The following article has been submitted for publication in The Canadian Amateur, the official publication of Radio Amateurs of Canada, This article may be copied freely. AMATEUR RADIO IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY by Jerry Proc VE3FAB 68 Braywin Dr., Etobicoke Ont. M9P 2P3 On a frosty day in February of 1995, I received an old QSL card depicting Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Bonaventure. The donor had been clearing out old material and decided that the card might be useful to me. Although the ship has been de-commissioned since 1969, I started to study the image on the card. In little time, imagination and curiosity got the better part of me and I started to wonder what it was like to operate amateur radio aboard a ship of the Royal Canadian Navy. This event provided the catalyst for the research and the story which follows. CALL ASSIGNMENTS ---------------- Amateur radio call signs issued to Canadian warships took on the format: VE for Canada, 0 for maritime mobile, N for Navy followed by one or two sequential letters. The earliest listings that I could find for VE0Nx calls came from the 1956 Callbook. In that edition, listings were shown for VE0NA (Iroquois), VE0NB (Algonquin) and VE0NC (St. Therese). Calls were assigned to an individual as opposed to a ship. When the licence holder was re- assigned duties to a different ship, the call sign became portable in some cases. In other instances, the call sign remained with the ship and a new individual took over the call. If the holder forfeited the call, it was sometimes recycled. This activity is evidenced in Table 1. Operating privileges for the station were the same as that of the licence holder. EQUIPMENT USED -------------- The ships own radio equipment was utilized on the ham bands, but some of the older naval gear wasn't really suited for amateur radio operation. For receiving, either a Marconi CSR5A or Hammarlund SP600 receiver was used until superseded by newer equipment. Transmitting equipment is detailed below. For nearly a quarter century, two of the 'workhorse' transmitters were the Marconi CM11 and the PV500. The CM11, first built in 1944, was rated for 100 watts input on CW, 70 watts on MCW and 30 watts on AM. At 478 pounds in weight, it wasn't very portable! On HF, this rig operated between 1.5 and 13.5 Mhz, so this precluded its use on the 20 meter band. It was notorious for generating harmonics and spurious emissions. Ships would routinely receive harmful interference reports from the Department of Transport (today's Industry Canada). There was nothing that anyone could do, so the operators just followed the CM11 tuning instructions and filed the reports away. The CM11 was also known for its chirpy CW signal when controlled by the master oscillator but it behaved properly under crystal control. This rig may not have been the best, but it was certainly well built and got the job done. Integrated into the same cabinet as the CM11, was a Marconi CSR5A receiver. This particular receiver lacked band spread but the crystal filters did a good job of attenuating interfering signals. The Canadian Marconi PV500HM, first built in 1943, was a high powered, CW only transmitter, capable of operating in the range between 3 to 19 Mcs. Power input was 500 watts over this frequency range. The HM2 variant of the PV500 operated up to 28 Mcs, however, power input was reduced to 300 watts above 19 Mcs. There were four, selectable master oscillators with mechanical digital readouts that could be preset to the most often used frequencies with four crystal controlled frequencies as alternates. Keith Kennedy VE7KWK of Surrey B.C., states that "PV500's were notorious for ground loop problems and one made sure that you kept one hand in your pocket while tuning them. Placing your hand on the cabinet to brace yourself against the ships roll could result in a really fine 'attention grabber' in the form of an AC buzz. Many Radiomen tuned the PV500's by watching the power amplifier through the front panel window. When the plate was cherry red but not white, the final stage was considered to be tuned. To reduce chirp on CW, the multiplier stages were keyed while the oscillator was held on for the duration of a 'word'. This reduced chirp to the first letter of each word sent and permitted the use of break-in operation". In spite of these minor problems, the