CSL Magog

[johnfrombrighton]

William, Guests, Lakercapt, Garbear, JohnH, Mr Link, 070966

Thank you all - very much - for the info. Really appreciate.

In the 1930's would it have been common for Great lakes ship crews to play cards, read books, build model airplanes (the Gillow's balsa type), build puzzles, etc in their off-duty hours?

On the Great Lakes ships of today can crews receive internet & television service pretty much any where on the lakes?

Has internet & satellite service changed what crews do in off-duty hours?

[William Lafferty]

Longtime Magog master Albert Bonin commanded the vessel in 1938. Radio telephones would not come into use until 1934 on the lakes. Most communication was done by telephone or telegram.

Transistor radios were not commercially available until 1954. Motorola introduced the car radio in 1931 and I imagine versions of that could be adapted to portable using batteries. Larger cabinet super-hets could be placed in guests' quarters or galleys, I suppose, but I'm not sure if there would be the correct AC current aboard ship. I agree, Zenith's Trans Oceanic radios were, and are, marvelous, first introduced in 1942, but prone to local electrical interference, especially ignitions for some reason. I swapped mine for a Hammarlund HQ 180 back in the day.

[garbear]

There were a lot of huge Zenith transoceanic "portables" on the boats. They must have weighed 25 pounds and required two types (voltages) of batteries for the tubes. They were personal radios. You could always see the antenna wires hanging out the porthole of then room they were in. And they couldn't be plugged in on the boat because the boats only had DC power. Ah yes. The 'old days'.

The 1938 date given also pre-dates the Zenith Trans-Oceanic radios (by a few years).

Great radio. I had one. Probably still in my ex-wife's garage.

[Mr Link]

There were a lot of huge Zenith transoceanic "portables" on the boats. They must have weighed 25 pounds and required two types (voltages) of batteries for the tubes. They were personal radios. You could always see the antenna wires hanging out the porthole of then room they were in. And they couldn't be plugged in on the boat because the boats only had DC power. Ah yes. The 'old days'.

The 1938 date given also pre-dates the Zenith Trans-Oceanic radios (by a few years).

[070966]

There were a lot of huge Zenith transoceanic "portables" on the boats. They must have weighed 25 pounds and required two types (voltages) of batteries for the tubes. They were personal radios. You could always see the antenna wires hanging out the porthole of then room they were in. And they couldn't be plugged in on the boat because the boats only had DC power. Ah yes. The 'old days'.

[JohnH]

Here is a link to commercial radio use on the Great Lakes in past years.

www.imradioha.org/Great_Lakes.htm

[Guest]

Transistor radios didn't become available until the late 1950s, early 60s. The ships would have had the old vacuum-tube radios for communications back in the 1930s.

Rogers City went on the air in 1922, though one radio station on the lakes went on the air in 1906. All morse code.

Canadian stations went on the air between 1912-1914, again morse code.

http://www.imradioha.org/CW.htm

- Brian

[Lakercapt]

Transistor Radios ??????
They were not invented then so the answer is obvious.
Going this far back will be a challenge finding crew lists etc.
Good luck with your research.

[johnfrombrighton]

In the 1930's, the Magog was a frequent visitor to the Government Dock at Wallaceburg, Ontario. On 25 April 1938, Magog ran aground at Highshoals Bank, at the junction of the St Clair River & Chenal Ecarte.

I know this might be a long shot, but does anyone who the master of Magog was on 25 April 1938? Any idea of where to get the crew list for that day?

Also, in 1938 what access would Great Lakes crews have to radio entertainment? Would they have had transistor radios? How did the masters of ships communicate with their HQ offices & other ships?

Really appreciate any available assistance.