# Interesting R/O podcast



## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Episode #28 - The Ship's Radio Officer — DitDit.fm


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I was amazed that the chief on his first ship wouldn't let him touch the tx'ers....until he did it himself!


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## Harry Nicholson (Oct 11, 2005)

Troppo said:


> I was amazed that the chief on his first ship wouldn't let him touch the tx'ers....until he did it himself!


Thanks, Troppo. I much enjoyed that podcast. On my first trip (the trooper Dunera in 1956) the main TX failed. I was junior in a Marconi crew of four on a 24hr ship. I reckoned I could fix the fault and told the chief. He would not agree. Said to leave it as we would be in Singapore next day and we would get a technician from the Marconi depot there. Sure enough, a little chinaman, in Khaki shorts, turned up and fixed the fault - a grid resistor. I was astonished, and wondered - what are we here for if we can't dive in and fix the gear? Much better in Brocklebanks: sent away with 250 yards of lead-covered cable and told the rewire the wireless room when idle for the usual month in Calcutta. After that - make a new aerial rig . . .


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## odobber6 (Mar 1, 2011)

Harry Nicholson said:


> Thanks, Troppo. I much enjoyed that podcast. On my first trip (the trooper Dunera in 1956) the main TX failed. I was junior in a Marconi crew of four on a 24hr ship. I reckoned I could fix the fault and told the chief. He would not agree. Said to leave it as we would be in Singapore next day and we would get a technician from the Marconi depot there. Sure enough, a little chinaman, in Khaki shorts, turned up and fixed the fault - a grid resistor. I was astonished, and wondered - what are we here for if we can't dive in and fix the gear? Much better in Brocklebanks: sent away with 250 yards of lead-covered cable and told the rewire the wireless room when idle for the usual month in Calcutta. After that - make a new aerial rig . . .


Glad you enjoyed my podcast. Name here is denis obrien and i did that podcast couple of years ago.
Joined marconi in 1970 and first trip as junior ro on a ben line ship called bencruachan and chief just had me listen to 500 khz all way from london to panama. He only came in to send and receive traffic. Not the best way to start but he finally gave me my chance to send receive traffic while in the pacific.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Any other way you can make available to SN members who cannot (visually) use a smartphone/podcast Denis ?
Mp4 or similar...
Your first trip Bencruachan the exact opposite to mine... 
Only saw my Chief at chow reliefs and was left to my own devices on a ship with gear (Redifon) I'd never seen before... 
With hindsight I wonder why there was not an official PMG guideline for all UK 1st R/0s to follow with first trippers...


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

When I did my flying instructor's rating, I learned very quickly there is a big difference in being able to do something and being able to teach it to someone else...

My first chief was useless. My 2nd was great.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

All Blue Funnel Chiefs did no radio work and in my experience with little exception most had lost the ability to operate and therefore teach what they had signed on as ie (1st) Radio Officer...


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## odobber6 (Mar 1, 2011)

R651400 said:


> Any other way you can make available to SN members who cannot (visually) use a smartphone/podcast Denis ?
> Mp4 or similar...
> Your first trip Bencruachan the exact opposite to mine...
> Only saw my Chief at chow reliefs and was left to my own devices on a ship with gear (Redifon) I'd never seen before...
> With hindsight I wonder why there was not an official PMG guideline for all UK 1st R/0s to follow with first trippers...


Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately the podcast is not mine. I was contacted by the owner of podcast. Ditdit.com for an interview on my seagoing career as an ro. The whole podcast subjects are all
Related to CW only. Funnily enough i also got interested in flying after i swallowed anchor but never pursued it commercially. Marriage and kids ended that. Still use cw as a ham op and enjoy increasing my speed.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

#8 No worries..
In my world some aspects of t smartphone monopoly can be be a bit of a bind eg try getting a digital bank account like Starling without a smartphone QR reader to download the bank application form !


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## bc9930 (Jan 26, 2013)

Really enjoyed the podcast.


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