Emailing: Glomar Explorer

[Dick Singer]

Hello R/O Group,

Here are a couple of pictures that may or may not be historical. In 1973 I
was hired by the Summa Corp. a cover for the CIA. I was sent back to
Chester, PA to Sun Shipyard where the Hughes Glomar Explorer was being
built. I met my partner Tuilio D'Angleo and we installed much of the radio
communications equipment. I had the knowledge of Naval communications and
Tullio had Merchant Marine experience. The whole idea was to use CW
communications plan language to communicate with our home office. After all
we were supposed to be a deep ocean mining vessel.

There were four R/O's for the project. Tullio and I were on 'A' crew and
Jack Dabdou and Kenny Arnold were on 'B' crew. The radio room was manned 24
hours a day. Every two weeks Tullio and I would swap watches so neither one
of us would get to settled in to day or night watches.

The ship had the latest and best equipment for communications at the time.
We had a 22 or 24 element LPA on a 50 foot boom with rotator. There was also
another LPA in the box on the flying bridge in case the one on the tower got
damaged. We ran mostly CW and RTTY. We had two Teletype Corp. KSR 28's with
gears set up for 60 baud, if I remember 72 baud, and 100 baud. KPH ran 60
baud and the coasties ran 100 baud. Tullio and I tried to stay with CW as
much as possible for commercial messages. KPH would take too long to get set
up for RTTY. Jimmie the owner of WLO at the time was about the only
commercial station who ran FEC RTTY. He was a great help to us for getting
our equipment up and running on FEC RTTY. I was used to reactance keying and
now audio was being used instead.

Our CW equipment was the standard RCA marine rack 500 watt unit. We would
use that most of the time for CW, however we did have a Collins URG-208U
3-KW transmitter if conditions were bad and we needed to get a message off.
We had several Communications Associates Inc. 1-KW transmitter/receivers
that we mainly used for RTTY.

The 'A' crew went on the mission to retrieve the sunken Soviet submarine. We
had a U.S. Naval Submarine Captain who I will call Fred, who used to come
into the radio room and visit with me. He said that there were some very
good sailors down there in the submarine, and we all felt the same way. It
could have been one of ours. There was much respect within our crew for the
submarine sailors that made their final dive.

If you are interested, there is a DVD that you can buy on line at the
'PBS.COM' site called 'AZORIAN' 'THE RAISING OF THE K-129'. I believe it is
around $20.00 and is very, very accurate accounting of the construction of
the ship and the mission. There is a brief shot of my hand sending CW with
my bug. Some of the photo's in the DVD are original CIA photo's.

The first attached photo is of the ship off Catalina, CA, the second is of
me and Tullio, I am sitting, and the third is the shot of me sending CW at
the RCA rack, thanks to a friend who sent it to me.

I was the only ham operator on the ship, at least in the radio department.

73
Dick/K6KSG

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

With 3 kW and 22 element log periodic up 50 feet which itself was up 50 feet over salt water, your problem was HEARING the other station.

Tell us what difficult DX you worked with it?  KPH on 4 MHz at noon?

73

DR

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[Dick Singer]

No the LPA was about 25 feet above the flying bridge. The BOOM was 50 feet long. It had a frequency range of 6 to 30 MHz. As with all LP’s the higher in frequency you use it the better the gain of the antenna. We had problems with getting it on 6 MHz as far as SWR goes. So we made up a 6 MHz dipole inverted V and hung it from under the radar mast at the apex. These LP antennas are the same as KHT used in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and was said to be around $12K each. KHT used the SAC Air Force base in Cedar Rapids with government agreement to keep the Collins HF gear operational. They had another antenna farm in Newport Beach, CA that they could remote to if need be. All of the antennas were LPA, the same one we used. If I remember correctly I think there were 4 or 5 separate LPA’s at Newport Beach on separate towers.

 

As far as difficulty hearing stations was no problem. Night communications were mostly on 8 or 6 MHz to SFO. While on station during daytime communications 12 or 16 MHz were used for SFO.

 

We had a Pacific navigation chart with a rose on it in the radio room. When we were going to use the LP we would call the bridge and  get our heading, then transpose the heading to point the LP to SFO. Never a problem.

 

Just a side note, we were told we would be on our own if things went awry and the USS Midway aircraft carrier would be our back up. We found out that the Midway was in Yokosuka, Japan. The Midway was the ship I was on in the Navy…..go figure. We were on our own!

 

73

Dick/K6KSG

[Eric Weber]

Sac air force base? I visited KHT, there might have been a Rockwell business jet nearby, but no military action,,,, unless the camo was very impressive! :-)

Eric

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Does he mean Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska?  That's not too far away by air.

