On this page are extracts of FCC
information and actions applicable to the Great
Lakes
and inland rivers maritime services. These extracts are taken
from the Commission's
Annual Reports. The Reports are for the
Commission's fiscal year which ends on June 30 of the
year.
Integrated into the text for the years 1938 to 1945 are links
to extracts from the
FCC records preserved at the University of North Texas and made
available on-line via its Digital Library. This information
substantially augments the available early history
of several of the
stations. Culling information from these records will enable the
updating/correcting of the content of many pages on
the site. These
revisions will take some time.
Most of the links below are to PDFs, and the
largest is 3.4 MB. If you don't see the PDF soon after you
click on
it it means that your browser is not setup to view PDFs and the file
was sent to your download folder.
A table of statistical information about
the number of stations licensed each year appears at the
bottom of the
page.
1935
"The coastal telegraph station formerly
located near Cincinnati, Ohio, has been moved to St. Louis, Mo., in
order to serve more efficiently ships navigating the Mississippi,
Missouri, and Ohio Rivers."
Mention is made of Lorain, OH as the
location of one of the 6 public coastal-harbor radiotelephone stations.
Mention is made that there are 27 ships
authorized to operate inter-ship radiotelephone on 2738KHz.
1936
"The Inland Waterways Corporation,
authorized by an act of Congress, is the licensee of a private coastal
telegraph station at Memphis Tenn., used for necessary communications
with its vessels navigating the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers."
This was not WJG.
1937
The Great Lakes and Inland Waters (Radio)
Survey which was provided for by Congress was started.
"The Lorain (Ohio) station operated by the
Lorain County Radio Corporation, offers radiotelephone service with
ships plying the Great Lakes. During the year, high-frequency
operation has been inaugurated at this station."
"The Warner & Tamble Radio
Service, a partnership, composed of R. V. Warner and G. H. Tamble,
applied for authority to construct a public coastal harbor
radiotelephone station at Memphis, Tenn., to communicate with vessels
in the vicinity of Memphis Harbor. The case was heard before
an examiner on May 7, 1937, and is now pending before the Commission."
"Thorne Donnelley, an individual residing
at Lake Bluff, Ill., applied for authority to construct a public
coastal harbor radiotelephone station at Lake Bluff, Ill., to
communicate with ships plying the Great Lakes, particularly those
vessels operating in the southern end of Lake Michigan. The
case was set for hearing before an examiner on July 8, 1937,
1938
The Great Lakes and Inland Waters (Radio)
Survey started in 1937 continues.
A radiotelephone license granted for Lake
Bluff, IL - Radiotelephone applications pending for Duluth, MN and Port
Washington, WI - Radiotelephone license for Memphis, TN
denied.
More detail from the FCC Records:
WAY
- 1938 - PDF WJG -
1938 - PDF WAD
& WAS - 1938 - PDF
1939
The 1939 Report contains more information
(mostly relative to the Great Lakes) than can be easily
extracted. Go to the Report
and scroll to page 60 (about 30% down) to read all of this
information.
The brief highlights are:
A temporary US-Canadian agreement governs GL radiotelephone use for the
1939 season.
Radiotelephone licenses granted for Duluth,MN, Port Washington, WI and
Memphis, TN - WAY applied for increased facilities
Radiotelephone applications pending for: Rogers City, MI, Cassville,
MI, Sturgeon Bay, WI
West Dover, OH, Buffalo, NY and Cape
Girardeau, MO
More detail from the FCC Records:
WAY
- 1939 - PDF
WHC
- 1939 - PDF
1940
The 1940 Report contains more information
(mostly relative to the Great Lakes) than can be easily
extracted. Go to the Report
and scroll to page 77 (about 60% down) to read all of this
information.
The brief highlights are:
Three pairs of HF channels (duplex operation) made available for use in
the Great Lakes area.
Three pairs of MF channels (1 US, 1 Canadian, 1 Both & all
duplex) authorized for the GL area.
A common (US & Canada) calling and safety frequency (2182?)
agreed to.
CPs granted for radiotelephone at Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Mackinac
Island, Mich.
Applications pending for radiotelephone at Rogers City, Detroit, Port
Huron, Houghton and Manistee, all in Michigan; at West Dover, Ohio; and
at Buffalo, N.Y.
Great Lakes radiotelegraph calling and distress frequency changed from
410 KHz to 510 KHz.
All use of spark transmitters prohibited for US licensees after Jan. 1,
1940.
