but it wasn't better ! I had one on a Safmarine Fruit reefer, - a G2 or G4 as far as I remember, but it drifted like mad and the only way to tune around was to make a list of all c/stns on HF and put them in ascending order of freq ! After much complaint, they installed an R50M - it was heaven compared. The main Tx their was a T80MH into a Dietmann & Clapper aerial. Fine normally, but when the top whip bent over in a gale, 500 was very poor !!

David
+


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## andysk

Marconi Sahib said:


> Wasn't long before my headphones migrated from the hi-fi to the radio room. [=P]
> 
> A typically cluttered, super-efficient, operating position. (EEK)


They look like Midland headphones by the insides ....

Naytikos, I never had to carry my own typewriter, B&C always had one in the radio room - R/O's use only, and without having to do anybody elses typing to boot !

Luxury I guess !

Cheers

Andy


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## K urgess

We seem to have drifted well past my service sheets so I think I should post another one. (EEK)


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## K urgess

*Antonios C*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SVYX*
Owner - *Comninos Brothers*
Agent - *Eastern Liner Services, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *Cherma 7A 11737*
Reason - *Service Globespan power unit.* 

*Filament motor starter relay not operating when switched at transmitter.*
*Voltage available and relay coil OK.*
*Traced to 4.7kΩ current limiting resistor open circuit.*
*Replaced with same from ship's spares.*
*Tested & operating satisfactorily.*
*(28.7.78 1030-1130 + 1 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

I often wonder if the gear on these ships was ever updated or if they went to the breakers with original gear.

According to Miramar built in 1959 as ALBA for Liberian owners.
Launched as ARGO SOUNION.
Changed to ANTONIOS C in 1974 then to HONOUR FIVE in 1981.
Broken up at Gadani Beach in March 1982.

This appears to be a picture of the launch
http://flickr.com/photos/havik/3063362128/


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## K urgess

*Commencement*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SXBF*
Owner - *Crown Shipping Agency*
Agent - *B. Ackerley, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *Cherma 7A 11865*
Reason - *Fit xtal to Oceanspan 7. Service Alert Em Rcvr. Service Atalanta Main Rcvr. Supply spares.* 

*Unable to fit xtal to Oceanspan due to no available xtal positions. Informed that xtal used in external B10 position normally.*
*Alert receiver lack of signals. Cleaned switching and now satisfactory.*
*Atalanta receiver calibration tone unsteady. Cleaned main tuning capacitor and now satisfactory.*
*(24.7.78 1130-1300 + 1 hrs travel)*
*(26.7.78 1030-1200 + 1 hrs travel)*
*(28.7.78 1330-1400 + 1 hrs travel)*


Material Supplied -* Valves - 3 x KTW61, 3 x X61M, 1 x 12AT7/ECC81.*

Never got told what was actually wrong most of the time. The R/O would tell the Old Man who would tell the agent who would ring us with a totally garbled message or just "service needed".
Maybe I was a different sort of R/O but I would never ask for help for jobs as simple as this.

Built as Somers Isle in 1959 by Harland and Wolff at Belfast.
Changed to Eldina in 1971, Commencement in 1975, Caribbean in 1981 and Melpol the same year.
Caught fire in the English Channel 8th December, 1981 with the loss of one life then broken up at Ghent later in the same month.

Picture on photoship here - 
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships S/slides/Somers Isle-01.html


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## Naytikos

Bit confused here: The service report doesn't mention replacing valves and yet you supplied 7 of them. Were these for spares? If so, given the simplicity of the work you did, was the R/O capable of identifying the need to replace a valve and able to do it?


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## K urgess

Not too sure about the level of the R/O's expertise but it didn't look good.
As to the valves it could well be that they were outstanding on the spares holding. They'd probably just had a survey and were told to sort out the spares. We supplied a lot of odd bits like that.
We wouldn't necessarily have done the survey. That was usually down to the classification society and seemed to be a bit of a lottery as to which local company they got to do it.
Cheers
Kris


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## K urgess

*Lee James*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GSVE*
Owner - *United Maritime Enterprises*
Agent - *General Freight Services, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *None*
Reason - *Install & set up ER210GB R/T transceiver. Install Aerials.* 

*ER210GB installed in wheelhouse.*
*Temporary Rx aerial rigged until permanent whip available.*
*Stand-off insulators & lead-in to transmitter fitted.*
*Supplies connected but none available until batteries changed.*
*Rigged main Aerial.*
*Final stage tuned to main aerial.*
*Tested with Humberradio, received reply strengthe 4.*
*(26.7.78 1600-1630 + 1 hrs travel)*
*(27.7.78 1500-1630 + 1 hrs travel)*
*(28.7.78 1400-1430 + ½ hr travel)*
*(28.7.78 1530-1630 + 1 hrs travel)*
*(29.7.78 1430-1600 + 1 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 25M main aerial wire, 1 shackle, 2 thimbles, 2 bulldog grips, 3 stand-off insulators, 2M 50 ohm co-ax, 10M TV feeder co-ax.*

Didn't take an awful lot of time to fit. Nice bit of SAIT kit.
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/137437

Built in 1966 as LADY SHEENA.
Changed to SHEENA K in 1976 then TARGET VENTURE followed by LEE JAMES in 1978. ANGLIAN TRADER in 1982 then RAIDER in 1990.

