Liberty Ships

[J.J.Miller]

Good Day !

I have been aboard many Liberty ships before they were taken off the sea
for unseaworthiness and have never seen spark transmitters fitted.

Even during WW2 the majority of US Libertys were fitted with the old
Mackay console,FT 101, the first all in one unit designed for ships. The
emergency Tx was the same unit as the main except that it was
able to switch power source from mains to 24v battery. Model 150AY.

The fewer RMCA equipped Libertys had the 3U console and they had a
separate battery powered emergency TX. ET-8025.

As I understand it, during the war HF was not included. This became an
after addition fitted external to the console ,(At a right angle to),
on the right hand side of the RR. HF receivers included either Mackay
138, RMCA 8506 or Scott -which required a Janette rotary converter.

Some Libertys were provided to U.K. and they were equipped differently,
they had a set of letters that preceded the ships name, indicating, I
believe, that they were wartime trade board ships or something similar.

This type of radio equipment is described nicely in the books, "The
Radio Manual" by Sterling & Monroe. They were used as texts in many
engineering and technical schools.

Just for old time enlightenment. (Victory ships; The consoles included
HF and in reverse to Liberty types, the majority were fitted with RMCA
and fewer with Mackay).

J J Miller W3DHO

[wf...@ws19ops.com]

I own and regularly operate on the amateur bands an ex-Liberty ship
FT-101 console (Mackay 167-BY HF transmitter and RMCA AR-8506B
receiver) all with 1944 manufacturing tags. The manual for the console
is also dated 1944 and it includes the drawings for adding the console
to the existing LF transmitter installation (at right angle to the
existing LF console, after removing the receiver shelf from that side
of the cabin) with a new cabling/switching arrangement.
Here is a link to my setup, showing it before I touched up the peeling
paint on the 167-BY front panel:
http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/photos/wf2u.htm
I had to build a power supply for the transmitter as originally it
took power from the existing rotary converter used with the LF
transmitter.
The Mackay 167-BY puts out 250W on CW on the 80 M band (frequency
control is either by crystals or a variable Master Oscillator).
There is another FT-101 (KW1I) on the air regularly, and I know of
another 2 being under restoration with the intention of getting them
on the air.

73 de Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC

Quoting "J.J.Miller" <seas...@ptd.net>:

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[Spud Roscoe]

This is great. Thanks. I had to go back and reread what I had written on the
Park ships from working with a few of the RO's who sailed in them during
World War II. Unfortunately I did not record their emergency equipment.
Canada managed to get ahead in building the Forts, Oceans and Parks to the
point the first two engines fitted in the Liberties were built here in
Canada. All these ships were that much alike. A few of the Canadian made
ships were fitted with U.S. Mackay and RMCA equipment and they must have
been identical to what you describe. The others were fitted with Canadian
Marconi equipment. Like a dummy I did not find out nor record their
emergency equipment when I recorded this 35 years ago. The CMC stations
were: 3V-SW-8 HF Regenerative Receiver, MSL-5 Main Receiver, STT-4 HF
Transmitter and the LTT-4 MF Transmitter. The STT-4 was not crystal
controlled and had a VFO so that it could move around on the marine
frequencies. The only time ROCKY MOUNTAINS PARK used her STT-4 was when the
junior RO took sick. They called Halifax for instructions on one of the high
HF frequencies and was told to leave him at Barbados their nearest port. I
am fairly certain these guys said their emergency transmitter was a quenched
gap spark. From looking over what you describe it does not sound right does
it?

Thanks again.

Spud VE1BC

[Jerry Proc]

Hi Spud,

From your message I extracted two Canadian Marconi model numbers which I
have added to the "wanted" list on my CMC web page. If you ever run across
any photos or info for the 3V-SW-8 receiver or the STT-4 transmitter. I
would like to hear from you.

***

Thanks again.

Spud VE1BC

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15:33:00

[Spud Roscoe]

Hi Jerry:

I was trying to find them on here also. Hopefully someone will come up with
them.

I was not into it that deep 35 years ago and really had no interest in
getting more detail. Now of course those guys are long gone.

Spud

[Eric Weber]

I just came across an interesting file in my collection.... will have to scan it in the next couple of days.... The FCC NPRM FCC 76-455 ...
It lists the entire US Flag Fleet including laid up ships with Model Numbers for their Main / Reserve and HF transmitters... Circa June 1976

Regards:
Eric K. Weber
Radio Officer
WECH

[Eric Weber]

An interesting fact from the FCC paper circa 1976...

702 US Flag ships authorized to employ HF A1 Morse Telegraphy....

No wonder it's hard to find a job now!

Rgds:
Eric Weber
Radio Officer
M/V Manulani WECH

[Mike Hutchins]

Hi Spud, I just found this thread, so this is a little late!
Ref the 'Parks', in 1954/55 I was R/O on Darton/GNLN, ex-Nemiskam Park/VDTN. Her original radio gear was mostly intact & in use. Emergenct Tx was definitely Spark, but I can't recall the model. MF was LTT4 & HF LTT4, like you say, the latter was VFO-controlled & covered 4, 6, 8 and 12mc/s.
Original main Rx (Can Mar with plug-in coils) was still there too but was relegated to Emergency Rx, don't remember that model number either. A new main Rx (made by GE) had been fitted.
That STT4 tuned up nicely on the 20m ham band!
n the main deck, after end of the enginerrom block was a small room (then used as a paint locker) with the metal plate 'Emergency Radio Room' above the door. I often wonder if a 'spare' radio set-up was fitted to these ships?
73 to all de Mike, zl1mh (ex-g3jpq, vs1lu, 9m4lu, zl1blj).

