COMMUNICATIONS 



From 14 March to 13 July ice bulletins were broadcast daily 

 to shipping by United States Coast Guard Radio Argentia (NIK) 

 at 0048 and 1248 GMT on 155, 5320 and 8502 kcs. A general 

 call to all ships on 500 kcs. preceded each broadcast with instruc- 

 tions to shift to the above operating frequencies. A one minute 

 period of test signals transmitted on the operating frequencies 

 facilitated receiver tuning. Each bulletin was transmitted twice, 

 once at 15 words per minute and a second time at 25 words per 

 minute. The ice bulletins were also sent via the teletype net to 

 the United States Navy Hydrographic Office, Washington, D. C., 

 the Canadian Department of Transport, Halifax; N. S. and the 

 Royal Canadian Navy Radio Station at Albro Lake, N. S. 



Each bulletin concluded with a request that all shipping in the 

 ice patrol area report to NIK all ice sighted, and weather condi- 

 tions and sea temperatures every four hours. The effectiveness 

 and efficiency of the International Ice Patrol was enhanced con- 

 siderably by the excellent response by shipping to this request. 

 Merchant ships worked NIK on 425, 454, 468 or 480 kcs. or their 

 assigned frequency in the 8 mc. band. NIK worked on 444 or 

 8650 kcs. 



During the 1956 season, ice patrol communications involved 

 the handling of 9,254 radio mesages and 8,671 landline messages. 

 Statistics concerning the reports received from shipping are as 

 follows : 



Number of ice reports received from vessels 460 



Number of vessels furnishing ice reports... 205 



Number of sea surface temperatures reported 7,028 



Number of vessels furnishing sea surface temperatures 420 



Number of vessels requesting special information 72 



Number of weather reports relayed to Observer, Washington 729 



Total number of vessels worked. 485 



The percentage distribution of reporting vessels by nationality 

 was as follows: 



Nationality Percent of total 



Great Britain.... 29.7 



U. S. of A.... 16.1 



Germany. 10.4 



Norway.... 7.3 



Liberia „.. 6.3 



Sweden 5.7 



Netherlands _ 4.3 



Italy 3.0 



Panama 2.8 



France... 2.0 



Canada _ 1.8 



Others (18 nations) 10.6 



Total 100.0 



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