Pictured as LADY SHEENA in the gallery
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=157427


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## david.hopcroft

We may have spoken then, I was at GKZ for many years

David
+


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## K urgess

Quite possibly, David.
We were always giving GKZ a call to test the gear when necessary. (Thumb)
Cheers
Kris


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## K urgess

*Halcience*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GONG*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service KH17 Radar. Unspecified fault.*

*Picture reported to have interference.*
*Radar main fuses blown.*
*Replaced and radar run up.*
*Found dirty slip rings & brushes bouncing.*
*Cleaned slip rings & brush faces.*
*Tested and now satisfactory.*
*(7.7.78 - 1030-1100 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil.*

This is the 9th Crescent Shipping boat I worked on.
Usually simple faults.

Built in 1970 by Coops at Hoogezand.
Changed to ISLAND COASTER in 1986, LADY SALLY in 1990, RAYMARK in 1996 and CEEVAN in 1998.
Possibly still around according to Miramar.

A picture in the gallery here -
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=164471


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## K urgess

*Ambience*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GZPH*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Thos. Purvis, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service RT144 VHF.*

*Reported noisy transmission & poo range.*
*Tested on Ch12 with Hull Radio & mod. good. Strength 5 but power out only 1.5 watts.*
*Removed unit to depot for further tests.*
*Found T803 (2N5591) open cct.*
*No replacement available so SES notified V/L will require service arrival Tilbury.*
*Unit return to V/L and master notified of arrangements made.*

*(8.8.78 - 1030-1100 + 1 hr travel, 1130 to 1230 workshop & 1600-1630 + 1 hr travel)*

Material Supplied -* Nil*

Another simple job with an unsatisfactory conclusion. 
Second visit to this one. Last visit in November 1977.


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## K urgess

*Kalymnos*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SYLE*
Owner - *Kalymnos Shipping Corporation*
Agent - *Cutting & Co., Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V DC*
RAMAC - *Cherma 12015*
Reason - *Repairs to Auto Alarm AA2002 - unspecified fault. Supply stationery and spares.* 

*Tested AA2002 & found no BFO & no test signal.*
*Voltage correct & oscillator operating. Found no oscillator signal getting past Q508 (BC109c).*
*Removed unit to depot for further tests & repair.*

*Checked cct with oscilloscope & found no signal available at relay K501. Q508 found to be faulty & replaced. Unit tested & now satisfactory.*

*Unit returned to vessel & re-installed. Tested & operating satisfactorily. Unable to test with AKD because not connected.*

*(12.8.78 1400-1530 + 1 hrs travel)*
*(12.8.78 1600-1730 - workshop + ½ hr travel)*
*(13.8.78 1330-1600 - workshop + ½ hr travel)*
*(13.8.78 1630-1730 + 1 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* 1 x BC109c transistor, 6 x 1A fuses, 6 x 3A fuses, 6 x 5A fuses (local supply).*

I have a feeling this was at Saltend. Lovely trip down the jetty with tools and bits.
Ex LONDON HARMONY built in 1959 by Royal Schelde at Flushing. Was ordered as LONDON LIBERTY then LONDON DIGNITY. Changed to APOIKIA in 1976 then KALYMNOS in 1978.

Several pictures as LONDON HARMONY in the gallery like this 
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=47808


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## mikeg

Kris,

Guess it went back to the workshop because you didn't have a spare BC109c on board?
I have good memories of going ashore in Saltend after a particularily busy trip - and was invited to the Saltend working man's club for plentiful beer and really good stage acts! One I remember and it was the first time I'd seen that particular act. A man came on stage and started to sing opera with a very good voice, so I thought it was a genuine act but strange for a WMC.... then his arms started to grow in length till they reached either side of the large stage - he had the whole place in fits of laughter!


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## K urgess

I only floated to the end of Saltend jetties a couple of times, Mike.
Since I was a local my main priority was to get home for a decent meal usually. Especially when my parents had moved while I was away and I only had a vague clue as to where the new address was. (EEK)
I think I remember the WMC though but don't remember the act you describe.
I have a feeling that the place was worked by quite a few of the famous Hull comics in their time.
As to the BC109c. It was probably much easier to carry the unit ashore to the workshop than go and get the oscilloscope and other stuff. Besides I seem to remember some restrictions to using soldering irons while the vessel was along side and discharging. (EEK)

Cheers
Kris


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## mikeg

Restrictions on soldering iron use whilst discharging must have been a huge imposition on service techs like yourself Kris. The only repairs I completed in port were ones that I couldn't practically carry out at sea and very rarely needed the services of a shore tech. Sometimes I ordered small component parts via RS and occasionally critical components via the ships agent which although relatively expensive. Either way it made sure an essential speedy repair was effected.


