Navy Radio Signalling

[TNR]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum; really hoping someone can help! 

I'm an author and illustrator, and am working on a children's book about St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides. Hirta (the main island) became a Royal Navy signalling station during WW1, but I'm not sure how military radio communications would have worked at the time. Would they have been sent in Morse code, or in some other way? Sorry if it's a daft question but it's something I know very little about. Information much appreciated.

[Lawryleslie]

If you google "military radio communications during WW1" there is a plethora of info that may suit your needs.

Edited 16 November , 2023 by Lawryleslie

[TNR]

Thank you, but I've done lots of that already, hence my question!

[Interested]

I believe International Morse Code was agreed in the 1850's, but there is likely to be an issue with encryption of messages, which someone on the Forum might know about.

Good luck with the book.

[TNR]

This is really helpful; thank you! I'm aware there were changes to the methods of sending and decoding, but it's surprisingly hard to find specific details.

[FROGSMILE]

MEANS OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION

420. Boat flags are used during daylight on battleships in formation at sea to indicate the engine speed to the nearest knot. these are used in addition to speed signals, speed cones, etc., and are displayed at a low position to avoid confusion with regular signals.

421. When making signals by visual methods other than flag hoist, the procedure used is, with few exceptions, the same as that used in radio.

MATERIAL MEANS

422. Semaphore is used largely in despatch work in the fleet. It is rapid for short distances and is sometimes used to transmit signals from low positions, when flag or searchlight signals cannot be read on account of smoke. Wigwag is slower than semaphore, but can be read at a greater distance. It is employed extensively for ship to shore communications and on shore by landing forces. A good background is essential for good results when using either semaphore, or wigwag.

423. Yardarm blinker is rapid and very useful up to a certain point, but when the distance is great or the number is large or the formation is complicated, the yardarm blinker is not satisfactory.

424. High power search lights provide one of the most effective means of communicating by flashing light day or night. They are better suited for signals than for despatch work, for the reason that they are slow and do not function so well after they have been in use awhile and get very hot.

425. Blinker tubes are used chiefly for short range work, when it is desirable not to disclose the location of ships. They are directional and cannot be read by unfriendly vessels, unless pointed at the latter.

426. The Aldis signal light is a hand signal light with a pistol grip. The dots and dashes are produced by pulling a trigger which tilts a parabolic mirror and brings the search light beam to coincide with the line of sight through the sighting telescope or tube, which is mounted on the barrel. When the trigger is not pulled the beam is much higher than the line of sight and hence not visible to anyone on whom the telescope is sighted. An incandescent lamp of special design is used in the light. It burns continuously when the light is held by the grip, the circuit being closed by the pressure of the hand on a second trigger on the grip. A small storage battery supplies the power to run the lamp. This piece of apparatus is small, light, and efficient, and very useful for daylight signaling between vessels operating near each other, and between aeroplanes and ships or ground. The weight of the lamp is about 5-1/3 pounds.

NB.  Images show Royal Navy signal flags as at 1913 (‘Handbook of Signalling’). 

Edited 16 November , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

Note the following reference:

In Britain one of many orders in council promulgated in the days leading to war in the 'Supplement to The London Gazette of Friday the 31st of July, 1914' on Sunday 2nd August 1914 was one dealing with civilian W/T. Entitled 'General Post Office', this stated:-

'In pursuance of Regulation 5 of the Wireless Telegraphy (Foreign Ships) Regulations, 1908, I, the Right Honourable CHARLES EDWARD HENRY HOBHOUSE, His Majesty's Postmaster-General, do hereby give notice that in the opinion of the Right Honourable REGINALD McKENNA, one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, an emergency has arisen in which it is expedient for the public service that His Majesty's Government should have control over the transmission of messages by wireless telegraphy, and that the use of wireless telegraphy on board foreign ships whilst in the territorial waters of the British Isles will be subject to such rules as may be made by the Admiralty'. 
[Reginald McKenna was then Home Secretary.]

Soon after appeared the following:-

'Admiralty, S.W., 3rd August, 1914.

