Halifax Coast Guard Radio VCS

Halifax Coast Guard Radio Callsign "VCS"

The Operators.

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	The late Bill Gillespie Supervisorat the Supervisor/Routing desk VCS, May 19th, 1980. Bill is checking over the daily abstract of received message traffic. The pile at his right elbow is that for a normal day or 24 hour period. The telephone is connected to the speaker next to same and was a "hot line" between all the radio stations, traffic centres, search and rescue, etc., around the Atlantic Provinces. The television screen listed the message traffic on hand that can be seen in the top tray of the basket. The small rectangular box with all the buttons below this basket, is the Fanon Intercom. The Supervisor could speak with anyone on any position including the technical workshop in the basement. Pushed next to this is the A. B. Dick keyboard for updating the television screens with ship call signs for any messages on hand.
	Dave Clarkson at Radar Plotting position Camperdown Radio VCS, 1956. Dave became a Radio Inspector after this picture was taken.
	David Oldridge, VE1EI (now VA7CZ), operating the high frequency radiotelephone position at VCS on May 19th, 1980.
	Earle Beattie operating Chebucto Direction Finding Station VAV 1920.
	Ernie Falvey, VE1HA, brother of Pat and Marjorie, father of Rick now VE1HA, operating Camperdown Radio VCS September 1949. The unit in the middle of the photograph is the Canadian Marconi TM11. If a CSR5 receiver were fitted in place of the blank panel at the bottom the unit would be a CM11. The transmitter in the corner behind Ernie's left shoulder is a Canadian Marconi Company LTT4.
	Florence Gulak operating the medium frequency radiotelephone position Halifax Coast Guard Radio VCS, July 12th, 1977. Florence was the first female radio operator to operate station VCS.
	George Raine operating Camperdown Radio VCS 1923.
	Gerry Gard operating Chebucto Radio VAV 1926.
	Leading Seaman Joe Burgoyne, Petty Officer L. Schofield and Master Warrant Officer W. Whitefield setting the frequency at the main console of the Newport Corner Transmitter Site. The late Joseph Ford. Burgoyne, Fredericton New Brunswick, retired a radio operator on the staff of Halifax VCS
	The late Jim Cable operating the 12 MHz radiotelegraph (c/w) position at VCS on May 19th, 1980, with David MacKinnon VE1ALO operating the 500 KHZ position in the background.
	John Weir VE1ABV operating Camperdown Radio VCS, 1956.
	Communicator Joy Horlick on duty in the communicators room at VCS on May 19th, 1980.
	Communicator Joy Horlick on duty in the communicators room at VCS on May 19th, 1980. Bill Gillespie (minus his head) can be seen in the background sitting at the supervisors/routing desk. The console she is working is the CNCP INFOMODE system, a very early e-mail system using railway telecom networks.
	Radio operator Kevin Layden monitoring the notice to shipping broadcast transmitted from VCS on July 12th, 1977. The unit to his right is doing the actual morse code transmission. The telex tape can be seen lying on the floor behind his chair. A notice to shipping broadcast in Canada was the same as a notice to mariners broadcast one heard elsewhere.
	Pat Falvey operating Camperdown Radio VCS 1943. The Falvey family had the most members from the one family work at the station over the years. Pat his brother Ernie VE1HA and their sister Marjorie all worked at the station at one time or another. Ernie's son Rick also operated the station in the 1960's. Rick now holds the VE1HA call sign and he retired as Radio Officer CCGS HENRY LARSEN with call sign CGHL.
	Rick Falvey VE1HA at the Supervisor/Routing position of Halifax Marine Radio VCS, Ketch Harbour, 1972.
	David MacKinnon VE1ALO transmitting the traffic list from VCS on May 19th, 1980. 500 KHZ radiotelegraph (c/w) position, Ketch Harbour.
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