UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - On-board ship communications

kellys_eye · 17th Jan 2022, 4:08 pm

Sound-powered telephones were fitted as critical safety systems and meant as emergency backup comms between bridge, engine room and steering compartments although many used them for 'ordinary' comms to such locations as required.

Old style analogue (strowger) and more modern digital equivalents were fitted for passenger use and even on smaller merchant marine vessels for cabin-to-cabin use.

I'm not sure if these systems had a 'direct line' to shore services - usual practise was that you spoke to the Radio Officer(s) and booked a call which they then set up and called your room back for the call to commence. This could be achieved via whatever radio frequency was appropriate (MF, HF or VHF and, latterly, SatCom of various types A,B, C etc).

As a Radio Officer (Merchant Marine) I had to set up various calls in this way but not very frequently - calls via Sat-A (for example) cost around £6/minute (IIRC) and that was back in early 80's. No doubt they've become a lot cheaper but they are still expensive.

For Channel crossings it would be far simpler to use a mobile phone and many such systems are in use onboard those vessels that remain in comms range for that service.

17th Jan 2022, 4:08 pm	#3
kellys_eye Octode Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Oban, Scotland, UK. Posts: 1,129	Re: On-board ship communications Sound-powered telephones were fitted as critical safety systems and meant as emergency backup comms between bridge, engine room and steering compartments although many used them for 'ordinary' comms to such locations as required. Old style analogue (strowger) and more modern digital equivalents were fitted for passenger use and even on smaller merchant marine vessels for cabin-to-cabin use. I'm not sure if these systems had a 'direct line' to shore services - usual practise was that you spoke to the Radio Officer(s) and booked a call which they then set up and called your room back for the call to commence. This could be achieved via whatever radio frequency was appropriate (MF, HF or VHF and, latterly, SatCom of various types A,B, C etc). As a Radio Officer (Merchant Marine) I had to set up various calls in this way but not very frequently - calls via Sat-A (for example) cost around £6/minute (IIRC) and that was back in early 80's. No doubt they've become a lot cheaper but they are still expensive. For Channel crossings it would be far simpler to use a mobile phone and many such systems are in use onboard those vessels that remain in comms range for that service.