73

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA  Radio-Officers Group -- Join CW email list -- Historic Morse Recordings 

Gopher Hole:  gopher://sdf.org/1/users/djringjr/ (native or with Firefox's Overbite extension) or via http to gopher gateway

Chat Skype: djringjr MSN: djringjr (@) msn.com AIM: N1EA icq: 27380609

=30=

[Dick Singer]

Fill me in Eric, did you see the transmitters and LP antennas?

 

Dick

[Dick Singer]

Eric – I am not questing your input but I am curious as to what they were using for transmitters? Thanks

 

Dick

 

From: radio-o...@googlegroups.com [mailto:radio-o...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Eric Weber

Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 8:07 PM
To: radio-o...@googlegroups.com

[Eric Weber]

Aloha Dick and the Group

It's been about 20 years back that I made the visit to KHT Cedar Rapids Iowa, the antennas were in the Collins Radio yard... a log periodic at 50 feet or so, and several curtain arrays of wire antennas, in fixed directions. Don't remember the model but they had numerous Collins 10KW transmitters being run at 1KW when used for commercial traffic. They also had remote control of KHR in California.
I may have a brochure somewhere at home. On a more recent visit a couple of years ago, it's all gone.

Now for the TR....
I joined the M/V Manulani WECH last night in Long Beach CA,, had my 6AM wakeup call for a bad remote valve on the bunkering system with the barge due at 630... lucked out the issue was mechanical and the c/e had it working when I got there,,, just had to put the covers back for him and have coffee.

Mahalo

Eric



Dick Singer <rpsi...@howard-co.us> wrote:

Fill me in Eric, did you see the transmitters and LP antennas?

 

Dick

[Mike Zbrozek]

 

 

Hello Eric and the Group-

 

Is Matson the only company left for ARA?

I sailed for ARA from 1990-92.

 

New   Subj:

I hear that the Glomar Explorer has returned to service?

Leaving it anch near Martinez Calif....I have seen it from afar

when I sailed with Exxon. In 1980, I visited its sister ship the Glomar

Explorer in Port Everglades. What a  ship.........

 

 

73

Mike K8XF

[Joel Roberson]

Here's a link to an official declassified document which while highly redacted, is still of great interest and includes details of subjects not mentioned in the Azorian documentary. 

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb305/doc01.pdf

 There are details of radio and visual communications, so I'm wondering Dick, if you conducted the flashing light comms or if HGE actually carried any mates proficient in Morse code? In my 30-odd years seagoing experience I only met one mate who was capable. He had been a USN signalman. I spent many tours at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. On a couple of occasions the commodore (Commander of Military Prepositioned Squadron II) decided to schedule regular flashing light drills with specific instructions that they were to be conducted by a designated mate and that the radio officers were not to assist other than in training exercises prior to the drills. Suspicious of the reported high accuracy of the message-exchanging drills, one young mate admitted to me that he and his counterpart on another ship anchored nearby had met ashore and exchanged pre composed messages. After 9/11 everyone started taking their jobs more seriously.

[Eric Weber]

We also have MTL/Central Gulf and several MSC charter ships.

Rgds
Eric

[Dick Singer]

Hi Joel,

 

Yes we were advised of the possible contact with the Chazhma/UMGT. After they made radar contact with us and came close to our ship, I had the LP turned to Pearl Harbor and all the transmitters up and on standby. I had called them on 500, 2182, 8 MHz and no answers to any of my calls. This went on for some time and I wanted Pearl Harbor to know they had made visual contact with us. Finally my last call to the Chazhma I asked if blinking light would be okay. The Third Mate made contact with the light and that is when we set up the 2182 QSO. I had my partner awaken to come into the radio room and briefed him what was going on. I had to go up to the forward navigation house to get on 2182. We kept all the 2182 equipment up there since it would not be used that often. We did have SSB equipment back in the after house if needed. The lowest frequency we had programed was 4 MHz, so that is why I had to go forward for the 2182 QSO.

 

I was the only one to make contact via radio with the Chazhma/UMGT and needless to say it was a very precarious time. For we didn’t know what their intensions were. I have a copy of the communications but it is very difficult to understand. For one they had very bad modulation and very deep base audio. Our Navy Captain was really upset with them at the time and had to be calmed down. After all he was a nuke submarine Captain. I have pictures of the Chazhma and the later support SB-10 boat. It was believed the SB-10 was a supply/repair boat for their submarines.

 

Yes I have been on many merchant vessels when the mate would call up to help them read blinking light from another ship, mostly a Navy ship.

 

I have had that unclassified report for some time now. It  is pretty good and of course there are other things that is not in there but that is understandable.

 

I was told a long time ago that the SSB station KHT in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was contracted as a limited communications station manly to keep the USAF SAC HF equipment operational. I do not know where the SAC base is but we have used it quite frequently when I sailed for Exxon. Even for a limited station to have all the LPA antennas and towers in Newport Beach for remoting to is a stretch as far as cost. Do you have any information as to why KMI was a limited communication station?

