Selective Calling System Saves Time For Oceangoing Tankers And River Vessels
A new selective calling system is helping AMOCO solve the problem of putting marine radiotelephone calls through promptly to its fleet of vessels scattered around the world.
On the inland waterways, barge owners are using the same system to dial calls directly to their fleets of towboats without voice monitoring.
At present, 12 oceangoing tankers in the AMOCO fleet are equipped with Lorain Encoders and Decoders, permitting selective automatic communications. Each of the 12 tankers can be called without use of voice calling and without the use of voice monitoring, much in the same way that you would dial a telephone call. A Lorain Selective Encoder and Decoder with six-channel search is installed at Station WSY, Lorain, Ohio, which in turn is connected to the AMOCO home office by a dedicated telephone circuit.
Each vessel is assigned its own five-digit calling code. For example, the Amoco Baltimore has the code 15142. When the company wants to contact the Amoco Baltimore off the African coast, the operator sets the code 15142 on the five thumbwheel switches of the Lorain Encoder. He then selects the correct frequency for the location of the vessel on the single sideband radio and presses the "transmit" button on the Encoder. The correct five-digit code is automatically transmitted in the proper sequence to the vessel.
On the Amoco Baltimore, the Lorain Selective Decoder is constantly searching six channels for a tone sequence representing the code 15142. The first tone stops the search until the tone sequence is identified. The search, and identification of the five digits, requires approximately two seconds.
Upon identification of the correct code by the Decoder on the Amoco Baltimore, an audible two-second signal is sounded and the appropriate channel indicator pushbutton (one of six) is illuminated. This identifies the calling frequency or station. The radio operator then selects the indicated frequency on the single sideband radio and answers the call.
AMOCO is able to save valuable time on its daily position report calls and other business with its fleet. Each call is placed by merely setting up the code and pushing the transmit button.
The radio operators also save time, and the radio can be turned down without missing an incoming call. No voice monitoring is necessary since each call is signaled audibly and also visually displayed on the vessel's Call Indicator.
This indication remains until canceled by the operator. Up to six calls can be stored on the "Call Indicator" until the pushbuttons cancel them.
Time can be devoted to navigation and other work, secure in the knowledge that the Lorain Decoder is doing the listening for the radio operator.
The best testimonial a user can make of a system is to make repeated purchases. AMOCO has done just that with 12 ships encoder/ decoder equipped, or on order, and more to come.
How do the barge lines feel about this new communications systems? "Based on present results from our encoder/decoder system," said one company spokesman, "we estimate that savings resulting from the ease of picking up new cargo en route should help us pay for the system in a matter of months. The pilothouse remains quiet and the crew is no longer bothered by radio chatter." Comments from the towboat captains have been favorable. The Lorain decoders have provided dependable communications in the same manner as an office telephone . . . when the signal sounds and a channel indicator light comes on. there is a call for the vessel.
In the words of one captain, "Tt's just like having a telephone in the pilothouse. When it rings, it's for you." The system operates from 117 volts AC 50/fi0 cycles or 13.6 volts DC. Power consumption is 30 watts. Solid-state modules assure dependable performance. The overall cost of the equipment depends upon specifications.
Some of the major barge lines using the Lorain encoder/decoder system fleet-wide are the Ohio River Company, Valley Line, and Wisconsin Barge Line.
Tack Cain, executive vice president, and Bill Taylor, sales manager, are optimistic about the future of the new automatic dialing system. Public correspondence stations on the inland waterways also have praise for the encoder/ decoder system. Offshore dredging rigs utilize the Lorain 'System as well.
Lorain Electronics Corporation has been a leader in the marine communications field since 1928, with headquarters at 2307 Leavitt Road, Lorain, Ohio 44052.
