“Whitey” Doherty, K1VV writes:
Maritime Radio Day is held annually to remember the nearly 90 years of wireless service for seafarers. Since its beginning in 1900, Maritime Radio was in use mainly until the end of 1999.
The MRD is open to all Amateur Radio Stations. Special stations (like Coastal radios and ship’s call signs) can participate to the MRD only if operated by former Commercial or Navy operators, or by radio technicians who worked in the installation and/or maintenance of naval equipments.
If you are a former Merchant Marine Radio Operator or former ship’s Electronic Technician please subscribe to this event automatically trough the following website http://www.mrd.seefunker.eu/mrd_registry.php or by communicating your Amateur Radio callsign and last ship of last coast radio you served to R/O Rolf Marschner at: dl9cm@t-online.de.
We must to push many colleagues to take part at our yearly Event, last year like in the past edition there has been a massive participation with many colleagues not included in the list of participants and it has been a very nice surprise against any prevision. There are still many Countries not reached by information about our Event and from U.S.A. and Far East – Unfortunately – still very few stations. Radio Officers are the men spent their lives in front a receiver watching 500 kHz and sending messages of any kind, our Category has gone but we know many aspects of radio waves and we cannot refuse to look forward to confirm the radio is still alive and in good health, the problem perhaps is another, there are many reasons to kill the radio and they are not properly justified by true facts but only using the famous word “OBSOLETE” we hear everyday and everywhere for promoting the consumption of technological toys such as Smartphones, iPhones, Tablets and so on.
Morse Code, the main language used by Radio Officers on ships and at shore, has been the sole international language that granted for a century radio communications at sea, nowadays used by many amateurs radio needs to be protected against the interference due to Hi-tech products and web communications, the Radio World is made at first of Morse communications and the code is easy to learn also if the tendency is to send and receive Morse with computer… the worst way to take practice of the code, the code is not a digital mode it is a “very special human way” to establish a communication between two points of the earth with no wires and no computer, just a small, old and used radio and a wire dipole or at least a piece of wire.
BST RGDS
MRD Staff
Rules, Procedure and Certificate of partecipation
All traffic must to be done around the following International Naval Frequencies on Amateur Radio Bands (morse code)
1824 kHz
3520 kHz
7020 kHz
10118 kHz
14052 kHz
21052 kHz
28052 kHz
The Main working frequency is 14052 kHz plus or minus some kc/s. The WARC bands are NOT USED for MRD with exception of 30 meters band.
SPECIAL ADVICE FOR DX MRD STATIONS:
To give everyone a fair chance of having a QSO during the MRD, and because 14052 kHz is the most common calling frequency, it is suggested that we have a small band edge from 14055 to 14058 kHz for DX and QRP stations. It is also suggested that instead of calling CQ in “Contest Mode”, we give adequate time for weaker stations to be heard and listen especially for DX contacts.
So please use the band suggested as watching band reserved to radio stations in far distances.
– Date: 14th April 12.00 GMT 15th April 22.00 GMT
– Bands: 160m, 80m, 40m, 30 m, 20m, 15m & 10m
– Mode: CW only
– Power: not limited
– QSO: Exchange QSA, QRK, name, callsign of last or favorite ship / aircraft / maintance company QSA 1 .. 5, strength of receive signal QRK 1 .. 5, readability and additionally a tr, msg and/or a qtc if you like
– Silence Periods: need no longer be observed
– Deadline for submission of MRD logs is 1st of May.
– Certificate of participation ( CoP): SWL’s – send a complete log to be able to verify qso data by selection. Licenced operators – send a postcard / letter or e-mail with number of QSOs with – ship stations – coast stations – special stations – other Amateurs contacted. Send your application with data and your email address to : Rolf MarschnerNarzissenweg 10 53359 RheinbachGermanyor via e-mail: dl9cm@t-online.deCertificate is only available by e-mail!
– QSL cards: Each participant manages their own QSL cards. There is no QSL manager.
– General Comment: Coastal radios and ship’s callsigns should be operated only by former Commercial or Navy operators and from radio technicians who worked in the brand of installation and in the maintenance of coastal and ship’s radios equipments and antennas.
“Procedure” Example QSO :
cq mrd cq mrd cq mrd de dl9cm dl9cm dl9cm k
dl9cm de ik6ijf gm rolf QSA5 QRK 5 hr is alfredo shipname/icjr or last ship was icjr k
ik6ijf de dl9cm gm alfredo QSA 5 QRK 5 op rolf shipname/dlcm or last ship was dlcm ik6ijf de dl9cm tnx 73 .-.- or put details in a telegram like this : Origin nr xx ck zz date time = address = qsa x qrk y shipname call = signature+ or similar.
The above are only examples . You may send different content, but the least you must include are QSA, name, ship’s call sign or progressive number if you are only amateur! To subscribe free your participation at the next Maritime Radio Day send an e-mail to R/O Rolf MARSCHNER: dl9cm@t-online.de or automatically subscription is possible and preferred on the following website: http://www.mrd.seefunker.eu/mrd_registry.php.
The Falmouth Amateur Radio Association is preparing big-time for Field Day June 22-24. 