With reference to the notification published by the Postmaster-General on the 2nd instant, the following regulations have been made by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty prohibiting the use of wireless telegraphy by merchant vessels in the territorial waters of the United Kingdom and Channel Islands:-

1. - The use of wireless telegraphy is prohibited in the harbours and territorial waters of the United Kingdom and Channel Islands.

2. On entering any port or harbour or on directions being given to that effect by any naval, military, examination service, Customs or police officer, the aerial wire or antenna is to be at once lowered, disconnected from its halliards, and from the operating room, and is not to be rehoisted while the ship remains in British territorial waters.

3. - Any breach of these regulations renders the masters of offending ships liable to penalties and to the confiscation of the wireless apparatus of their ships.

NOTE. - These regulations do not apply to ships owned (not chartered) by the Admiralty, whether they fly the Blue or the Red Ensign.

By Command of Their Lordships, 
W. Graham Greene'.

Edited 16 November , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[TNR]

Thank you; this is great. 

[horatio2]

Have you seen this (quite technical) description of RN  WT early developments? 

 https://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/history-of-naval-ships-wireless-systems.pdf

[TNR]

Oh this is excellent. Big thank you.

[FROGSMILE]

And here are the most relevant phonetic alphabets (that of the US Navy was apparently different). 

[horatio2]

And here?   -   https://maritimearchaeologytrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Wireless.pdf

[FROGSMILE]

Royal Navy Semaphore Procedure

Peculiar "arms" can sometimes be seen on photographs of Royal Navy warships. These were semaphores, yet another signalling device. The following description of their use in the RN has been taken from the 1913 edition of the Handbook of Signalling, printed by the Admiralty.

Note that a graphic of the actual code may be found at the bottom.

---

 

SEMAPHORE

 

 

How Signals are to be read.

 

1. The Alphabetical Sign shows from which side the signs are to be read.

2. The Signs, as a general rule, are made by a Signalman facing the ships addressed; they are read from the right-hand side of the sending Signalman.

3. As it is often necessary to signal in opposite directions by the same semaphore, Signalmen must be careful to observe in which direction the Sender is facing, more especially when he is using hand flags, so that they can tell the side they must read the signs from their point of view. It should be noted that when the Alphabetical Sign is shown it is the left arm which is extended horizontally. 
 

 

Rules for Semaphoring.

 

1. It must be remembered by the Sender that the semaphore arms should be presented to the observer with a strongly contrasting background; it is best to have the sky as a background, but where this is not possible, the background should be that which throws the semaphore arms into the greatest relief.

2. The semaphore arms must be placed at the exact position indicating the letters or signs, the arms being moved from sign to sign by the shortest route; a distinct pause being made at each sign, according to the rate of sending.

3. At the end of each word or group the arms are to be dropped to the closed position. When double letters occur, the arms are to be dropped to the closed position after the first letter is made and then moved out to the second letter without pausing.

4. As a general rule, with ships in Close Order, semaphore messages should be transmitted at the rate of 15 words per minute on the semaphore, or 20 words per minute with hand flags.

5. When using the mechanical semaphore it is important that the positions of the arms should exactly agree with the positions of the handles, and that there is a minimum of backlash in the chains.

6. When using hand flags the signs are formed in the same plane as the shoulders of the Sender, arms and staves at their full extent, forefingers along the staves. When at the closed position the arms should hang straight from the shoulder.

7. Code and Cypher Messages are not to be passed by semaphore but are to be made by Morse. 
 

 

The Semaphore Flag.

 

1. Flag "E", hoisted either singly or inferior to Distinguishing Signals, denotes that a communication is about to be made by semaphore. The arms of the semaphore are, at the same time, to be set to the Alphabetical Sign. 
 

 

Method of Answering

 

1. The Answering Pendant is to be hoisted at the dip immediately the ship or ships addressed see the signal and hoisted close up when they are ready to read and write down.

2. It is to be dipped when a word is lost, and the ship making the signal is then to repeat preceding words until the Answering Pendant is again hoisted close up. 
 

