Radio Telegraph and Radio Telephone Equipment

from Fifty-five Years of Dredges and Dredging on the Mississippi, Vol. 2
Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
 Published 1952

	The termination of World War I left the Signal Corps, U.S. Army, with a large number of sets of radio telegraph surplus to their foreseeable future of requirements. It was decided by the District Engineer of the Dredging District that this type of equipment installed on the district’s dredge would increase their usefulness by being able to keep in communication with the several dredges at all times and thereby direct their movements much better than could be accomplished by the use of telephones. Frequently, the nearest telephone was miles away from the location of a dredge and this resulted in little communication except when emergency conditions required the master of the dredge to call the District Engineer. The only other means of communication was when the steamer Inspector made its weekly trip throughout the District and the District Engineer had an opportunity to converse with the master.

	Under the above conditions a request was made in 1923 for the transfer of sufficient war surplus wireless equipment for sine dredges and steamers and one for the land station in the District Office. This equipment was transferred at no cost except that of handling and was received in sufficient time to be installed on the self-propelled dredges Kappa, Iota, Henry Flad, and B.M. Harrod, and the inspection steamer Inspector before the dredges left the depot. Later, sets were installed in the cutterhead dredge Omega and the non-propelled dredges Delta and Zeta.

	The equipment furnished consisted of 1-kw Navy spark transmitters and type SE1043 receivers. The Dredge District secured two radio operators well versed in the installation of this type of equipment to make the installation. These two men were assisted by an officer from the Signal Corps for the first month during which the installation was in progress.

	For the land station two structural steel self-supporting towers 150 feet in height were designed and constructed by hired labor at the Repair Depot. These towers were 14’-0” square at the base tapering to 1’-0” square at the top. The corner members were 4” x 4” x ⅜” angles. Diagonals and struts were 2½” x 2½” x 5/16” angles. The tower was built on the ground. The lower end of each 4” x 4” x ⅜” is fitted with a forged steel eye for a 2½” diameter pin. The foundation, consisting of a concrete slab 14 feet square by 2 feet thick, is fitted with forged yokes, also drilled for 2½” diameter pins. When fabrication of the tower was completed, the tower was moved up to the foundation and connected to two of these yokes. Then the 70-foot long boom of the floating derrickboat was erected for a gin pole and after attachment of the necessary hoisting tackle, the tower was easily raised and the two remaining pins inserted. The two towers were located 260 feet apart.

	The antenna used was a flat top type “T” consisting of a 2½” pipe spreader at each end with 4 wires spaced about 20 inches connecting the two headers. A ground wire of about 2,000 feet of copper wire was placed in shallow ditches between and around the two towers. (The wire to the sending and receiving set in the District Office was connected to about the middle of the antennae wires. Later, the antenna was reduced to one wire.”

	On floating plant (vessels) the antenna masts were located as far apart as possible at each end of the plant, and to the elevation that would give clearance above the smokestack of not less than 3 feet. The antenna was made in the same manner as the one on the land station, that is, an 8-foot length of 2” pipe spreader and four wires stretched between the two spreaders. On all floating plan and the land station, the antenna was suspended so that it could be raised or lowered.

	The masts on the floating plant consisted of guyed pipe of size suitable for the plant in which it was located. On the dredges the lower section was 3½ inches and reduces to 2½ inches for the upper section. The first installations were made by Mr. Joseph H. McKinney and Lieutenant Smith, an officer from the Signal Corps; while this work was underway, Mr. Walter H. Hammond was employed as head of the Radio Section of the district, from about 1923 to 1940. Mr. Frank Hagan also joined in this work about the time Mr. Hammond took charge of this work.

	In 1925 under the direction of Mr. Hammond, a short wave transmitter was designed and built by Radio Section personnel for experimental purposes. This transmitter was completed in time to be used as a portable station during the rescue and salvage operations at the time of the steamer Norman disaster in which 23 persons lost their lives. This short wave transmitter proved so satisfactory that the conversion of the original Signal Corps spark sets to 1CW sets was authorized. This conversion was accomplished during the period 1926 to 1931.

	In 1926-1927 three new modern RCA RTIG sets were purchased and installed. In 1931 three additional modern transmitters were purchased and were installed in the Area Office at Cairo, Ill., Helena, Ark., and at the District Office in Memphis.

	In 1934, VHF radio telephones were operated experimentally to determine their worth in periods of high water. The results did not prove encouraging for the service period.

	In 1941 H.F. (high frequency) radio telephones and telegraph were actually placed in service and have been in use to the present date. VHF frequency modulated equipment was installed in 1946. Since that time 62 FM stations have been installed plus 12 VHF-FM sets used by hydrographic survey parties.

	There are now (1952) in the Memphis District, 13 fixed stations, 18 vehicular stations, and 46 mobile and floating plant stations. In 1950 a 300-foot tower with remote controlled equipment was added at the Memphis District Office station.

	At Helena, Ark., Hickman, Ky., Paragould, Ark., Wappapello Dam, Mo., and at Richardson Landing, Tenn., advantage has been taken of nearby hills and the equipment place on this high ground with control circuits to the stations carried by telephone lines.

	The introduction of radio equipment has made a great change in the execution of the work of the district. When the subject was first proposed in 1922-1923, there was considerable doubt expressed by higher authority as to the value of the installation to the old Dredging District. As now operated, it would be difficult to visualize operation of the district without the aid of radio communication. This especially is true during periods of high water when communication with parties in the field quickly is very essential.

	In 1950 the motor vessel Coiner was fitted with Model MU-1 Radar Equipment manufactured by the Westinghouse Company. This is the first plant of the Memphis District to be thus equipped.

	Too much praise for the installation and development of the radio equipment cannot be given to Mr. Walter H. Hammond and to Mr. Elmer B. Hill, the present Chief of the Radio Section of the Memphis District Office. These two men have been working faithfully on this work and the selection or the development of equipment to suit the district’s requirements is largely due to their efforts.