RMS TITANIC/MGY - Real or Fake Recording? SOS Real or Fake?

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D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

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May 12, 2021, 10:13:18 PM5/12/21
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RMS TITANIC/MGY - Real or Fake Recording? SOS Real or Fake?
https://youtu.be/JXwC7TsL6Fo          

73

DR

Glenn VK4DU

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May 13, 2021, 12:09:01 AM5/13/21
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Too fast.

 

MGY didn’t have a bug – only straight keys.

 

Signal too strong.

 

There “just” happened to be a wire recorder ready to record?

 

BS

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ps parksstephenson.com

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May 13, 2021, 1:28:59 AM5/13/21
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I don’t know. I sincerely doubt that Titanic’s calls were recorded that clearly on the East Coast of the USA. But the recording does sound like a 70kHz musical tone, of the kind that Titanic’s rotary spark discharger would have generated. 
  • “ ITSA” makes no sense to me and was not a part of any code used in messages according to the Postmaster General regulations. 
  • “OM” was an informal code, meaning “Old Man”. It is well known in Titanic lore that Cyril Evans aboard the Californian informally called up Titanic using that code…if a message was official, and a message meant to be acknowledged by a ship’s Master, the prefix code would be “MSG.”  I doubt that Phillips would have used OM in a distress message. 
  • Phillips is known to have repeated the CQD and/or SOS multiple times in his messages. For example, he would transmit CQD six times before the MGY callsign. 
  • There was a period after Titanic stopped dead in the water when the safety valves on the ship’s funnels lifted as the boilers blew off excess steam. The noise was deafening in the Marconi Room on the Boat Deck. That is correct. But it is also convenient. The message sounds a little too well constructed for my taste. No other ships’ PVs recorded a message like the one recorded here. 
I think that it was a vintage recording made to simulate Titanic’s distress call for an audience who has been hungry for Titanic material ever since 1912. 


Parks
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Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 7:12:39 PM

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Subject: [Radio Officers, &c] RMS TITANIC/MGY - Real or Fake Recording? SOS Real or Fake?
 
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D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

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May 13, 2021, 2:01:05 AM5/13/21
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Parks, 

In the 25 years this list (as it is the successor of my original one-way email list done on 600 baud telephone modems) has been in operation, we've lost many who either knew first-hand or intimate second-hand from the early pioneers, this information.

ITSA is "It's a" poorly sent.

I'd like to know more about Cyril Evans aboard the Californian informally called up Titanic using that code namely "OM".

Remember, there was no "amateur radio" in 1912, so procedures were taken from wire telegraphy, or common language. 

It has also just come to my attention from R/O Urbano Cavina that in current amateur radio parlance OM is "any" male operator, while professionally in marine radiotelegraphy, it was equal to calling an operator a Master of his craft and was accordingly reserved for only those occasions. Being Chief Radio Officer (CRO) on one of two the best equipped ship radio stations in the world (White Star Lines "Olympic" and "Titanic" were equipped with the highest powered ship radio station ever made (5 kW spark), calling CRO Phillips "OM" would be appropriate as would the very fast code speed. (Even in the late 20th century, 1st Radiotelegraph Certificates required 25 words per minute English transmission and reception and five letter cipher groups at 20 such groups per minute. I've heard operators sending over 30 WPM on a straight key, and the operators who never owned a speed key (Vibroplex or other) continue to be able to send at that speed.

I'm not sharing any more, because I want this group to discuss this and see what clues they have to either verify that this is genuine or that it's a hoax.

73

DR




Lawrence Cohen

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May 13, 2021, 10:34:17 AM5/13/21
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Way back in 2007, this same recording was posted on Youtube with
a cover page that said: "Simulated Transmission".  It also included English
transcription synced to the code.  Let me know what you think.
Larry
WA2TRJ




ps parksstephenson.com

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May 13, 2021, 11:03:41 AM5/13/21
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Now that you say it, I do remember that. It was a re-creation made by a member of the AWA. They had the caveat that they didn’t know the shorthand code used at the time, so they used plain language for the message. 

Also, Phillips did use “OM” in at least one conversation with another ship during the disaster, but did not use it in his broadcast call up. 

I should not be responding to email after I have been drinking margaritas all night. 