 

Procedure

 

1. When the ship or ships addressed have answered, the following procedure will be carried out: 
 

Preamble: Hercules - Exmouth (full stop sign)

Message - time of origin 
 

2. If there is no doubt as to the Ship of Origin or the ship addressed, the preamble to a signal is unnecessary and should be omitted, but it is always to be included in signals passed through a ship, or made to more than one ship, or if either the Sending or Receiving Ship is in such a position as to render her identity uncertain. 
 

 

Special Signals

 

1. A Semaphore Signal is commenced with the Alphabetical Sign.

2. The Alphabetical Sign is also to precede each distinct message.

3. The Numeral Sign is always to precede signs on the Semaphore when they represent numbers.

4. The Annul Sign denotes that the word or group immediately preceding it is erased; theAlphabetical or Numeral Sign will then be made, followed by the last word or group sent correctly, and the message continued.

5. If, after a message has been concluded, it is required to alter any particular word, words, or group, the Annul Sign should be made, followed by the word, words, or group to be erased, and then the Alphabetical or Numeral Sign followed by the correct word, words, or group.

6. Should it be required to cancel the whole message, the Annul Sign followed by the word "All" is to be made.

7. In order to render the text of a message to be semaphored perfectly clear, the following signs are to be made use of: 
 

Full Stop	AAA
Tack-line or Break Sign	II
Words to be in parenthesis	KK
Words to be underlined	UK
Words to be in inverted commas	RR

 

8. Any of the other Signs employed in Post Office Morse may also be used if required. 
 

 

When Figures should be Spelt

 

1. Unless there are special reasons to the contrary, figures and times which occur in the text of a message are to be spelt out by the Sender. 
 

 

Time of Origin

 

1. All Signals made by semaphore are to conclude with a "Time of Origin", which is to be considered as part of the message and made by numerals.

2. The "Time of Origin" is to be the actual time at which the signal was ordered to be made.

3. It will be indicated by a group of four figures, representing hours and minutes; the first two being the hours, and the last two the minutes. The hours will be reckoned from Midnight 00 to Midnight 24.

Example:

• 1.12 am would be indicated by 0112
• 1.4 pm would be indicated by 1304
• Midnight would be indicated by 2400

 

 

Hints when Semaphoring

 

1. Small Affirmatives or Answering Pendants should not be left at the dip. If the sending ship does not stop in a reasonable time, the Affirmative or Answer should be hauled down, and a repetition called for.

2. "Dip and hoist" is also a useful check, though not infallible, as cases have occurred of two ships making it at the same time.

3. In large fleets it will be found convenient to arrange special flags for answering certain ships.

4. Whenever possible, each sender should have a copy of the signal, and a hand to dictate. Where semaphores are widely separated and one person attempts to dictate to two or more at the same time, mistakes are bound to occur.

5. In the case of a ship repeating, it is very important that the man reading another ship should be close alongside the man repeating.

6. An acknowledgement or a repeat back should be requested for all important signals when there is any possibility of an error.

Semaphore Code

[this seem to show the signs from the observer's point-of-view]

http://www.gwpda.org/naval/s0900001.gif

[FROGSMILE]

Use of the Morse Code

1.  When using the Morse Code, symbols are expressed by two elements called a "Dot" (or a "Short") and a "Dash" (or a "Long"), which are signalled either singly or in combination.

2. These two elements can be made in various ways. In visual signalling, by the motion of any single object which is made to appear and disappear for short and long periods of time, representing dots and dashes respectively. This method is illustrated in the flash of a Lamp, a Heliograph, or a Searchlight.

3. Flag Waving is an instance where the two elements are signalled by moving an object through small and large Arcs.

4. They can also be signalled by short and long blasts on the Whistle, Bugle, Fog-horn, or Syren.

5. In Telegraphy, these elements are recognised by short and long periods of silence between the clicks of a Sounder; or by short and long sounds emitted by a Buzzer.

6. The dots and dashes, and spaces between them, should be made to bear the following ratio one to another as regards their duration:-

A dot is taken as the unit, and a dash is equivalent to three units.