 

73

Dick/K6KSG

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[Dick Singer]

Thanks for the info Eric, maybe someone who maybe worked there could fill us in.

 

Thanks

73

Dick/K6KSG

[Joel Roberson]

Yes we were advised of the possible contact with the Chazhma/UMGT. After they made radar contact with us and came close to our ship, I had the LP turned to Pearl Harbor and all the transmitters up and on standby. . .

 

Hey Dick,

I hope I'm not pestering you with questions, but this is a fascinating and intriguing subject. I'm curious about what the declassified Azorian report described about the obvious need and methods of maintaining cover for the operation. So along those lines if all your transmissions were in the open - with the exception of prearranged plain language code words - how were you advised of possible contact with the Soviet vessel Chazma? Were you (or the spooks aboard) copying encrypted USN broadcasts, or was her expected track and CPA predicted long before you were on station? 

 

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Dick, I'm guessing you might have meant KHT when you asked "Why KMI was a limited communication station".

>
> I was told a long time ago that the SSB station KHT in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
> was contracted as a limited communications station manly to keep the USAF
> SAC HF equipment operational. 

< snip >

> Do you have any information as to
> why KMI was a limited communication station?
>

The reason as far as I know is that if KHT was licensed like KMI was, they'd have to take public correspondence from any ship and since they were a cooperative like AIR Inc is for air ports and air craft, they would not qualify for a full 10 kW license.

[Dick/K6KSG]

Hey David – that is my mistake. It should have been KHT not KMI. Yes they would run phone patches to our office when I was with Exxon. I know Global Marine used them as well. I used to hear the drill ships in the Gulf of Mexico sending in their progress reports using KHT. I don’t remember who or where I heard that they were a limited coast station and that they were contracted basically to keep the HF Collins gear operational for the USAF SAC Bases. When I made the transit around the Magellan Straits on an Exxon ship we still could raise them for communications. This was in the late 70’s. I will see if I can get more information on the subject.

 

Dick

 

From: radio-o...@googlegroups.com [mailto:radio-o...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of D.J.J. Ring, Jr.

Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 3:32 PM
To: radio-o...@googlegroups.com

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[Dick/K6KSG]

Yes Joel – there were as far as I can remember 3 or 4 vans below decks next to the control room that the various spooks were located. The CIA was in constant contact with the White House at the time during the mission. So I am sure the Navy spooks copied the message from Pearl.

The intel groups used satellite for their coms. Yes there were satellite communications in those days 1974.

 

Dick

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[Mike Zbrozek]

 

 

OK  Eric-

 

Tnx for the info on the ARA fleet. I dont think MTL/Central Gulf have many ships now?

As for MSC charters ... thats another matter.

[Richard Monjure]

I've been reading the messages here.

I would like to kindly remind those who have ever signed a confidentiality agreement with any government agency... you are not supposed to talk about certain things for the entire duration of your agreement.  That still applies even if some information has "leaked out" over the years.

I'll have plenty to tell... in the year 2080.  That's the 100 year agreement I signed, and I'm sticking to it.  I don't want the "Iron Heel" kicking in my door, after all!  (And they will.)

I"ll be dead by 2080, so it's not really an important point.  When I am dead there will be my body in a  box, my telegraph license, and all my secrets that are to be cremated.

My secrets go with me to the afterlife!  Just like a "fine American."

NIL TKS 73 DE RICH SK 

[Dick Singer]

Suit yourself OM – but I talked to the Iron Boot and I have in writing as such. Maybe next time OM I will get your approval first.

 

Dick

[Mike Zbrozek]

 

 

Hi Dick-

 

Whats an iron boot?

[Richard Monjure]

Hi Mike,

I think he was trying to say "Iron Heel" which was a book written by Socialist Jack London.  He also wrote "Call of the Wild."

73,

RM

[Dr.Hess]

I've been enjoying the Glomar Explorer stories. I got a copy of the
PBS vid, which I'll watch later. I heard they held a funeral for the
Russian sailors, taped it and gave it to the Russians. I also heard
they did actually recover the targeting data from the missiles, which
was what they were after. I'm looking forward to watching the vid.

I used to go by the Glomar Explorer in the launch every time we came
into Long Beach. That and John Wayne's yacht.

73
Dr.Hess
NG6Y

[Dick Singer]

Hello Dr. Hess, Yes that is correct. "B" crew did give the recovered Soviet
sailors an honorable burial at sea and gave the Soviet government a copy of
the video.

Just a note - there are two separate video's on the PBS DVD, so be sure to
watch the second as well.

73
Dick/K6KSG