VK7XFM

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VK7XFM.TXT
I have a tape given to me by Richard Verrall, VK7RZ, in January 2002.

The first side has a recording, made by Richard at Taroona, of the spark
transmissions from VK7XFM at Blinking Billy Point, Sandy Bay on the 75th
anniversary of Hallam and Medhurst's 1901 signalling to HMS St George on the
occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales.   This is followed by a
read-back of the messages.

The second side has a similar recording of the messages made by the late
Phil Andrews at Rosny.   [Richard said that Phil was the Curator of Zoology
and Applied Science at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.   Phil had a
friend "Al" in the States.   Was the US stuff from him?]

This is followed by promotional material for the Hallicrafters company,
which sounds from the context as if it was made about 1965.

Then comes recordings of spark signals from 1921!

A guy with an American accent comments on the signals, saying :

"On the North Atlantic in about the year 1921.   You'll hear (ummm)
 all of the signals are spark with the exception of WIM which was
 the first of the ICW[?] signals.
 The first signal you will hear is that of the famous Navy station
 at Bar Harbor, NBD, sending a traffic list."

He then names the signals heard which include :

Bar Harbor
??, France
Lands End
SS Berengaria
Southampton, England
Ostend, Holland
Valentia, Ireland
?Le Havre?
North Foreland, England
Stockholm
Reykyavik, Iceland
Le Havre, France
SS Levi?
SS Rotterdam
SS Aquitania
New York
?worth, Florida
Arlington, NAA
Cape May?
Chatham?
New London"

Some of the hand sending is most distinctive.
For example the first French station, probably FFU,
sounds like EREREA!