More detail from the FCC Records:
WAY & WMI Tariffs - 1940 -
PDF
1941
"Following analysis of the record of an
informal hearing at Memphis on October 28, 1940, and upon completion of
a detailed engineering study concerning related frequency allocation
matters, the Commission allocated six frequencies between 2000 and
12000 kilocycles for assignment to ship and coastal-harbor telephone
stations on the Mississippi River and connecting inland
waters. These frequencies have transmission characteristics
which will permit communication on the Mississippi River system and
connecting Intercoastal Waterway over distances up to several hundred
miles."
"Three coastal-harbor stations have been
licensed for public telephone service with river vessels, and five
applications are on file. In addition, the Inland Waterways
Corporation, a governmental enterprise, has requested authority to use
radiotelephony for communication with its 37 ship stations through the
medium of the land station owned and operated by this organization at
Memphis."
"At the Memphis hearing it was shown that
60 vessels operating on the Mississippi River system had licensed radio
stations on board. Seventeen of these vessels had telegraph
equipment only, 21 had telephone equipment only, and 22 had both
telephone and telegraph equipment. it was conservatively
estimated that the total number of towboats on the Mississippi River
and its tributaries exceeds 500."
"The Commission licensed new public
coastal-harbor stations at --- ; Cape Girardeau, Mo.; ---.
The coastal-harbor station at Mackinac Island was moved to Rogers City,
Mich. As a result of extensive public hearings in May 1940,
new coastal-harbor stations were authorized in the Great Lakes area at
Detroit, Port Huron, and Houghton, Mich. and at Buffalo, N.Y.
(Call
Letters ?) At the same time
additional frequencies (above 3,000 kilocycles) were assigned to the
existing stations at Lake Bluff, Ill.; Port Washington, Wis.; Duluth,
Minn.; Rogers City Mich., and Lorain, Ohio. "
"On March 1, 1941, certain regulations
became effective which require that licensed ship stations must render
a service of public correspondence; either in conformity with
established tariffs or without charge for the service of the particular
ship station, at the option of the station licensee. This
imposes an obligation on the part of every ship station to transmit
messages for any person on board. Relay of messages by ship
stations for the benefit of other stations in the mobile service is
permissible but not obligatory."
"A questionnaire survey was made to obtain
information on the major technical details of available ship
radiotelephone equipment. It was determined that there were
at least 20 companies engaged in the manufacture and sale of a total of
80 types of equipment ranging from $99.50 to $2450 in sale price."
More detail from the FCC Records:
WAY & WHC - 1941 - PDF
WBL
& WCY - 1941 - PDF
WMI,
WAD & WAS - 1941 - PDF
WGK - 1941 - JPG
1942
Nothing of interest.
1943
The FCC Annual Report for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1943 indicated that public hearings had been held on the application of
WAY for authorization to communicate with ships on the Mississippi
River and connecting waterways.
More detail from the FCC Records:
WBL,
WGK, ETC. - 1943 - JPG
WAY - 1943 - PDF
1944
"With a view to relieving this condition
(Great Lakes 2182 KHz congestion) and expediting telephone messages,
the Commission amended its Rules to permit direct calling by ship
radiotelephone stations on the working (traffic) frequency 2158
kilocycles when establishing communication with land stations at which
the proper technical facilities have been provided for accepting
initial calls on this frequency."
"A new station at Louisville, Ky.,
established for communication with ships on the Mississippi River and
connecting inland waters, began operation with service tests in June,
1944."
1945
Detail from the FCC Records:
WCM - 1945 - PDF
1946
"A new subsection was added to section
8.81 which allocates the frequency 37,580 kilocycles to ship telephone
stations for communication with coastal harbor stations and with other
ships stations." and "Some expansion in the use of very high
frequencies took place on the Great Lakes. Approximately 40
Great Lakes ships may now communicate on an experimental
basis." The
beginnings of marine VHF-FM? However, it's
low-band not the eventual high-band. By 1950 37.580
MHz was allocated to the Power Radio Service so low-band VHF marine
radio on the Great Lakes had a short life.
1947
First mentions of high-band
VHF: (1) "Development of nine very high frequency
channels in the 152 to 162 megacycle band is progressing, and it is
believed that more extensive use of this band will relieve congestion
between 2 to 3 megacycles where approximately 9000
radiotelephone-equipped vessels now operate."
"Very high frequency service is also being
developed for the Great lakes."
"During the fiscal year the RTCM (The
newly established industry-government committee: The Radio Technical
Commission for Marine Services) completed a study of modulation systems
for very high frequency marine radiotelephony and recommended that FM
be adopted for the maritime mobile service within the frequency range
of 30 to 300 megacycles."