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## K urgess

We seemed to work differently to some of our foreign comrades while at sea, Mike.
One of the reasons I gave up this techie job was because I normally ended up having to do all those jobs that we hated like batteries, aerials, etc.
I came across a lot of operators on these ships that didn't give a damn or were incapable of basic fault-finding. There were also a lot that would try very hard but didn't have the spares or facilities or had a master that called in a shore tech over their heads.
It was also a period where a lot of 50s British ships were being bought up by foreign companies. Looking up these ships on Miramar I'm surprised at how many were recently or in the process of transfer to new flags. So some of them are bedding in the gear for the new owners.
Kris


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## K urgess

*Aramis*

Flag - *Greek*
Callsign - *SYBA*
Owner - *Pegasus Shipping*
Agent - *Kettlewell, Immingham*
Port - *Immingham*
Mains - *110V AC*
RAMAC - *SAIT 7A 5825*
Reason - *Install ER4250 Transmitter. Check all radio equipment & service as required.* 

*ER4250 installed & connected. Installed receiver aerial.*
*Connected to main aerial via knife switch but found unsatisfactory for tuning. Reconnected to emergency aerial & tuned up satisfactorily.*
*Tested with Scheveningen Radio on 2182kHz strength 5, mod. good. Reply received from Athens Radio 8mHz. Demonstrated & handed over to Radio Officer. Operating Satisfactorily.*
*Radio equipment tested and following faults found -*
*Main Rx 745E - No calibration - wrong oscillator valve fitted.*
*Autokey AK5010 - Not working - Dirty cam & contacts.*
*Autoalarm AA82 - Not working - No Signals - Changed all valves, trimmed aerial trimmer. Operating well but no low level test due to lack of spares to replace R48.*


*(7.8.78 1100-2030 + 3.5 hrs travel)*
*(11.8.78 1400-1500 + 2 hrs travel)*
*(11.8.78 1700-2300 + 2 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* One transmitter complete with fitting materials & spares (Serial Nrs. PSupply 440, FStage 836, E5000 838, R5000 775), 2 standoff insulators, 5 pads 670070, one pair low resistance h/pjones.*

There's a picture of the installed equipment attached.

There are so many ships called Aramis on Miramar that there's no way I can pick out which one was this one.
I seem to remember that the Captain was so thankful that he gave us a frozen salted cod to take away. I left that for my boss. [=P]


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## K urgess

*Ice Lark*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GWHZ*
Owner - *Sealion Shipping Ltd.*
Agent - *J. R. Rix, Hull*
Port - *Hull*
Mains - *220V AC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Nera CB721 VHF and M114 Radiotelephone receiver.* 

*VHF reported poor output. Found dirty relay contacts and de-tuned final stage. Output 7 watts.*
*Improved to 15 watts and no longer intermittent.*
*Tested strength 5, good modulation with Spurn Pilots.*

*M114 receiver drive cord repeatedly breaking: Due to wire drive cord to tuning scale being frayed. Replaced both drive cords and now satisfactory.*


*(15.8.78 1100-1200 + 1 hr travel)*
*(15.8.78 1500-1630 + 1 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* Drive cord (Local supply)*

Third visit to this one and the third time I had to work on the Elektro-Mekano S114/M114 R/T rig. 
Getting to be an expert. [=P]

A few photos in the gallery as mentioned before
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/galler...hp?photo=18755
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/galler...hp?photo=21918
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/galler...hp?photo=21919


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## K urgess

*Pertinence*

Flag - *British*
Callsign - *GBYY*
Owner - *Crescent Shipping*
Agent - *Kettlewell, Whitby*
Port - *Whitby*
Mains - *24V DC*
RAMAC - *SES*
Reason - *Service Sailor RT144 VHF radiotelephone.* 

*Reported no transmission.*
*Tested with output power meter & found power output 25W.*
*Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) very good.*

*Found no modulation.*
*Checked handset & found AF pre-amplifier detached from microphone insert.*
*Reconnected.*

*Tested with Whitby Coastguard strength 5, good modulation on channels 16 & 12.*

*(19.9.78 1330-1400 + 4 hrs travel)*

Material Supplied -* NIL*

A long way to go for such a quick job. At least the holiday season was almost over and I could find a parking space and not have to battle caravans there and back.

No pictures of her in our gallery but several on Photoships
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships P/slides/Pertinence-01.html

Thought it was about time I got on with these reports.


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