COMMUNICATIONS ON THE GREAT LAKES

By LCDR James R. Comerford, USCC

Archivist Note:: This is the Great Lakes portion of an article from The Proceedings of the Marine Safety Council – Volume 36 No. 1 – January 1979

   Although the radio telegraph was not required equipment on board Great Lakes vessels, a number of vessels were so equipped. As of June 30, 1935, approximately 1,975 lakers were equipped with wireless--which was the only long-range means of communication available. The radio telegraph, however, was destined to become a thing of the past with the introduction of radio telephone communications.

  The SS WILLIAM ATWATER, owned by the Wilson Transport Company in Cleveland, Ohio, was the first lakes vessel to be equipped with a radiotelephone. The equipment was installed by Lorain County Radio Corporation, a newly-formed company operating under an experimental license issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC. The ship-to-shore radio telephone Station was established in Lorain and within one year became WMI, a public service coastal harbor station.

  Only three months after the radio telephone was installed aboard the SS ATWATER, the device proved itself as a tool of safety. On August 27, 1934, an emergency call from Lake Superior to WMI Lorain was placed by the crew to seek medical instructions for 
first aid treatment. The Captain had fallen down a companionway and was knocked unconscious. The physician's instructions were followed and the vessel called at the nearest port where the Captain was removed to a hospital. This incident demonstrated that radio telephone communications were rapid, with improved accuracy through personal voice contact. Additionally, the need for an operator, as required for the radio telegraph, was eliminated.

  In the year 1936, the Lake Carriers’ Association chose to develop the radio telephone system rather than equipping the vessels with radio telegraph equipment. There were a number of bills developed by Congress to require radio telegraph aboard all Great Lakes vessels, but all attempts were defeated. The Lake Carriers’ Association retained the firm of Jansky and Bailey to devise a radio telephone system for the Great Lakes. By the close of the year 1939, a common and integrated system for marine communications had been established. The system established channel 51 (2182 KHz) as the common contact and safety distress calling channel, along with additional channels for ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship communications. This was accomplished through the cooperative efforts of both the Canadian and United States governmental agencies, marine industry and Lake Carriers’ Association.

  The year of 1940 recorded a number of violent storms on the Great Lakes. The loss of life and vessels was great. In an attempt to give the mariner as much notice as possible, the United States Weather Bureau began utilizing the radio telephone for weather broadcasts in 1941. This service has proven to be of great value to the mariner in the safe navigation of vessels. 

  The unfortunate events that transpired during the day of April 27, 1944 resulted in yet another safety broadcast that has contributed greatly to the safety record of the lakes. Lake Erie was blanketed with fog, which is common on the lakes during the early months after the opening of navigation. The SS JAMES H. REED and Canadian vessel ASHCRAFT collided approximately 20 miles north of Conneant, Ohio. The REED sank almost immediately with the loss of 10 lives and injury to 3 crew members. Approximately two hours later, the SS PHILIP MINCH and SS FRANK VIGOR collided under cover of the same fog near Pelee Passage. The VIGOR sank with no loss of life. These two casualties prompted innovative thinking on the part of certain members of the marine community. The FCC was petitioned to allow a safety broadcast of “Security, security, security---" on channel 51. The broadcast was to be made blindly on channel 5! advising all vessels in the immediate area of the broadcasting vessel's location and anticipated movement. The petition was approved and the broadcast has developed 
into a vital safety tool on the Great Lakes. 

  By 1950, every Great Lakes vessel was equipped with a radio telephone and use was widespread. The waters of the Great Lakes are international, with Lake Michigan being the only lake having total U.S. shoreline.

  To ensure the proper use of the radio telephone, especially from a safety standpoint, a treaty between Canada and the United States was signed on November 13, 1954. The treaty, commonly referred to as the Great Lakes Agreement, requires that all vessels of 500 gross tons or over, or over 65 feet in length and carrying passengers, or engaged in towing, be equipped with a multi-channel medium frequency radio telephone with controls located on the bridge. It was required that the phone be FCC approved, capable of monitoring channel 51 (2182 KHz) and operating on channel 52 (2002 KHz), plus additional channels, to handle public correspondence,. The signing of this treaty officially marked the radio telephone as the primary means of marine communication on the Great Lakes. (This treaty was amended on May 6, 1975 to require VHF rather than MF capabilities.)

  By 1946, it had become apparent that projected user needs would be so great that the existing MF/HF system would not be able to meet the demand. Additionally, in 1947 the Atlantic City Radio Conference adopted channel 51 (2182 KHz) for world-wide use as a safety distress channel. These factors prompted the Lake Carriers' Association to examine the feasibility of employing VHF 156-162 MHz, as a means of relieving the burden placed on MF and HF.

VHF COMMUNICATIONS ON THE GREAT LAKES

  The studies initiated by Lake Carriers’ Association rendered positive results in favor of FM/ VHF. The study revealed that approximately 70 percent of all communications were 50 miles or less and primarily ship-to-ship. The major advantages of VHF are that it is highly reliable, static free, good for distances up to 50 miles and fades rapidly at greater distances. It also offers a number of channels for marine use. The FCC was petitioned to allow the establishment of a multi-channel VHF system. In 1951, the proposal was approved with 156-162 MHz as the frequency range. Channel 16 (156.8 MHz) was established as the common contact and safety distress calling channel. The use of VHF (FM) spread rapidly both for shipboard and Great Lakes shore station use.

  On May 6, 1975 it became Law, through treaty between Canada and the United States, that every vessel of 65 feet or longer navigating on the Great Lakes, every vessel engaged in towing, and vessels carrying more than six passengers for hire, be equipped with a multi-channel VHF radio telephone operating in the frequency range 156-162 MHz with monitoring capabilities on channel 16 (156.8 MHz).