Parks
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Subject: Re: [Radio Officers, &c] RMS TITANIC/MGY - Real or Fake Recording? SOS Real or Fake?
 

william cross

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May 13, 2021, 11:43:31 AM5/13/21
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I made a simulation of all the radio traffic that night as part of the Replica Radio Room Project at Fort Perch Rock for the 100th Anniversary. The whole thing is about 45/50 minutes long. Ended up making a shorter version for use in the Replica Radio Room at Fort Perch Rock New Brighton. Our Marine Radio Museum Society moved from the Fort in Feb 2014 and are now operating from the Tug France Hayhurst in Royal Albert Dock Liverpool with M0LBL call.

D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

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May 13, 2021, 12:38:43 PM5/13/21
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I don't know which setting I messed up now because I cannot see your email address, Bill, and I'm too lazy to get into the owner's administrative interface to find your address, so everyone's going to get this message!

Can you send me a copy of the longer recording and maybe some pictures to accompany it?  I'd like to put it up on my http://tiny.cc/n1ea site.

73

David 



D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

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May 13, 2021, 3:37:53 PM5/13/21
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Fred Jensen

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May 13, 2021, 5:19:49 PM5/13/21
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Just curious:  Nearly all of the Titanic transcripts I've seen are devoid of abbreviations.  Exchanges/transmissions are fully spelled out.  I don't know when Q-signals were first invented, might have been after Titanic, but spelling out big words [e.g. "require immediate assistance"] seems strange in the middle of a sea disaster.  Newly licensed in 1953, I built my code speed by copying PW, and the maritime channels.  Traffic was spelled out but chatter was full of abbreviations just as were ham QSO's.  So two questions for those in the know:

1.  Are the Titanic "transcripts" really verbatim copy or are they more paraphrase [i.e. did the RX op expand abbreviations to make the transcript readable by the average person]?

2.  Did the abbreviations I copied in the 50's come from ham radio, vice-versa, or something else?

Skip K6DGW

ps parksstephenson.com

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May 13, 2021, 5:30:40 PM5/13/21
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The Marconi operators had their own codes, prior to Q codes coming into common use. No one today knows exactly what codes they used in 1912. They certainly did not spell everything out in plain language. One example of their unique abbreviations:  “D D D” meant “shut up, shut up, shut up!”



Parks
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D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

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May 13, 2021, 6:18:28 PM5/13/21
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On Thu, May 13, 2021 at 5:30 PM ps parksstephenson.com <p...@parksstephenson.com> wrote:
The Marconi operators had their own codes, prior to Q codes coming into common use. No one today knows exactly what codes they used in 1912. They certainly did not spell everything out in plain language. One example of their unique abbreviations:  “D D D” meant “shut up, shut up, shut up!”



Parks

"D D D" meaning "shut up, shut up, shut up" is easily seen in the use in ITU regulations of the SOS Relay:  DDD SOS SOS SOS DDD.

In commercial work, the Morse symbol that is currently used as comma was used as a courtesy warning to other nearby stations that the ship was going to use high power, so that they should take steps to protect their hearing.  For years this abbreviation was mentioned in the "Radio Amateur's Callbook", and it's mentioned also in SOWP publications.

This was still heard in the sunset days of 500 kHz WT by the keying of dah-dah-di-di-dah-dah with the dashes stretched out like the dashes in SOS which was used most often when someone was calling another station during the silent period.  STOP! 

I for one would relish hearing some person start calling WPA or WSC during the silent period right now.

73
DR
 

Glenn VK4DU

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May 13, 2021, 6:21:44 PM5/13/21
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Hello all,

The term “Old man”

This had nothing at all to do with one’s position or how fast one could send.  It was a standard greeting between British R/Os.

“Old Man” was (until very recently) generally used as a term of endearment between British middle (and upper) class males who knew each other – Cottam and Phillips did know each other, so the term was entirely appropriate.


Rgds
Glenn


From: mailto:radio-o...@googlegroups.com <mailto:radio-o...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of D.J.J. Ring, Jr.
Sent: Thursday, 13 May 2021 16:01
To: Radio Officers Google Group <mailto:radio-o...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Radio Officers, &c] RMS TITANIC/MGY - Real or Fake Recording? SOS Real or Fake?

Parks, 

In the 25 years this list (as it is the successor of my original one-way email list done on 600 baud telephone modems) has been in operation, we've lost many who either knew first-hand or intimate second-hand from the early pioneers, this information.

