Found in a scrapyard in 1953. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Rileyman · 9th Mar 2022, 10:12 pm

Its Function is obvious , tapping-out SOS 3 times (outer disc) , and AAAA 3 times (inner disc) for alternate half - revolutions .
The operating lever(?) or handle(?) was missing -- hence my use of the ancient spoke-key !
The wind-up is restricted to one whole anticlockwise turn , and the discs run for 10 revolutions .
The heavy-current contacts are operated , from the start , by the profile of the "Tufnol" drum , one closing immediately and the other after approx. 40 secs..
Perhaps L.T. then H.T. ?
Can someone enlighten me further , please ? Where used , and When ?

Thanks ,

Laurie .

joebog1 · 9th Mar 2022, 10:22 pm

Cant tell you anything about it at all. BUT !!! What a beautiful bit of kit!!! Thats from the days when people could build things. A real work of art.

Joe

Silicon · 10th Mar 2022, 1:07 am

Could it be from a lifeboat emergency transmitter?

FrankB · 10th Mar 2022, 2:39 am

Look at the "teeth". They are set to transmit "SOS".

I will surmise it is part of an old WW2 "Mae West" transmitter.
IIRC, one turned a crank to automatically send the "SOS".

Station X · 10th Mar 2022, 7:54 am

"Gibson Girl" rather than "Mae West"?

http://www.wftw.nl/gibsongirl.html

vinrads · 10th Mar 2022, 10:06 am

It would be nice to have it working , using a simple tone osc lovely display piece. Mick.

GW3OQK Andrew · 10th Mar 2022, 2:45 pm

In the 60's to 80's I've worked on ship's Autokeys which send 4-second dashes before the distress call. Also prepared the callsign cam. Could be from a lifeboat transmitter.

I suggest the outside cam sends the SOS 3 times then a long dash. Then the mechanism switches over to the inner cam which sends the callsign 3 times, but it looks like the call sign is AAAA (or NNNN) which doesn't seem right. What does it sound like if you connect a multimeter beep to it?
73
Andrew

Scimitar · 10th Mar 2022, 3:00 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by GW3OQK Andrew

(or NNNN) which doesn't seem right. What does it sound like if you connect a multimeter beep to it?
73
Andrew

NNNN End of transmission.

10th Mar 2022, 5:29 pm

I have a book from about 1940 (+/- 10) that has the automatic distress signal as a series of very long dashes, just right for auto. stuff in the day.

Rileyman · 10th Mar 2022, 7:31 pm

Agreed , Andrew .
The outer disc sends 3x SOS , followed by a long dash .

BUT, the inner disc sends 3x AAAA (which means ATTENTION ) , also followed by a long dash .

Thanks for the link , Graham , very interesting !

Laurie .

stevehertz · 10th Mar 2022, 7:36 pm

So you've had it for 69 years?!

majoconz · 11th Mar 2022, 2:18 am

The long dash is so that you had time to take a DF bearing.

The inner drum sends AAAA slowly - the dashes are probably 4 seconds long - this is/was to set off the Auto-Alarm in the receiving ships when the R/O was off duty. We had to write in the log that the "Auto Alarm tested and set" at the end of each watch

GW3OQK Andrew · 11th Mar 2022, 2:33 pm

What it is sending sounds to me VERY vintage, before 1927 regulations cam in.

To send SOS SOS SOS, long-dash, A A A A A A A A A A A A long-dash, doesn't meet a regulation but should attract attention ok. (AA was the calling signal on Aldis lamp) Perhaps it was taken out of an early autokey and replaced with a compliant one.

I'm ex r/o. The Autokey sent 12 4-second dashes with one second spaces was sent first 3 or 4 dashes triggering the Autoalarm bell on the bridge and r/o's cabin. Next the Autokey sent SOS SOS SOS DE (for example) MVYY MVYY MVYY, long-dash. (MVYY being callsign of SS Tynemouth) A new installation callsign cam typically had break-off segments to cut the callsign.
73, Andrew

The Philpott · 13th Mar 2022, 12:27 am

We had a play with this yesterday, what was not immediately apparent to me from the images was how small it is. It works, just needs a dot of oil.

Pleasingly the continuity beeper on a Toolzone EL060 DMM was swift enough to make it 'speak' a very precise SOS.

Dave

Oldmadham · 6th May 2022, 6:07 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guest

I have a book from about 1940 (+/- 10) that has the automatic distress signal as a series of very long dashes, just right for auto. stuff in the day.

That was to activate the auto-alarm in a ships Radio Room, & was not just used for distress.
It was quite common for ships to only have one Radio Operator, so they couldn't always have someone on watch.
On receipt of the correct signal, the alarm would sound, alerting the RO, who would make haste to the Radio Room.

borjamar · 10th May 2022, 7:14 pm

Reminds me of a tone generator for an old electromechanical phone switch from the 50's

Same kind of mechanism.