The space of time between any two elements of a symbol is equal to one unit, between two complete symbols is equal to a dash (or three units), and between two words or groups, two dashes (or six units).

Up to ordinary limits, whatever may be the rate of sending, accuracy in signally depends upon these rules being strictly adhered to.

7. In long-distance visual signalling, where the rate of signalling must necessarily be very slow on account of the apparatus usually employed under those conditions, no definite rate can be laid down; but while generally obeying these rules, it is best to erron the side of making the dots rather shorter in their proportion to the dashes, as it then makes the distinction between these elements plainer; otherwise, in very slow signalling, it is hard to appreciate their relative lengths, because they do not follow one another sufficiently quickly to show their distinction by comparison.

8. The following methods may be used for transmitting messages by the Morse Code:-

By Day:-

1. Flag-waving.

2. Heliograph.

3. Searchlight.

4. Sounder, Buzzer, and W/T.

By Night:-

1. Lamp.

2. Searchlight.

3. Sounder, Buzzer, and W/T.

In a Fog:-

1. Sound Signals.

2. Sounder, Buzzer, and W/T.

3. Searchlight.

9. Signals may be made either by using the groups of letters and signs in the Signal Books, or the communication may be made in plain language.

 

Edited 16 November , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[TNR]

Right, I'm going to spend the rest of the day speaking in old semaphore voice code.

[FROGSMILE]

15 minutes ago, TNR said:

Right, I'm going to spend the rest of the day speaking in old semaphore voice code.

I thought that you might find the following details of use as background information in the context of your signalling station subject.

Organization of the RN Signal Department, 1913

This overview of the way in which the Signal Department in a Royal Navy warship was arranged is taken from the British Admiralty's Handbook of Signalling, 1913.

 

---

63. It is not practicable to produce an organization which will be exactly applicable to every ship under all conditions of service, but the following general principles may be taken as a guide.

2. The Signal staff is divided into two sections:- Watchkeepers and Daymen.

The Watchkeepers, as far as practicable, keep four standing watches. Circumstances may sometimes require them to keep three watches, but in peace routine this should only be for short periods. Experience has shown that the best results are obtained by keeping four watches and calling up the watch below in times of unusual stress.

3. The remainder of the staff (with the exception of certain ratings told off for special duties) comprise the Daymen and are divided into two watches. They should be available for work from "Hands fall in" (in harbour), or time of scrubbing decks (at sea), until 10 p.m., or as requisite, one watch only being on deck during meal hours and dog watches. Both watches for the remainder of the time, when pressure of work requires it.

4. In war routine, the staff is put into three standing watches. It must be borne in mind that early daylight is a most likely time for flag signals to be hoisted. This especially applies to vessels spread. Great care should therefore be taken, when in war organization, to ensure a sufficient number of hands being available at this time.

5. The following are the main points in the peace organization of first class ships: Other vessels should follow roughly the same lines, taking into consideration the number of ratings borne and the service on which the vessel is employed.

 

FLAGSHIPS.

64.

Battleship

Watchkeepers	Chief Yeoman	For Flag Captain
	4 Yeomen	Yeomen of Watches
	4 Leading Signalmen	Leading Hands of watches
	4 Signalmen	2nd Hands of watches

 

Special Duties

Distributing Office (when this system is in vogue)	1 Yeoman or Leading Signalman	In charge of Distributing Office.
	1 Leading Signalman	2nd Hand of Distribution Office
	2 Signalmen	Loggers

NOTE:- The Distributing Office staff for other ships can be modified as necessary according to circumstances.

.

1 Leading Signalman

To attend on Signal Officer

 

Remainder of the staff form the Daymen, with a Leading Signalman in Charge.

 

Battle Cruiser or Cruiser.

1 Chief Yeoman	For Flag Captain
3 Yeomen	For three watches at sea. In harbour, two work watch and watch in charge of deck from 6 am to 10 pm, or as requisite. The 3rd (Day Yeoman) in general charge of Daymen.
4 Leading Signalmen	Leading Hands of Watches
4 Signalmen	2nd Hands of Watches

 

Special Duties.

