Event for Italian Coast Radio Station “TRAPANI RADIO” c/s IQM
Dear Sparks,
I report below the News about the coming activation with special callsign of the Italian Coast Radio Station TRAPANI RADIO.
The U.R.I. (Italian Radioamateur Association) club of Trapani to celebrate the history of TRAPAI RADIO/IQM will acivate special callsign II9IQM from the 23rd until 30th June.
The history of TRAPANI RADIO c/s IQM
It is assumed that in the first decade of the last century, a group of private individuals set up in this city a center for maritime commercial radio communications, which acted as a bridge between the mainland and ships in transit in the sea spectrum in front of northwestern Sicily . The first location was installed near the industrial area, on the turret where the Licari company stands today. Towards the Fascist period the coastal station was transferred to the Villa Nasi in the Lazzaretto area, and subsequently absorbed by the Ministry of Post and Telegraphic and Telephone Communications, with an allocation placed in the same central office within the Post Office building, still functioning today. The coastal station of Trapani radio, international callsign India Quebec Mike; after the last world war, he had his final arrangement in the Ronciglio area, as shown in the photo above the article, until the termination of the service, which took place in December 1993, when the administration passed to the Telecom group Italy, and therefore the suppression of the analog system replaced by the automated one. All the radio operators, employees of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, were transferred to the post offices with the duties of the desk clerk. For about 70 years, during the existence of the coastal station, had all its professional splendor, thanks to the ability of the staff in service, which guaranteed 24 hours the safety and the safety of human life at sea, on frequencies and on pre-established bands assigned by the International Telecommunications Union. It carried out radio traffic in VHF on channel 16 (corresponding frequency 156,800 MHZ) for emergency assistance (MAY PAN) and security (SECURITE ‘) assistance while carrying out commercial traffic on channel 25, (corresponding frequency 161.850 MHZ) to carry out requests for radiotelephony conversations to and from ships in transit within a radius of about 100 nautical miles. The coastal station, at certain pre-established times, in principle 3 times a day, spread the weather report, notice to sailors and storms, dictation radiotelegrams, and became the protagonist during the rescue operations to ships in difficulty, often entered in operational support to the Port Authority, through the repetition of messages in order to make communication more efficient, having a strategic geographical location. The same service was carried out on the medium wave band, on the international call and distress frequency 2182 KHZ and on the working frequency 1848 KHZ, a frequency that today falls within the band portion assigned for amateur radio activity. The medium waves (1605 khz 4000 khz) covered considerable distances; usually a ship when it lapped the shores of Gibraltar, was certain to be heard, the same if the ship was on the opposite side of the Mediterranean, once crossed the coasts of Greece, at the height of the island of Zakynthos, was able to carry out the radiotelephone service in stock directed towards crew members. 25 years have passed since its definitive closure, to us local radio-amateurs, the pride of organizing a worthy commemoration, reporting the city of Trapani, at the dawn of a time now buried in oblivion, in order to make echoing, at least the knowledge in citizens, that the coastal station of Trapani radio, carried out a benevolent service, and is to be counted in history, among the important things lived, which can be placed on the patrimony and heritage of humanity.
Sec. U.R.I. IQ9QV
Following photoes source: http://www.linoesposito.it/miscradio_it.php
Trapani Radio / IQM
73’s
webmaster