ITSA is "It's a" poorly sent.

I'd like to know more about Cyril Evans aboard the Californian informally called up Titanic using that code namely "OM".

Remember, there was no "amateur radio" in 1912, so procedures were taken from wire telegraphy, or common language. 

It has also just come to my attention from R/O Urbano Cavina that in current amateur radio parlance OM is "any" male operator, while professionally in marine radiotelegraphy, it was equal to calling an operator a Master of his craft and was accordingly reserved for only those occasions. Being Chief Radio Officer (CRO) on one of two the best equipped ship radio stations in the world (White Star Lines "Olympic" and "Titanic" were equipped with the highest powered ship radio station ever made (5 kW spark), calling CRO Phillips "OM" would be appropriate as would the very fast code speed. (Even in the late 20th century, 1st Radiotelegraph Certificates required 25 words per minute English transmission and reception and five letter cipher groups at 20 such groups per minute. I've heard operators sending over 30 WPM on a straight key, and the operators who never owned a speed key (Vibroplex or other) continue to be able to send at that speed.

I'm not sharing any more, because I want this group to discuss this and see what clues they have to either verify that this is genuine or that it's a hoax.

73

DR



Glenn VK4DU

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May 13, 2021, 6:21:44 PM5/13/21
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Hello all,

 

I used to run a website specialising in the radio aspects of MGY, so I have studied the issue in depth.

 

There are a number of problems with the so called “Titanic Distress massage”:

 

Content

 

I wanted to pick up on what Parks (hello Parks..how’s things?) said re the message content.

 

I have the PV (process verbal), which is a compilation of log books from surrounding ships and coast stations – it was used at the enquiries.

 

The initial Distress message was sent at 1215 ship’s time.  It comprised:

 

CQD (6 times) DE (this is) MGY (6 times) position 41.44 N. 50.24 W

 

 

At approx. 1225 ships time, the engineers were releasing steam pressure from the boilers, and this is when Phillips sent “Can hear nothing for noise of steam”

 

So, the steam comment was not sent in the initial distress message.  As Parks said – all too convenient…

 

Speed

 

The message was sent too quickly.  Phillips would not have sent such an important message at that speed.  Accuracy was vital.

 

Recording equipment

 

Recorders were in their infancy – there is almost no possibility that someone would have a wire line recorder ready to receive distress traffic.

 

Recording acoustics

 

There is no static or other signals on the recording, and the signal is too strong and clear.  It would be quite weak at a shore station – the chances of a nearby ship having a recorder?  Nil.

 

 

So, in consideration of the above, I share Parks’ view that it is almost certainly is a simulation.

 

 

 

The term “Old man”

 

This had nothing at all to do with one’s position or how fast one could send.  It was a standard greeting between British R/Os.

 

“Old Man” was (until very recently) generally used as a term of endearment between British middle (and upper) class males who knew each other – Cottam and Phillips did know each other, so the term was entirely appropriate.

 

 

Rgds

Glenn

 

 

From: radio-o...@googlegroups.com <radio-o...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of D.J.J. Ring, Jr.


Sent: Thursday, 13 May 2021 16:01

D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

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May 13, 2021, 6:32:17 PM5/13/21
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R/O Glenn Dunstan's excellent web site on Titanic/MGY can be accessed here: https://web.archive.org/web/20161217124951/http://hf.ro/

73

DR

Mike

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May 13, 2021, 8:56:13 PM5/13/21
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Absolutely right Glenn ...... Similar is the Greek 'FLM' and the French 'VX'.

OM was used frequently during my time at sea (1954 to 1988) both inter-ship and between ship & coast stations, & of course, it's use continues on amateur bands to this day (also 'OC' and 'OT'.....ref Old Chap & Old Timer respectively.)

73 de Mike, zl1mh & ex-ZL1BLJ, G3JPQ, VS1LU & 9M4LU.

On 14/05/2021 10:15, Glenn VK4DU wrote:
Hello all,


The term “Old man”

This had nothing at all to do with one’s position or how fast one could send.  It was a standard greeting between British R/Os.

“Old Man” was (until very recently) generally used as a term of endearment between British middle (and upper) class males who knew each other – Cottam and Phillips did know each other, so the term was entirely appropriate.


Rgds
Glenn


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