1948
"The trend toward telephony was
exemplified further by (two new radiotelephony station applications)
and by proposals from two public service licensees requesting
permission to discontinue operation of their Great Lakes radiotelegraph
shore stations and by proposals from others to establish new land
radiotelephone stations at Chicago and Milwaukee."
1949
"Of particular advantage to maritime radio
was the recognition by the Fourth Inter-American and Region 2 Radio
Conference of detailed safety radio system for the maritime telephone
service based upon the new calling and distress frequency 2182
kilocycles, as well as standardized frequencies for operational
communications and public correspondence." 2182 had
been in use in US for this purpose for many years before this
international agreement.
"Because of serious interference between
ship stations on the Great Lakes and ship stations on other inland and
coastal waters on the common inter-ship frequency 2738 kilocycles, the
Commission allocated 2203 kilocycles for inter-ship use in the Great
Lakes area effective August 1, 1949."
"Another matter discussed informally with
European maritime nations and with Canada concerned the necessary
coordinated organization of the maritime mobile telephone service in
the very high frequency 152-162 megacycle band. Because the
United States had previously adopted a channel separation in this band
of 60 kilocycles and the United Kingdom had adopted 100 kilocycles for
this purpose, only one maritime mobile service frequency in this band
was internationally agreed upon at Atlantic City --- namely 156.800
megacycles, for calling, safety, inter-ship and harbor control
purposes. Through these informal discussions, a workable
compromise was achieved, and frequency assignment plans for
radiotelephone service in this band are being prepared for
implementation in the United States, Canada, and Great
Britain. The Commission, through readjustments of its VHF
frequency allocation plan, adopted 100 kilocycle channel separation in
this maritime band in the interest of international standardization."
1950
"The Commission set January 1, 1950 as the
final date for relinquishing 2738 kilocycles on the Great
lakes. It also authorized use of safety and calling frequency
2,182 kilocycles as a common working frequency for ship-to-ship
communication during this change-over period."
"The Commission collaborated in a plan of
the Department of the Army for the systematized use of the inter-ship
frequency 2,738 kilocycles by radiotelephone stations at Lock 19,
Keokuk, Iowa, and at each of 46 dams on the Ohio River to facilitate
the movement of tows through the locks and to promote safety.
When a ship approaches the locks, radio contact is established with the
Army stations for the purpose of obtaining instructions to passage
through the locks. If the ship cannot proceed through the
locks immediately, it is instructed by radio to wait until further
radio orders are received."
"Since deciding to establish the VHF
Specialized Operational Radio-telephone Maritime Mobile Service in
April 1948, the Commission has authorized on an experimental basis 63
land stations and 716 associated ship units. Such short-range
communication is expected to play an important part in piloting and
docking ships by providing direct radiotelephone service between the
pilot or master of the ship, the dockmaster, and tugs. Rules
and regulations to establish the VHF maritime mobile service on a
regular basis were under preparation at the end of the fiscal year."
"Commission engineers participated in
studies by the Radio Technical Commission for Marine
Services. They covered such subjects as the intermodulation
problem in the VHF region --- ; the relative merit of FM and AM in the
VHF spectrum for marine radiotelephone equipment, looking to eventual
standardization; effective standardization of ship radiotelephone
selective ringing systems which would offer economic advantages and
better frequency utilization; ---."
1951
"The International Radio Consultative
Committee (CCIR) at Geneva, Switzerland (June 1951) recommended that an
auto alarm signal consisting of alternate tones of 2,200 and 1,300
cycles per second, each having a duration of 250 milliseconds, be
provisionally adopted internationally for use on the maritime
radiotelephone distress frequency (2182 KHz) subject to a prescribed
study program involving laboratory and field tests to be completed
within a 1-year period."
"During the fiscal year, eight public
coast stations using telegraphy were granted authority to discontinue
operation. These stations were located at ---, Frankfort,
Mich,; and Westlake, Ohio."
"The Commission, effective July 23, 1951
made over-all revisions to parts 7 and 8 of its maritime rules, which
provided for the additional use of the inter-ship telephone frequency
2638 kilocycles on the rivers and inland waters, a use not previously
permitted."
"The operational results obtained and the
interest shown in this new type of radiotelephone facility (VHF-FM)
have formed a basis for regularization of the use of very high
frequencies for both public and nonpublic radiotelephone service as
reflected in the Commission's recently revised Maritime Service rules."
1952
"Public coast stations employing
telegraphy at Mackinac Island, Mich. (WHQ), and --- , have
discontinued operation.