  The importance of the radio telephone becomes readily apparent to an observer on the bridge of a vessel navigating the Great Lakes. The ship's officer normally positions himself at "the front window" while piloting the vessel. From this position he can easily reach the whistle control, engine order telegraph bow thruster control, observe the radar, and reach the multi-channel VHF radio. Prior to getting underway, the Captain will give a "security" broadcast on channel 16. While underway, safety/distress channel 16 is constantly monitored. Communications between the company and vessel are immediate. Position reports, personnel changes, supply requirements, dispatching information are just a few of the information items passed. The vessel transmits on scene weather conditions to the National Weather Service where it is compiled and broadcast to all vessels. The radio provides the medium by which Notice to Mariners and Safety Broadcast are disseminated immediately, The Soo Lock, Welland Canal, and St. Lawrence Seaway rely on the radio telephone for communication between control centers and vessels. The radio telephone and the manner in which it is employed on the Great Lakes virtually forms a network for all vessels to be made aware of marine activities in the vicinity. The geographical makeup of the area, with miles of narrow rivers and blind turns coupled with the frequency of transits, makes the lakes one of the most difficult bodies of water to navigate in the world. The officer positioned in "the front window" is aware and anticipates the meeting situation that is blinded by the bend in the river dictate that whistle signals must he exchanged in meeting and over
taking situations. However, if any element of uncertainty exists both vessels will normally reach agreement via radio telephone long before whistle signals are sounded. 

  During the 1977 navigational season there were over 11,000 passages in the Detroit River System alone. The use of the radio telephone along with the experience and skill of the Great Lakes mariner produced a combination resulting in a commendable safety record. The Automated Commercial Vessel Casualty file maintained by the Office of Marine Safety, Information and Analysis Staff, in Washington, DC reveals that for the entire Great Lakes there were only 18 collisions where both vessels were underway for the period of fiscal years 1972 through 1977. In eight of the investigations, the radio telephone was mentioned as being incorrectly employed. Additionally, 9 of the 18 casualties involved foreign vessels (other than Canadian).

  It is apparent that the radio telephone has played a major role in establishing the safety record on the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes marine industry, through dedication to safety, has proven to be a leader in marine communications and continues to maintain the recognition by ever seeking to improve upon the existing system.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

  The provisions of the 1967 World Administrative Radio Conference which led to the Federal Communication Rules requiring the conversion of MF/HF radio telephone from double sideband to single sideband technique and VHF charnels from wideband to narrowband, would eventually lead to the demise of the manually operated system on the Great Lakes. The separately owned and operated HF/VHF radio telephone shore stations on the Great Lakes are dependent on revenue from the number of calls handled. The fewer number of operating vessels, combined with required replacement as a result of the FCC Rules, introduced an additional financial burden to the stations. Shipping companies were also faced with the problem of replacing shipboard MF/HF and VHF equipment. 

  In 1968 and 1969, the Lake Carriers’ Association sponsored a study conducted by Advanced Technology System, Arlington, Virginia to determine the practicality of a centrally operated All-VHF System The findings of the study were favorable. Additionally, in 1972 the Maritime Administration sponsored a Domestic Shipping Research conference which established the need for an improved lakes-wide VHF communication system. The conference resulted in the Maritime Administration awarding Lorain Electronics Corporation a contract to develop a proto-type system, which was completed in 1974 and refined during the 1975 and 1976 shipping season. The system was completed early in 1978 and consists of 16 unmanned stations serving Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. 

  The system introduces three basic new features: full duplex voice transmission; an on-line  computer system for registration and processing data; and facsimile or teletype transmission of data.

  The system allows the seaman to dial directly from a vessel to any telephone dialable through land network. Conversely, a caller ashore can dial a ship directly if the vessel's location and address code are known. In the event the location or address code is not known, the system operator will make the connection through the systems control center. The full duplex voice transmission feature eliminates the disadvantage of having to push-to- talk.

  The system employs a Varian V 72 computer and has the capability of gathering position and weather reports from all ships operating on the Great Lakes within seven 
minutes. This is accomplished by the mate entering the pertinent data in the periodic Report Register. The register is rectangular in shape and is auxiliary to the radio telephone unit. A touch-tone dial pad, similar to the telephone touch- tone, is utilized to enter the vessel's data alpha-numerically into the on board memory which is digitally displayed. Message headings are determined by turning a thumbwheel on the register. Up to 14 different types of data can be entered for automatic polling by the shore- based computer. When the data has been entered by the mate, the thumbwheel is turned in 
position "ready. " At specified times during the day the system computer collects the register information and triggers the "data sent" on digital read- out. The National Weather Service can then query the computer and get a dump of current weather data which is compiled into a timely and accurate weather broadcast. The position reports received from the vessels are sorted by the computer and transmitted automatically to 
the teleprinters in the respective shipping companies' offices. The information gathered by the computer is available to the system operator, located at the control center in Lorain, Ohio. The operator can query the computer concerning a particular vessel and obtain a CRT displaying a read-out of the vessel's data. The display will give the ship's expected position derived from a program employing an algorithm to compute the position. The operator, with the aid of the computer, can also complete manually-handled calls by remote control of the shore station switching functions.

  The application of the facsimile capabilities of the system are numerous. Among the applications are transmission of personnel listings, typed pages, sketches and pictures. This capability was utilized during winter navigations for the years 1974- 75 and 
1975-76 for transmission of ice charts. The charts that are transmitted are timely and provide a great service to the navigator in directing the vessel' s movements through the ice.

CONCLUSION

  The Great Lakes has entered into new generation of communication capability in the establishment of automated telecommunications. The capabilities of the system are 
numerous. Just as in the past, the system will be fully developed to maximize the utilization safety aspect of the radio telephone.