PV500 permitted high power CW operation in the 20 meter band. Another workhorse transmitter was the AN/SRT-502. Included in the set, were two HF transmitters (3 to 28 Mhz) and one low frequency unit (100 to 550 khz). Modes of operation were CW, AM and radioteletype. The high frequency transmitter was capable of producing nearly a kilowatt of power in high power operation, or 300 watts in low power mode. For ham band operation, the low power mode was generally used. The SRT-502 had a reputation for generating a very pure DC note in CW mode and many fine tone reports were received. During the early 1960's the navy introduced the Collins AN/URC-32 single side band transceiver into the fleet. It was the first of its kind and was the successor to the CM11. This new gear was primarily designed for SSB operation on upper sideband, lower sideband or double sideband in the range of 2 to 30 Mhz. Power output was 500 watts PEP. Other modes of operation included AM, CW, or FSK. This equipment type served well into the early 1990's. OPERATIONS ---------- Most contacts took place on 20 meters. Much of the work was done on CW (and some AM) until SSB and phone patches became popular. Under good conditions, some operators could muster up 10 to 30 patches per evening. Operating was done off watch and during spare time hours. Besides message handling, rag chewing and making contacts with amateurs looking for maritime mobile cards was also popular. As for QSL cards, each ship took care of printing their own. Some ships had regulations for the operation of amateur stations, but it mainly depended on obtaining permission from the captain. In a nutshell, the main rule was that amateur radio could not interfere with the primary task which was naval communications. On the high seas, early amateur radio operation aboard HMC Ships was restricted the following bands: 14 to 14.250 Mhz; 21 to 21.450 Mhz and 28 to 29.7 Mhz. Operation in Canadian territorial waters was permitted on every band except 1.8 to 2.0 Mhz. Within the territorial waters of foreign countries, operations were not permitted without written authority from the visited country. For the crews on the ships, amateur radio helped to maintain good morale. Personal messages were constantly being sent back and forth. This traffic consisted of birth announcements to birthdays on the good side, and to sickness and death on the bad side. The crews at least had a method of personal communication which was not otherwise available to them. Jack Dennett VA3DJ of Orleans Ontario, recalled a moving experience in 1990. "I was on HMCS Huron in company with HMCS Provider and HMCS Kootenay when we found some Vietnamese boat people adrift in the South China Sea. It was around 1800 local time when we found them and they were aboard Provider by sunset. At the time, Provider was sailing to Manila after having embarked a member of the Canadian embassy in the Philippines at the last stop in Hong Kong. Our diplomat knew, that even though we had sent messages to Ottawa, it would take time to get the news to Manila. The faster the ground work was started, the better. Our sked with Victoria was at 2300 local time. Stu Cameron who was the PO Tel on Provider and also the ham operator, got in touch with Pat Johnson VE7FOJ. After a short conference, it was decided to phone Manila long distance using Stu's BC Telephone Card and get hold of the embassy staff in Manila. This was achieved and it became instrumental in securing the clearance for Provider to land the boat people in Manila. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Had we missed them, they would have all surely perished. In addition, Pat also provided an enormous amount of phone patches for RCN personnel". On the East coast, much of the message and phone patch traffic was handled by Bret Fader VE1FQ (silent key), and Bertus Backer VE1AGH of Lower Sackville N.S. In honour of Bret's contribution to amateur radio, the Halifax ARC adopted his call as their own. The author also wishes to acknowledge all amateurs who provided phone patches and message relays but cannot be named here due to space limitations. Bob Legue VE1LP of Dartmouth N.S., was the head of the electronics maintenance department aboard the aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure during the 1960's. He recalls amateur radio operations from that era. "Our station, VE0NE was