Other stories from February 1974 issue
Content
- Shipyard Marketing Conference Planned page: 4
- Cordon International To Supply Equipment For Three LNG Ships page: 6
- Sixth VLCC Delivered By Kockums To Salen Features Roller Bearing Design For Shaft page: 7
- Admiral Payne To Succeed Admiral Brockett At Webb page: 7
- NASSCO Launches Largest Vessel Ever Built On West Coast page: 7
- Walter Thorsen, Inc. Named Exclusive Rep For Eleusis Shipyards page: 8
- Ogden Marine, Inc. Buys Two Tankers page: 10
- Oceans International Announces Merger And Expansion Plans page: 10
- Aluminum Tanks And LNG Ship Steel Hulls To Be Joined By Using Du Pont Detacouple Explosion Bonded Welding Transition Joints page: 11
- McAllister Orders Three 4,290-Hp Tugs page: 11
- Delta SS Awards Contract To Equitable For 50 LASH Barges page: 12
- Bethlehem Begins Construction On 265,000-Dwt Tanker —Largest Vessel Built In The United States page: 12
- Arthur Levy Boat Service Announces New Appointments For Thomas And LeBlanc page: 12
- Greek Committee Established By Det norske Veritas page: 13
- Esso Norway Test Of Hull Structure Proves Design And Good Workmanship page: 14
- Todd President Sees U.S. Shipbuilders Improving Competitive Position page: 14
- Society Of Marine Port Engineers N.Y. Discuss Care Of Turbine And Hydraulic Oil Systems page: 14
- Harwich Tonnage, Inc. Formed In California page: 15
- K.W. Waldorf Named To New Zapata Post page: 15
- Bigger, Bigger . . . Bigger page: 18
- USMMA At Kings Point To Admit Women page: 19
- Storm Awards Contract To Bethlehem Beaumont Shipyard For Offshore Drilling Rig page: 20
- NASSCO Expanding Facilities To Build 150,000-Ton Tankers page: 20
- NASSCO Delivers S/S Coronado— First Of Three For Margate Shipping page: 21
- SNAME N.Y. Metropolitan Section Hears Technical Paper On 'New Approach To The Ship Hull Characteristics Problem' page: 21
- ASNE Annual Meeting Set For May 2-3 In Washington, D.C. page: 21
- Experimental LNG Carrier Will Evaluate Two Tank Systems Under Operating Conditions page: 24
- International Ship Suppliers To Meet In Washington, D.C. September 22-26 page: 24
- Thomas B. Crowley Elected President At Western Shipbuilding Ass'n Annual Meeting page: 24
- Whitehouse To Head ABStech Regional Office In Houston page: 25
- Colt Industries Names Nidenberg page: 25
- FMD Appoints Sanchez To Direct Field Operations page: 25
- Alco Engines Names Comeng Holdings Ltd. Australian Licensee page: 25
- Magnavox Announces New Integrated Navigation System page: 28
- Friede & Goldman Inc. Design Zapata Rigs Building At Avondale page: 28
- Sea Trials And Launching Ceremonies Held For AMOCO Tankers At Astilleros Espanoles page: 28
- Halter Delivers New York Pilot Boat page: 29
- Ametco Shipping Elects J.E. Hundt President page: 29
- World Dredging Ass'n New Midwest Chapter To Meet February 28 page: 29
- Wiley And Clyde Iron Now Division Of AMCA Int'l —AMCA Sales $100 Million page: 30
- Kaiser To Build LNG Tanks For Oceangoing Ships On Pinto Island In Mobile Bay page: 30
- Eleusis Shipyards Launches Largest Vessel Built In Greece page: 31
- Paclines To Carry Cargo California To Hawaii Using Tug And Superbarge page: 31
- L. Arthur Strenkert Named Sales Manager Smit Nymegen Corp. page: 31
- Magnavox Announces Offshore Drill Rig Positioning System page: 31
- Paul J. Evanson Appointed Controller Moore And McCormack page: 32
- Paper On Water jet Propulsion Discussed During SNAME Philadelphia Section Meeting page: 32
- Mainland China Places Order Worth $2 Million For Rucker Petroleum Drilling Equipment page: 33
- Pittsburgh-Des Moines Orders Large Quantity Of Aluminum For LNG Ship And Land Use page: 33
- Worthington Service Corp. Names Budrick And lennings page: 33
- Zapata Corporation Reports Record Results page: 33
- Drew Chemical Names Rogers Managing Director New So. Africa Subsidiary page: 33
- Luckenbach To Build New Tampa Terminal page: 33
- SNAME Players Perform At Pacific Northwest Section's 27th Annual Fall Meeting page: 33
- Japanese Firm Buys Lawson Products Corp. —John Gaydos Named page: 34
- David O'Neil To Head New Firm Of Marine Propulsion Consultants page: 34
- Liberian Services —Consulting Firm Elects Wiswall Pres. page: 35
- Diamond M Orders Two Jackup Rigs And A Semisubmersible page: 35
- New Marine Systems Brochure From Waukesha Motor page: 36
- Management Changes At Dearborn-Storm page: 36
- Tanker Management Firm Promotes Nichols page: 36
- DOD Management Of Energy Resources Highlights Naval Engineers Meeting page: 37
- Raytheon Company Submarine Signal Div. Appoints R.G. Popovici page: 38
- Berwind Lines Names Bericochea Exec. VP page: 38
- Selective Calling System Saves Time For Oceangoing Tankers And River Vessels page: 40
- Storehouse Of Information Readily Available From ABS Using Computerized Retrieval page: 42