Distributing Office	As for Battleship (Flagship)
To attend on Signal Officer	Ditto

Remainder of the staff form the Daymen. The senior rating taking charge at sea in place of the Day Yeoman.

65.

BATTLESHIP (Not Flagship).

1 Chief Yeoman	In charge
3 Yeomen	As for Cruiser Flagship
4 Leading Signalmen	Leading Hands of watches
4 Signalmen	Second Hands of watches

Remander of staff form the Daymen.

 

Battle Cruiser or Cruiser (Not Flagship).

2 Yeomen	Watch and watch from 6 am till 10 pm or as requisite, unless circumstances require them on deck at night
4 Leading Signalmen	Leading Hands of watches
4 Signalmen	Second Hands of watches.

Remainder of the staff form the Daymen, with a Leading Signalman in charge.

 

SPECIAL DUTIES.

 

Chief Yeoman. (Flagship).

66. To be entirely responsible for keeping the Captain generally informed, and for all instructional work.

NOTE- When immediate action is required, and the Chief Yeoman of Signals is not on the bridge, the Yeoman of the watch is responsible that the Captain is informed.

 

Chief Yeoman (Other Ships).

67. In charge of the Staff.

 

Yeoman of Watch.

68. The senior hand in each watch, whatever his rating may be, is termed the Yeoman of the watch. He is responsible for the general conduct of signalling on the bridge; distribution, dress, and behaviour of men on watch; also reporting immediate signals or occurrences (and in ships with no Distributing Office for reporting all signals). He should, as far as possible, avoid making or reading signals himself, but should supervise. All signals made or received should pass through his hands. He is also responsible for the safe custody of the signal books during his watch.

 

Leading Hand of Watch.

69. In Harbour:- Generally to assist the Yeoman, and in his absence to perform his duties.

At Sea:-

(a)	To keep watch on the Navigation Bridge from the time the signal is made to unmoor or shorten in until the ship moors or anchors again.
(b)	Never to leave the Bridge until properly relieved, unless ordered by the Officer of the Watch to do so.
(c)	To report to the Officer of the Watch all signals and other matters which concern him.
(d)	At Night, to look out for the Executive Signal and to report it instantly to the Officer of the Watch.
(e)	Above all, the Leading Hand should exercise his faculties as a look-out. He should be the first to sight and report Land, Lightships, Buoys, Lighthouses, Prominent Navigational marks, Ships and Boats of all descriptions, floating objects, etc; his telescope or glasses should be constantly in use to look out for the above, and he should regard it as a reflection on his ability if anyone sights anything before he does. There is no objection to his asking the Officer of the Watch from time tot time if there is anything special for him to look out for.
(f)	To report large steamers, and to make himself acquainted (by referring to the Mercantile Navy List, Funnel and House Flag Book, Lloyd's Shipping News, etc) with the identity of passing steamers, but this is not to be done at the expense of keeping a constant good look-out.
(g)	To look out for Coastguard Stations hoisting the "Demand", to watch for Steamers dipping, and to see the ensign is dipped in return.
(h)	To be thoroughly acquainted with the lights displayed by the different descriptions of Fishing Vessels, and to know what nets to look out for and their probable direction.
(i)	Generally speaking, he should seek to make himself a thoroughly reliable assistant to the Officer of the Watch.
(j)	In the event of the Navigating Officer or Captain being on the Bridge, he should, in the absence of the Chief Yeoman, report all signals to them as well as to the Officer of the Watch.

 

 

Second Hand of Watch.

70. Generally assist the Yeoman in looking out, and with semaphore work.

 

Leading Hand of Daymen.

71. In charge of stores, repair and cleaning work, and placing and returing of cones, lights, etc.

 

The Rating attached to the Signal Officer.

72. Should write up Admiral's Log and Salute Book, and assist Signal Officer.

 

Distributing Office.

73. The object of the Distributing Office is to relieve the Signal Bridge from the responsibility for reporting routine and other non-immediate signals. It has been found convenient to work the Distributing Office from 6 am till 10 pm, during which time all logging, filing, reporting, etc, is done there.