in Radio 2, a dank drafty place and we operated a Collins AN/URC-32 single sideband transmitter that could output 500 watts PEP. This rig had incremental tuning and an automatic antenna tuning unit (ATU) with high VSWR cut out. The ATU was mounted directly under the antenna which was a 35 foot whip antenna. This, and other antennas were mounted on sponsons around the perimeter of the flight deck and during flying operations, these antennas were swung from a vertical to a horizontal position over the water. If the ship rolled, the VSWR went on a roller coaster ride and you would effectively be off the air. We quickly learned not to operate during flying stations. Our favourite band was the low end of 20 meters and we mostly passed personal traffic. Our Commanding Officer's feeling toward ham radio left a lot to be desired. He was a four ring captain and had previously been a 'long C Lieutenant' (communication officer). In the navy, everything had to be formally requested. You would fill out a request form, then some time later you appeared in front of the executive officer to make the request. If what you were requesting was beyond his power to grant, then you had to appear before the captain to make your request, so I got shunted up the line to the captains request table. He asked me why I wanted to operate an amateur radio station aboard ship, so I told him it would help to keep the ships company in touch with home. He said 'I know that'...silence...I tried several other avenues and after each approach came...'I know that'...silence. Finally, I said 'It would be recreational sir'. He said 'granted'. On the repair ship HMCS Cape Scott, I operated VE0NM. We had two HF transmitters, a Marconi CM11 and a Marconi PV500. The CM11 with its 30 watt input and 20% modulation in AM mode, was next to useless unless you were within eyesight of the other station. Although it had its drawbacks, it got us on the air. Following Cape Scott, I operated VE0NA from HMCS Restigouche using the AN/URC-32 again. During one tour, we spent six months in Europe with NATO and phone patches were run regularly with long waiting lines. With the exception of Bonaventure, the CO's were very enthusiastic about having amateur radio aboard ship". Al Goodwin of Dartmouth N.S., served aboard Haida as the POTEL (senior radio operator) from May of 1960 until she was paid off in October of 1963. Al recollects memories from this period. "I operated VE0NV from early 1962 when I first received my ticket until we paid her off. At one time, we had five operators working the bands and that was probably a record number for one ship. For a receiver, I removed the Hammarlund SP600 in Radio 4 and used it with either a Marconi CM11 or PV500 transmitter. A VE0 call was very rare in those days and one CQ brought back a pileup. One thing still sticks out from this period. The CO thought that operating an amateur station was really neat. He used to bring his guests into Radio 1 and show them the QSL cards that were displayed on the aft side of the message centre bulkhead. One day, he noticed a QSL card from Russia and asked - 'What would you talk to him about?' I replied 'Crypto codes - of course', a remark that I passed during the height of the Cold War". Kevin Clements VE7CYT of Victoria B.C., is currently serving aboard HMCS Huron and he shares his experiences from a modern day perspective. "In HMCS Regina, we used the ship's HF equipment on CW. I would always take the time to look for a beginner and allow them a contact with a rare station. To this day, however, the primary purpose of having an amateur station aboard ship is to provide phone patches for the crew. Nowadays, a station licence for a ship is issued as a club licence instead of a VE0N type call. Hence we have call signs VE0REG (HMCS Regina) and VE0GAG (HMCS Montreal) assigned to the new city class frigates". Since amateur radio was an integral part of many radio rooms it's only befitting to list the forty seven ships that supported amateur radio operations. Catalogued in this table, is the name of the ship, the first year of amateur licence issue, the last year of amateur licence issue, the hull number, the ships International radio call sign and lastly, the voice call sign. The new City Class Frigates are indicated with an asterisk. Please note that for a number of reasons, the first and last years shown are only