9th Mar 2022, 10:12 pm	#1
Rileyman Pentode Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Maldon, Essex, UK. Posts: 226	Found in a scrapyard in 1953. Its Function is obvious , tapping-out SOS 3 times (outer disc) , and AAAA 3 times (inner disc) for alternate half - revolutions . The operating lever(?) or handle(?) was missing -- hence my use of the ancient spoke-key ! The wind-up is restricted to one whole anticlockwise turn , and the discs run for 10 revolutions . The heavy-current contacts are operated , from the start , by the profile of the "Tufnol" drum , one closing immediately and the other after approx. 40 secs.. Perhaps L.T. then H.T. ? Can someone enlighten me further , please ? Where used , and When ? Thanks , Laurie . Attached Thumbnails

9th Mar 2022, 10:22 pm	#2
joebog1 Banned Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,704	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. Cant tell you anything about it at all. BUT !!! What a beautiful bit of kit!!! Thats from the days when people could build things. A real work of art. Joe

10th Mar 2022, 1:07 am	#3
Silicon Nonode Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coulsdon, London, UK. Posts: 2,161	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. Could it be from a lifeboat emergency transmitter?

10th Mar 2022, 2:39 am	#4
FrankB Heptode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Olympia, Washington, USA. Posts: 664	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. Look at the "teeth". They are set to transmit "SOS". I will surmise it is part of an old WW2 "Mae West" transmitter. IIRC, one turned a crank to automatically send the "SOS".

10th Mar 2022, 7:54 am	#5
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,286	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. "Gibson Girl" rather than "Mae West"? http://www.wftw.nl/gibsongirl.html __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

10th Mar 2022, 10:06 am	#6
vinrads Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 3,754	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. It would be nice to have it working , using a simple tone osc lovely display piece. Mick.

10th Mar 2022, 2:45 pm	#7
GW3OQK Andrew Pentode Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Swansea, Wales, UK. Posts: 144	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. In the 60's to 80's I've worked on ship's Autokeys which send 4-second dashes before the distress call. Also prepared the callsign cam. Could be from a lifeboat transmitter. I suggest the outside cam sends the SOS 3 times then a long dash. Then the mechanism switches over to the inner cam which sends the callsign 3 times, but it looks like the call sign is AAAA (or NNNN) which doesn't seem right. What does it sound like if you connect a multimeter beep to it? 73 Andrew

10th Mar 2022, 5:29 pm	#9
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. I have a book from about 1940 (+/- 10) that has the automatic distress signal as a series of very long dashes, just right for auto. stuff in the day.

10th Mar 2022, 7:31 pm	#10
Rileyman Pentode Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Maldon, Essex, UK. Posts: 226	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. Agreed , Andrew . The outer disc sends 3x SOS , followed by a long dash . BUT, the inner disc sends 3x AAAA (which means ATTENTION ) , also followed by a long dash . Thanks for the link , Graham , very interesting ! Laurie .

10th Mar 2022, 7:36 pm	#11
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,826	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. So you've had it for 69 years?! __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

11th Mar 2022, 2:18 am	#12
majoconz Heptode Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ashhurst, Manawatu, New Zealand Posts: 570	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. The long dash is so that you had time to take a DF bearing. The inner drum sends AAAA slowly - the dashes are probably 4 seconds long - this is/was to set off the Auto-Alarm in the receiving ships when the R/O was off duty. We had to write in the log that the "Auto Alarm tested and set" at the end of each watch __________________ Cheers - Martin ZL2MC

11th Mar 2022, 2:33 pm	#13
GW3OQK Andrew Pentode Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Swansea, Wales, UK. Posts: 144	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. What it is sending sounds to me VERY vintage, before 1927 regulations cam in. To send SOS SOS SOS, long-dash, A A A A A A A A A A A A long-dash, doesn't meet a regulation but should attract attention ok. (AA was the calling signal on Aldis lamp) Perhaps it was taken out of an early autokey and replaced with a compliant one. I'm ex r/o. The Autokey sent 12 4-second dashes with one second spaces was sent first 3 or 4 dashes triggering the Autoalarm bell on the bridge and r/o's cabin. Next the Autokey sent SOS SOS SOS DE (for example) MVYY MVYY MVYY, long-dash. (MVYY being callsign of SS Tynemouth) A new installation callsign cam typically had break-off segments to cut the callsign. 73, Andrew

13th Mar 2022, 12:27 am	#14
The Philpott Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Colchester, Essex, UK. Posts: 4,104	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. We had a play with this yesterday, what was not immediately apparent to me from the images was how small it is. It works, just needs a dot of oil. Pleasingly the continuity beeper on a Toolzone EL060 DMM was swift enough to make it 'speak' a very precise SOS. Dave Attached Thumbnails

10th May 2022, 7:14 pm	#16
borjamar Triode Join Date: May 2022 Location: Bilbao, Spain Posts: 12	Re: Found in a scrapyard in 1953. Reminds me of a tone generator for an old electromechanical phone switch from the 50's Same kind of mechanism.