Smith’s Astral Red Segment Ships Radio Room Clock, Circa 1960

Name: Smith’s Astral Red Segment Ships Radio Room Clock, Circa 1960
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA743570
Availability: SoldOut

1940 - 1960

Sold by Oliver Sargent Antiques

Description

For sale, a particularly good Smiths Astral Ships Radio Room clock, circa 1960. Fully signed original dial and fine Astral eight-day movement in its undented full brass bulkhead case retaining a flat front glass, mounted on a good round wooden back plate. The clock is in full working order and keeping accurate time. Rare in this type of condition. Size dial 6 inches diameter by 3.25 inches deep with the back plate of 7.25 inches diameter. After the sinking of the Titanic and because of the lack of response to the Titanic's distress calls, the Ships Red Segmented Radio Room Clock came into service.

All stations using 2182 kHz were required to maintain a strictly enforced three-minute silence and listening period twice each hour, starting at h+00, h+30. This allowed any station with distress, urgent or safety traffic the best chance of being heard at that time, even if they were at some distance from other stations, operating on reduced battery power or perhaps reduced antenna efficiency, as for example from a dismasted vessel. As a visual aide-memoire, a typical clock in a ship's radio room would have these silence periods marked by shading the sectors from h+00 to h+03 and from h+30 to h+33 in green. Similar sectors were marked in red for what used to be the corresponding silence and listening period on 500 kHz between h+15 and h+18 and from h+45 to h+48.[4] These silence periods are no longer required as the introduction of GMDSS has produced alternative automatic watchkeeping systems and the 500 kHz band is no longer in use for maritime traffic.

You can find more items of interest and purchase through our website, using all major credit cards:

please visit: www.oliversargentantiques.co.uk

or: www.oliversargentantiques.com

Physical Dimensions

Height

16cm (6.30")

Width

16cm (6.30")

Depth

8cm (3.15")

Declaration

Oliver Sargent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1960s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA743570

Dealers Internal Reference

OSA1089

Description

For sale, a particularly good Smiths Astral Ships Radio Room clock, circa 1960.

“

Fully signed original dial and fine Astral eight-day movement in its undented full brass bulkhead case retaining a flat front glass, mounted on a good round wooden back plate.

Oliver Sargent Antiques

The clock is in full working order and keeping accurate time. Rare in this type of condition. Size dial 6 inches diameter by 3.25 inches deep with the back plate of 7.25 inches diameter. After the sinking of the Titanic and because of the lack of response to the Titanic's distress calls, the Ships Red Segmented Radio Room Clock came into service.

fig 1. Smith’s Astral Red Segment Ships Radio Room clock, circa 1960 — fig 1. Smith’s Astral Red Segment Ships Radio Room Clock, Circa 1960

All stations using 2182 kHz were required to maintain a strictly enforced three-minute silence and listening period twice each hour, starting at h+00, h+30. This allowed any station with distress, urgent or safety traffic the best chance of being heard at that time, even if they were at some distance from other stations, operating on reduced battery power or perhaps reduced antenna efficiency, as for example from a dismasted vessel. As a visual aide-memoire, a typical clock in a ship's radio room would have these silence periods marked by shading the sectors from h+00 to h+03 and from h+30 to h+33 in green. Similar sectors were marked in red for what used to be the corresponding silence and listening period on 500 kHz between h+15 and h+18 and from h+45 to h+48.[4] These silence periods are no longer required as the introduction of GMDSS has produced alternative automatic watchkeeping systems and the 500 kHz band is no longer in use for maritime traffic.

You can find more items of interest and purchase through our website, using all major credit cards:

please visit: www.oliversargentantiques.co.uk

or: www.oliversargentantiques.com

Physical Dimensions

Height

16cm (6.30")

Width

16cm (6.30")

Depth

8cm (3.15")

Date of Manufacture

Oliver Sargent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1960s.