[Mike Hutchins]

[spudr...@eastlink.ca]

Hi Mike:

 

The emergency radio room is news and I would think in the Liberty Ship only. I worked with three operators that sailed in the Park Ships during the war, the Canadian sister of the Liberty and no one made any mention of an Emergency Radio Room. These guys were all a big help with my research.

 

Thanks for this.

 

73

Spud VE1BC

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[Richard]

Während das Weltkrieg I think all military ships had an Emergency Radio Room.  A friend was on a cargo ship in the Pacific, and when things were happening his job was sitting in the Emergency Radio Room.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/radio-officers/17BAB566DC374873BF5B9297548131FD%40OwnerPC.

[Mike]

Spud, no....I only sailed on a Park, never a Liberty (tho I wish I had!!).

I, too, was surprised to see the 'Em Radio Room', but the Mate on 'Darton', who had sailed on other Parks, assured me it was 'normal'....pity nobody came up with one of the original 'plans' for these ships!....though, I suspect, there would have been minor differences between them.

Best from here!

73 de Mike. zl1mh.

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[spudr...@eastlink.ca]

It is all news to me Mike

Thanks

 

 

 

From: Mike

Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2017 8:30 PM

To: radio-o...@googlegroups.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/radio-officers/5c39b01e-8987-f21a-0c24-276fd36092e8%40xtra.co.nz.

[Ken McCormack]

During WW2 when RMS "Rangitiki" GSXW was a troop carrier, the emergency radio room was located

in the officers' accommodation on the deck below the f'wd funnel.

The main radio room was in the base of the f'wd funnel (dummy) which was reinforced internally to support

the twin Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns mounted near the top, making the site doubly vulnerable.

In 1953 I sailed on "Rangitiki" as 4th R/O.   The Bosun, who had been on the ship since it was built in 1929

provided this info when I asked him about the 6" diameter steel tube running through the centre of the radio

room up to the top of the funnel.

After WW2 the emergency radio room was converted and divided to provide the 4th R/O cabin and a cabin

for the "Captain's Tiger".

The two f'wd lifeboats were still fitted with spark transmitters in 1953. 

After a routine test of both spark transmitters, working ZLD some 8 miles from Queen's Wharf in Auckland

I had a visit by an irate NZPO Radio Inspector who's office had been overwhelmed with interference complaints from city and suburban residents.

The other R/Os had somehow neglected to tell me that the spark transmitters were normally tested when the

ship was in the outer Hauraki Gulf.   How was I to know that the ZLD operator was in on the joke?

He sent QRZ? over and over.

I was only an 18 year-old kid.

73, Ken ZL1AIH

PS  Hi Mike 1MH

 

 

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

The outer Hauraki Gulf was the most seaward portion, much further than
where you did test the spark transmitters. Bad R/O's playing this
game on the new 4 R/O.

73

DR

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[Eric Weber]

I have documentation at home on radio consoles on the entire us fleet early 70s including the mothball fleet.

Need to get it scanned and posted.

Eric

[Ken McCormack]

Hi DR,

Three days later, bound UK via Panama the Marconi "Electra" receiver died - three R/Os scratching

thei heads, confused and bewildered:  no HF receiver.   Oh dear.

(The young green lad repaied it in 30 minutes.   They didn't know that I had worked in a radio repair shop,

after school since I was 13 years old, 3.30pm to 6pm every week day.)

The 1953 Tangiwai rail disaster occurred during Queen Elizabeth's visit to NZ on the "Gothic" and it seemed

that every one of the 450 passengers and many of the 280 crew members thought they had relatives on the train.

The Lamson tube (you have to be an old fart to remember a Lamson tube) from the Purser's Office to the radio room, only 7 decks above became overloaded/jammed from time to time during the next day or two.

The 3rd RO was ex NZPO, a superb hand-key operator ;   the 2nd R/O was competent.   The Chief R/O's

sending experience was WW2 radio silence. 
 

I volunteered to split the MF and HF positions by modifying the aerial/antenna switching so they could operate indendently on both HF and MF simultaneously.    With reluctance, the Chief R/O agreed.

(This ship was in a RAMAC (radio and maintenance agreement with Marconi - no modifications permitted.)

The 3rd RO ran the outgoing traffic at a steady 25wpm - the ZLD op was Jack Monks, another superb hand-key op.   They handled 500 QTCs in less than 24 hours, I listened to this - QSL5, QSL 10, QSL
15 etc.   Once evey 5 was enough for them. 

My job was to empty the Lampton tube capsules, count the words, fill in the prreamble, place the QTC

under the pile for the 3 R/O who stayed at the key until the Lamson tube stopped blowing cartridges

into the basket.   Oh, I had to cut up the meals into fork-sized pieces for the 3rd R/O as well.

And pour his drinks.

It was great fun and I was getting paid for it.   In later years I was paid more and had more fun on a

cruise ship.    Less fun but much better salary on an oil rig.   <G>

73, Ken ZL1AIH

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

The 3rd RO was ex NZPO, a superb hand-key operator ;   the 2nd R/O was competent.   The Chief R/O's

sending experience was WW2 radio silence.

Such fun!  And you poured his drinks, too? Sounds like the CRO could copy cipher groups non-stop if I can read behind the lines, and the Chief was the one that had the 1st class license, or did he have some sort of exemption?

73

DR