approximate, and should not be read as gospel. Where only one year is indicated, it was an educated guess as to whether it was first or last year of operation. If any TCA readers can help fill in the voids or refine the data, please do not hesitate to contact the author. HMCS Call First Last Hull Intl. Voice Sign Year Year Number C/S C/S ----------------------------------------------------------------- Algonquin VE0NEF 1976 DDE 224 CZJX Open Road VE0NQ 1962 VE0NB 1956 1959 Annapolis VE0NEJ 1976 ---- DDH 265 CGKB VE0NEB 1974 1975 Assiniboine VEONEB 1971 1984 DDE 234 CGJL Kings Lady Athabascan VE0NEB 1976 VE0NEA 1984 VE0NJ 1961 1963 Bluethroat VE0NEK 1984 NPC 114 CZDW Vicsburg U Bonaventure VE0NE 1958 1971 RML 22 CGLE High Ground Calgary * VE0NWK 1994 ---- FFH 335 CHAF Cape Scott VE0NM 1960 1971 ARE 101 CGTH Yearly N Chaudiere VE0NWA 1971 DDE 235 CZGJ Snack Chignecto VE0NI 1960 1966 MCB 160 CGTX Columbia VE0NC 1966 DDE 260 CGJR Fort Erie VE0NR 1962 1971 FFE 312 CGWB Abner W Fraser VE0NED 1984 1994 DDE 233 CZFG Shaft Gatineau VE0NWB 1976 ---- DDE 236 CGWF VE0NB 1965 1984 Haida VE0NV 1960 1963 DDE 215 CGJD King Cobra Haida VE3CGJ 1991 ---- G 63 Haida VA3GJD 1994 ---- G 63 Huron VE0NWH 1988 1993 VE0NEG 1974 1984 Iroquois VE0NEH 1974 1993 DDE 280 VE0NA 1956 1966 DDE 217 CZGD Jackstone Kootenay VE0NWF 1976 1993 DDE 258 CGKG VE0NG 1966 1969 Lanark VE0NP 1961 1963 FFE 321 CGRE Suspender Y Mackenzie VE0NWC 1976 1993 DDE 261 CGYZ Magnificent VE0ND 1957 1958 RML 21 CZCD Pearl Margaree VE0NEM 1984 DDE 230 CZNJ Drowse VE0NP 1967 1971 Montreal * VE0GAG 1995 ---- FFH 336 CHAG New Waterford VE0NS 1962 1963 FFE 304 CYTQ Event D Nippigon VE0NEP 1993 DDE 266 CGZP VE0NEL 1976 1983 VE0NK 1971 1974 Ojibwa VE0ND 1976 SS 72 CZFQ Okanagan VE0NS 1971 1974 SS 74 CGLM Ottawa VE0NEK 1976 1993 DDE 229 CXCW Charge VE0NG 1958 1966 Outremont VE0NH 1958 1966 FFE 310 CGZV Ellsworth H Preserver VE0NEC 1974 1993 AOR 510 CGRG Protecteur VE0NEF 1988 1993 AOR 509 VE0NED 1971 1976 Provider VE0NWL 1976 ---- AOR 508 CZCF Qu'Appelle VE0NWJ 1976 1990 DDE 264 CYQD Regina * VEOREG 1995 ---- FFH 334 CHAE Restigouche VE0NA 1974 1993 DDE 257 CZDE Route Saguenay VE0NEE 1978 1988 DDH 206 CZFX Nymph VE0NEC 1969 1971 VE0NO 1966 Saskatchewan VE0NWI 1976 1993 DDE 262 CYRE VE0NEF 1970 1971 Stettler VE0NK 1960 1966 FFE 311 CGLH Vicsburg M Skeena VE0NEI 1975 1993 DDE 207 CGWP VE0NEB 1971 Sault Ste. VE0NF 1958 1966 FSE 176 CYVS Jigger P Marie St. Croix VE0NWD 1969 1976 DDE 256 CGJI VE0NH 1969 VE0NB 1961 1962 DDE 256 St. Laurent VE0NEM 1971 DDE 205 CGXG Bless VE0NL 1960 1969 St. Therese VE0NC 1956 1962 FFE 309 CGTC Maderia S Sussexvale VE0NN 1961 1962 FFE 313 CZFM Calamity P Terra Nova VE0NWE 1976 1984 DDE 259 CZJV VE0NU 1961 1971 Thunder VE0NEA 1971 MCB 161 CZCY Chapel Y VE0NT 1962 1963 Yukon VE0NWK 1976 1993 DDE 263 CYRO VE0NEA 1974 1976 TABLE 1 HMCS Haida and Sackville are the only two warship museums in Canada. Haida is the only one with an active amateur station. This station is operated under call sign VE3CGJ (or VA3GJD) between the months of May to October based on operator availability. The main purpose here is to promote amateur radio to the visiting public when the station is open. Today's equipment consists of a commer- cial transceiver connected to a trap dipole. Operations are usually carried out on SSB in the high portion of the 40 meter band. Occasionally, AM contacts are made using the ship's original equipment. In 1993, call sign CF3CGJ was used to observe Haida's 50th anniversary of commissioning and in 1994, call signs CI3CGJ and XL3CGJ were used to commemorate the D-Day Invasion. In closing, I would like to thank the forty four amateur operators who answered the request for assistance and provided personal stories and call sign information from a nationally dispersed pool of vintage Callbooks. Some of you even sent in old VE0 QSL cards for which I am grateful. These will be put on display in Haida's main radio room. Finally, I would like to thank Lt. Frank Dunbar (RCN Ret'd) of Oakville, Ontario who inadvertently provided the inspiration to write this story. May amateur radio continue to assist those people who serve in the defence of our nation in the present and the future, as well as it did in the past. ------------------------------------- Jerry Proc VE3FAB E-mail: jproc@worldlinx.com Radio Restoration Volunteer HMCS Haida Toronto, Ontario -------------------------------------