2. Signals requireing immediate action, movements of ships, unusual events outside the ship, etc, are reported direct from the bridge, but all other signals are sent to the Distributing Office for the necessary action to be taken.

3. The duties of the Distributing Office staff should be as follows:-

The Yeoman and Leading Signalman (or the two Leading Signalmen) work watch and watch while the Distributing Office is open, the senior rating being responsible for the organization, conduct, etc.

The Loggers are responsible for the logging and filing of signals.

Four messengers should be detailed for distributing signals. These should be provided from other departments.

 

Station Board.

74. A station board should be made out for "Stations for going in or out of harbour", "General Evolutions", "Dressing Ship", "Cleaning Quarters", "Signal Exercise", "Action Stations", etc, and should also show the organization of watches and Daymen, the latter being numbered.

Stations should be assigned as far as possible to standing numbers, and should not be detailed haphazard.

[FROGSMILE]

Flag Waving

When to be Employed.

1. Flag Waving may be employed for passing coded and cypher messages from Flag to W/T Guardships and vice versa; it may also be used for communicating with the Army and for private messages between ships.

2. When it is used for private messages between ships, the method laid down for communicating with the Army is to be followed as far as it can be applied. Ships are to be called up by their Distinguishing Pendants being made; Distinguishing Flags should only be hoisted to attract attention if the ship called delays in answering, and they are to be hauled down immediately she answers.

3. Private messages are never to be allowed to interfere with Service Signals. 
 

Explanation of System. 
 

1. "Dots" are made by waving a flag through small arcs, "dashes" by waving it through large arcs.

2. The flags are of two sizes:

3 ft square with a staff 5 ft 6 in long,

2 ft square with a staff 3 ft 6 in long

and of two colours-

white with a blue horizontal stripe, for use with a dark background,

dark blue, for use with a light background. 
 

Position of the Signalman.

1. The Signalman should stand square (either facing or with his back turned) to the Station to which he is signalling, according to convenience and the direction of the wind.

2. The staff should be kept as upright as possible while in motion, the point never being allowed to droop to the front or rear.

3. The flag is to be held high enough for the Signalman to see below it when it is in motion.

How to Signal.

1. To make a "dot": the flag is waved from (a) to (b), and without any pause back again to the normal position.

2. To make a "dash": the flag is waved from (a) to (c), and after a slight pause at (c), brought back to the normal position.

3. To signal a letter: the elements representing it should be made in one continuous wave of the flag, taking care that no pause is made when at the normal position.

Example: to make 'R' (. - .), wave the flag from (a) to (b), back to (a), and without any pause down to (c), making there a slight pause, back to (a), then without any pause to (b), and back to the normal position (a).

4. A pause, equal to the time taken to make a "dash", should be made at the normal position (a) between each letter of a word, or symbol in a group.

5. When a word or group is completed, the staff should be brought down diagonally in front of the body, and the flag gathered in with the left hand.

6. A slight pause (equal to the time occupied in making two dashes) should be made at the normal position before commencing another word or group.

7. In receiving a message, the flag should be kept down diagonally in front of the body, and gathered in until required for answering.

8. In order to keep the flag always exposed while in motion, the point of the staff should be made to describe an elongated figure of 8.

Edited 16 November , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[KizmeRD]

St Kilda became the site of a Naval wireless station in January 1915, with a group of about 15 men stationed there. With the help of the islanders, the men manned a series of watch stations on  high points, reporting on shipping movements, and keeping a special eye out for any U-boat or mining activity.

Their was also a 4” gun emplacement.

MB

[TNR]

Someone wasn't paying attention in 1918, though. They were torpedoed.

[KizmeRD]

30 minutes ago, TNR said:

Someone wasn't paying attention in 1918, though. They were torpedoed.

Who was torpedoed?  Are you perhaps referring to the incident that occurred on 15 May 1918 when U-90 fired its deck gun at Hirta wireless station? (As retaliation for their intervening to prevent islanders sheep being stolen to supplement the U-boats food provisions). 
Note hasn’t yet been an island that was successfully sunk by torpedo😀.

