October 1932 Radio News
[Table
of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early
electronics. See articles from
Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby
acknowledged.
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Shipboard radio operators have
been a crucial part of commercial and military transport since first being implemented
in the early 20th century. Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company's operators (John
"Jack" Phillips and Harold Bride) onboard the
RMS Titanic are credited for saving the ship after it ran into
an iceberg in the north Atlantic, as are the radio operators aboard the
RMS Lusitania
after German U-boats mercilessly torpedoed it. Today's sailing vessels, as well
as aircraft, are as reliant upon skillful radio operators and radio equipment as
back then. Much has been automated, but ultimately it is the human element in the
communications chain that determine the fate of the mission.
Master of His Domain
"On board" the radio operator is recognized
as an officer of his ship with almost as much responsibility for his passengers
as the captain. In his cabin, surrounded by complicated radio apparatus of all varieties,
he is supreme. Every soul aboard relies on him for contact with the outside world,
for weather reports, storm warnings, news and emergency messages. This is the radio
cabin of the Discovery II, showing the long and short-wave transmitters and receivers
of types easily recognizable at once by the well-informed operator
Posted June 21, 2023 (updated from original post
on 11/16/2018)
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