"On February 21, 1952, at Ottawa, Canada,
an "Agreement for the Promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means
of Radio" was signed. This agreement, which will come into
force two years after the date on which the instruments of ratification
are exchanged between Canada and the United States, will require that
several hundred Great Lakes vessels be equipped with radiotelephone
installations and maintain radio watches for safety purposes.
These requirements are in contrast to existing radio safety
requirements contained in the Ship Act of 1910 and 1912, under which an
extremely limited number of passenger ships are required to be equipped
with radiotelegraph installations."
"At Geneva in 1951, international
agreement was reached on a world-wide effective date for the use of
this frequency (2182 KHz) beginning May 1, 1952. --- In addition and
beyond the radio installations subject to these international
requirements, Commission rules adopted on April 23, 1952, will
eventually require coast and ship stations voluntarily employing
radiotelephony within the frequency band of 1600 to 3500 kilocycles to
be equipped to transmit and receive on 2182 kilocycles as well as
maintain a watch on that frequency during their hours of service."
1953
"--- The first overall revision of 2
megacycle maritime telephone frequencies since 1934 has been
promulgated as proposed rule making. This is of major
importance since it promises to relieve somewhat the severe congestion
existing in this band in which the great bulk of ship stations conduct
radiotelephone operations. Another important consequence will
be the complete establishment of the frequency 2182 kilocycles as the
radiotelephone distress and calling frequency in the 2 megacycle
band. The proposal also designates an inter-ship frequency
(2830 kilocycles) exclusively for the Mississippi River, Gulf, and
Caribbean areas; another inter-ship frequency (2738 kilocycles) for the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and a third inter-ship frequency (2638
kilocycles) for nationwide usage."
RTCM "Special Committee 18 was formed for
the purpose of recommending a system of channel designators for the
maritime mobile channels. Its function is to provide a simple
and standardized method of identifying the various radiotelephone
channels and thereby eliminate the need of referring to channels by the
frequency or frequencies used."
1954
"Great Lakes Agreement and Ship Act of
1910.---On May 7, 1954, a bill (S.3464) to amend the Communications Act
to make certain provisions for carrying out the Agreement for the
promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means of Radio was
introduced. The Great Lakes Agreement will come into force on
November 13, 1954. Under its terms, a radiotelephone safety
system is provided for several hundred vessels navigating the great
Lakes. The bill embodies recommendations of the Commission to
repeal the Ship Act of 1910, which provides a radiotelegraph safety
system now applying to only a few Great Lakes ships, as well as certain
provisions to facilitate administration of the Great Lakes
Agreement. (It, too, was adopted August 3, 1954.)"
"Radiotelephone calling and distress
frequency.---As concluding steps in establishing 2182 kilocycles a a
universal radiotelephone calling and distress frequency, ship stations
using the medium frequency radiotelephone band 1600 to 3500 kilocycles
were required as of January 1, 1954, to maintain a listening watch
during their hours of service on the frequency 2182
kilocycles. Coast stations were similarly required to keep
such listening watch commencing July 1, 1954. Ships equipped
with radiotelegraph and required to maintain a ratiotelegraph listening
watch on 500 kilocycles were excepted from this requirement."
"Additionally, (during fiscal
1954) plans for assignment of (changed)
high frequency radiotelephone frequencies to coast and ship stations in
the Great Lakes and Mississippi River areas were put into
effect."
1955
"On November 13, 1954, the Agreement for
the Promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means of Radio (a treaty
between the United States and Canada) came into force ---."
"Great Lakes weather
transmissions.---Because of a need on the Great Lakes for more
ship-to-shore use of the 2-3 megacycle frequency band for commercial
radiotelephone messages, the Commission confined scheduled marine
weather transmissions from shore stations on those lakes to 2514
kilocycles and discontinued weather transmissions on the other
2-megacycle channel previously used for this service. Public
ship-to-shore service is improved since more time is available for
handling messages in this band. Ship stations may communicate
with coast stations on other 2-megacycle frequencies at the same time
that weather schedules are being transmitted. Transmission of
marine weather schedules by Great Lakes stations on frequencies having
long distance characteristics has not been changed."
Multichannel and type acceptance in
152-162 megacycle band.---In accordance with rules promulgated some
years previous, all ship stations operating in the 152-162 VHF
megacycle band were to comply by January 1, 1955, with regulations
requiring multichannel and type-accepted VHF equipment. A
number of vessel owners indicated involuntary noncompliance as of that
date and were given limited additional time to permit modifications do
delivery of equipment accordingly. However, as of June 30,
1955, the requirements were applicable to all stations affected."
"The RTCM at the request of the
Commission, conducted a study and issued a report on May 17, 1955 on a
plan for the standardization of marine radiotelephone channel
designators."