MB

Edit - the naval 4” gun referred to in my earlier post was only installed after the U-90 incident, in order to prevent any repetition.

Edited 16 November , 2023 by KizmeRD

[Interested]

Cor Blimey, every day's a school day on this Forum.  

Comprehensive responses, almost makes me want to write a story...  

[Andy Cundell]

Hi All!

I'm a former Royal Navy Radio Artificer (Full title used to be Chief Petty Officer Weapons Engineer Artificer (communications and electronic warfare)(submarines))  I used to teach teleprinters etc when I was a Killick (Leading Hand) in HMS Collingwood and later on as a Chief, encryption devices.

I pride myself in being able to explain wired/ wireless telecoms from basic principles through to crypto to anyone!!! 

I still love the radio world and find this thread fascinating (only because I can actually understand it )

We still had a morse key as backup around 2000 and I can clearly remember having problems connecting to a cxommunications centre and the RS (Petty Officer Radio Supervisor) cracking out RNCP1, making sure the circuit still existed and cracking out the morse key!!! 

Edited 4 December , 2023 by Andy Cundell
add

[FROGSMILE]

12 minutes ago, Andy Cundell said:

Hi All!

I'm a former Royal Navy Radio Artificer (Full title used to be Chief Petty Officer Weapons Engineer Artificer (communications and electronic warfare)(submarines))  I used to teach teleprinters etc when I was a Killick (Leading Hand) in HMS Collingwood and later on as a Chief, encryption devices.

I pride myself in being able to explain wired/ wireless telecoms from basic principles through to crypto to anyone!!! 

I still love the radio world and find this thread fascinating (only because I can actually understand it )

We still had a morse key as backup around 2000 and I can clearly remember having problems connecting to a cxommunications centre and the RS (Petty Officer Radio Supervisor) cracking out RNCP1, making sure the circuit still existed and cracking out the morse key!!! 

Welcome aboard Andy it’s good to have you here.  I can remember something a little similar when I was attached as an SAA (heavy weapons) instructor to special forces during the first Gulf War circa 1990. Corporate memory hadn’t extended to realising that none of the HF radios provided to the squadron worked well in the desert and I saw morse keys broken out of storage for use along with sun compasses for the LWB Series 3 Land Rovers (aka ‘Pinkies’) plus tyres only filled with air to 2/3rds to grant better purchase in the sand.  Old lessons (quite literally) relearned.

Edited 4 December , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[Andy Cundell]

6 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Welcome aboard Andy it’s good to have you here.  I can remember something a little similar when I was attached as an SAA (heavy weapons) instructor to special forces during the first Gulf War circa 1990. Corporate memory hadn’t extended to realising that none of the HF radios provided to the squadron worked well in the desert and I saw morse keys broken out of storage for use along with sun compasses for the LWB Series 3 Land Rovers (aka ‘Pinkies’) plus tyres only filled with air to 2/3rds to grant better purchase in the sand.  Old lessons (quite literally) relearned.

Scintillation!!! I used to use that excuse to my operators all the time  

I also served in Granby, Desert Storm/ Shield and had many trips to that area of the world.  Sometimes, the old fashion ways that still work well - just need to be used! Were you around when we upgraded HF from 75 bauds to over 600?  It sort of worked 

[FROGSMILE]

5 minutes ago, Andy Cundell said:

Scintillation!!! I used to use that excuse to my operators all the time  

I also served in Granby, Desert Storm/ Shield and had many trips to that area of the world.  Sometimes, the old fashion ways that still work well - just need to be used! Were you around when we upgraded HF from 75 bauds to over 600?  It sort of worked 

I don’t recall that development Andy, as I’d moved on to an entirely different role as an equivalent of your RN branch officer.  A sort of rebirth if you will.  I went back to the desert with 50 pioneers working along the lines of communication in multifarious roles.  Never a dull moment.

Edited 4 December , 2023 by FROGSMILE