Barnett type Lifeboat Aerial.

[gm0ekm cecil]

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge regarding the aerial on this Barnett Type RNLI Lifeboat at her moorings in Lerwick, Shetland in 1933.
I understand that the early lifeboats did not have radios. In the early 1930's these boats had receivers only, shortly afterwards transmitters and loud hailers were installed. I am wondering if the aerial system on this lifeboat, the Lady Jane and Martha Ryland was for the former or the later radio installation fitted.

[Radio Wrangler]

Looking at the multiple wires and spreaders, it may be for the old 500kHz frequency. It would have needed serious insulators if used for transmitting, and I'd have thought a receive-only installation would have had a rotary loop for DF'ing.

David

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by gm0ekm cecil

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge regarding the aerial on this Barnett Type RNLI Lifeboat at her moorings in Lerwick, Shetland in 1933.
I understand that the early lifeboats did not have radios. In the early 1930's these boats had receivers only, shortly afterwards transmitters and loud hailers were installed. I am wondering if the aerial system on this lifeboat, the Lady Jane and Martha Ryland was for the former or the later radio installation fitted.

Hi Cecil,

Hope you're well?

I did a bit of research on the RNLI use of radios in lifeboats because I acquired a Coastal Radio R/T set that may have been used by them. The RNLI "Lifeboat" magazine has an extensive on-line archive and there are two articles, one pre-WW2 of 1937 and a later one of 1948 showing a Coastal Radio station being fitted to all boats at that time. I have the PDFs of those files here but they are a bit large to attach to a posting. There may not be anything specific on the aerial you mention but there are references to stepping the mast when alongside a casualty.

If you'd like the articles, let me know.

73,

Roger/G3VKM

[crackle]

That dose not look a very practical setup at all with the mast and the multi wire antenna.
In the types of seas that a lifeboat has to go in I would think it would be swinging all over the place.
However the mast will help to damp the boat movement a little.
I know when I took my mast down to take my sailing boat up the Thames it bobbed around like a cork in the smallest of seas.

Mike

[gm0ekm cecil]

The reason I posted this item is on behalf of a friend who is compiling an article in a local newspaper on the history of lifeboats in Shetland, this an annual thing he does every year at this time on Shetland's maritime past.
when he gave me the photo I told him on the same lines as mentioned, it's probably a receive only aerial and more than likely a low frequency one with all that wire involved. I thought I would ask here and thanks for your interest. Incidentally the float plane in the picture is that of Charles Linbergh when in 1933 he and his wife flew across the Atlantic from Canada via Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Faroe and Shetland on their way to Denmark.

[gm0ekm cecil]

Thanks Roger, all well up here in the breezy north.
Almost all my radio collection is gone now, the major part of it has gone to museums. Some of the military sets have gone to a new museum starting up in Inverness in a former WWII bunker which was used to gather all the Chain Home radar traces from around the coast of Scotland and N. Ireland and plot them on the large table, other military sets have gone to the Montrose Air Museum. A large number of the domestic broadcast sets etc. have gone up to a private museum on the Island of Unst. All the duplicate equipment, odds and ends have been sold on ebay.

[G3VKM_Roger]

Hi Cecil,

OK, yes I remember you were down-sizing your collection, good to hear some has gone to good homes. If you'll send your e-mail address by P/M I'll send you the RNLI articles if you haven't found them already.

73

Roger

[James Duncan]

The Bunker in Inverness was sold off to developers and no one seems to know where all the radio and other items vanished to
such a loss, perhaps someone can throw some light on this.

Originally Posted by gm0ekm cecil

Thanks Roger, all well up here in the breezy north.
Almost all my radio collection is gone now, the major part of it has gone to museums. Some of the military sets have gone to a new museum starting up in Inverness in a former WWII bunker which was used to gather all the Chain Home radar traces from around the coast of Scotland and N. Ireland and plot them on the large table, other military sets have gone to the Montrose Air Museum. A large number of the domestic broadcast sets etc. have gone up to a private museum on the Island of Unst. All the duplicate equipment, odds and ends have been sold on ebay.

[G3VKM_Roger]

James,

Is this the place?

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...r-into-museum/

Cheers

Roger/G3VKM