Guard Radio Station NIK/NJN. NIK is in operation only during 

 the ice season during which time the regular radio station force is 

 supplemented by additional radiomen. The ice operations office and 

 radio station are linked by internal teletype. Communications during 

 the past season were considered outstanding. An important factor 

 was the establishment at Argentia of the International Ice Patrol 

 Office staffed with a permanent nucleus of personnel including a radio- 

 man. The handling of traffic especially during the start of the season 

 was comparatively most efficient. 



Twice-daily ice broadcasts were made to shipping by NIK at 0048 

 and 1248 Greenwich mean time simultaneously on 155, 5320, 8502 and 

 12880.5 kc. commencing 2 March and terminating 29 July. For the 

 third successive year ice charts were successfully broadcast by fac- 

 simile at 1330 G.M.T. on 5320, 8502 and 12880.5 kc. These broadcasts 

 were made from facsimile transceivers recently installed in the ice 

 operations office. Also twice-daily ice bulletins were transmitted at 

 0030 and 1230 G.M.T. via teletype to U.S. Naval Oceanographic 

 Office, Washington, D.C., Canadian Department of Transport Ice 

 Forecast Central, Halifax, and others for further dissemination. The 

 frequency of 12880.5 kc. was added to the family of ice broadcast 

 frequencies by radio telegraph and facsimile increasing NIK transmis- 

 sion coverage. 



Ice Patrol Radio Station NIK worked merchant ships on 427, 

 6477.5 8734, and 12718.5 kc. Ship reports of ice and weather in the 

 Grand Banks area were an indispensable source of ice information 

 and oceanographic and meteorological data. Tliere was a marked 

 increase in traffic handled during the 1964 season with a 50 percent 

 increase in monthly radio messages and a 33 percent increase in land- 

 line messages as compared to 1963. Wliile most of the increase is 

 attributed to the fact that 1964 was a normal ice year as compared 

 to the very light 1963 ice season, the establishment of the permanent 

 organization at Argentia is believed a factor, Tlie excellent coopera- 

 tion of shipping is gratefully acknowledged. 



During the 1964 season, Ice Patrol communication facilities handled 

 a total of 22,623 radio messages and 33,841 landline messages. 

 Statistics on ship reports are as follows: 



Number of ice messages received from vessels 1, 498 



Number of vessels furnishing ice reports 388 



Number of weather reports received from vessels 9, 147 



Number of vessels furnishing weather reix)rts 625 



Number of requests for special ice information 176 



Total number of vessels worked (not including relays) 709 



The percentage distribjition of reporting vessels by nationality is 

 as follows: 



