"Calling the AMs and MMs is nothing but a waste of time", one of my DX-friends recently declared, "They do not even count for DXCC!"  Right, they do not even count for DXCC (and many other attractive awards and diplomas) - but is that really of so much importance? Compared with the rareness of entities on the DXCC Most-Wanted Lists, aeronautical-mobile stations (amateur-radio operators in airplanes: callsigns followed by /AM) belong to the so-called rare and maritime-mobile stations (amateur-radio operators on ships: callsigns followed by /MM) at least to the semi-rare category. Moreover, having a QSO with the two species is a thrilling event, and a lot of fun anyway. I think, contacting /AM- and /MM-stations is something out of the ordinary. 

A pity that only scarcely more than half of them send a QSL - as sort of a reward for enthusiasm. I'm eagerly collecting their QSLs since I started my amateur-radio activity. In this QSLhibition I'd like to show you a selection of the /AM- and /MM-cards so far received. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Be surprised by the variety of ships and vessels from where radio amateurs sent out their calls to contact their "terrestrial" friends: cargo and container ships, tankers, training ships with and without sails, simple sailing boats, ferries, destroyers and rocket cruisers (on peaceful mission, hopefully...), or simply a chartered boat to go on a far-away DXpedition in the South Atlantic and a river boat bound for an ecological expedition in the Russian north! Not to forget those maritime stations that are not really mobile at all... And those serving or having served the maritime-mobile service, and the many museum ships bearing testimony of a great past.

By the way, the colours of the needles on the map (thanks to the DX Atlas software which made the maps possible!) correspond with the background colours of the QSLs and its description, and show the aircraft's or ship's approximate position during the contact. 

This collection will be continually completed.

                                                                                                                                                                            Hadi Teichmann, DJ2PJ

 

Abbreviations:

C/S=Container Ship  F/S="Feuerschiff", light vessel  I/B=ice breaker  L/S=light ship  L/V=light vessel  M/F=passenger ship  M/S=motor ship   M/T= motor tanker    M/V=merchant or motor vessel   P/V=polar vessel   R/C=rocket cruiser   R/S=research ship  R/V=research vessel  S/S=steam or sailing ship   T/B=torpedo boat      

 

 

(A)  Aeronautical mobile stations (/AM)

DL4TU/AM HB1IN/AM PY7CC/AM RW1ZZ/AM
QSO in 1955 on 3.5 MHz QSO in 1956 on 3.5 MHz QSO in 1979 on 21 MHz QSO in 2002 on 14 MHz
Aircraft type:  unknown Aircraft type:  DC6B Aircraft type:  unknown Aircraft type:  IL-18
Position:  probably Germany Position:  near Beiruth Position:  Amazonas region (PY9, PW8) Position:  68N 34E
   
SKØSAS/AM PH9HB/AM    
QSO in 2009 on 14 MHz QSO in 2009 on 28 MHz
Aircraft type: Boeing 737 Aircraft type: Boeing 737
Position: above Greece Position: SW of Prague

 

(B)  Aviation history and its pioneers - Astronauts and Cosmonauts

U4MIR 3Z4ØMOON YR9ØU TM1ØØB
Alexandr Volkov, Cosmonaut and Radio Amateur           40th Anniversary of  Moon Landing  20 July 1969 90th Anniversary of the flight between Bacau and Blaj with a Farmann 40 aeroplane on 23rd November 1918 on the occasion of the union of Transylvania with Romania 100th Anniversary of aviation pioneers Louis Breguet and Louis Blériot
QSO in 2003 on 25MHz in SSB QSO in 2009 on 14 MHz in CW QSO in 2008 on 10 MHz in CW QSO in 2009 on 14 MHz in CW

 

   
R3MIR/7 OL3ØSPACE    
Cosmodrome Baikonur, former USSR 30th anniversary of space flight of Czech cosmonaut Vladimir Remek    
QSO in 1990 on 21 MHz QSO in 2008 on 14 MHz    

 

 

(C)  Maritime mobile stations (/MM)

 

 
HB9QP/MM OH3TD/MM SM8CUG/MM
QSO in 1958 on 7 MHz QSO in 1957 on 3.5 MHz QSO in 1957 on 7 MHz
Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: M/S Vicia
Flag: Switzerland Flag: Finland Flag: Sweden
 Position: 34.30N  21.12E   Position: Brunsbüttel (Germany) Position: unknown

 
EL1WG/MM SM8YF/MM SM7AZL/MM
QSO in 1958 on 14 MHz QSO in 1956 on 7 MHz QSO in 1960 on 14 MHz
Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: M/T Scandius Name of ship: M/S Tidaholm
Flag:  Liberia Flag: Sweden Flag: Sweden
Position: 46N 15W Position: English Channel Position: Gulf of Finland

 

 

SM8AIS/MM
QSO in 1955 on 3.5 MHz
Name of ship:  H.M.S. Gotland
Flag:  Sweden
Position:  near Lissabon
OK4QK/MM DM5SOP/MM
QSO in 1958 on 14 MHz QSO in 1959 on 3.5 MHz
Name of ship: S/S Julius Fucik Name of ship:  S/S Wilhelm Pieck
Flag:  (former) Czechoslovakia Flag:  (former) German Democratic Rep.
Position:  Mediterranian Sea Position:  Baltic Sea

 

 

LA6CF/M KV4CI/MM MP4BCR/MM JA1CPY/MM
QSO in 1960 on 14 MHz QSO in 1960 on 14 MHz QSO in 1960 on 14 MHz QSO in 1961 on 7 MHz
Name of ship:  M/S Bonneville Name of ship:  S/S Elizabeth Name of ship:  M/V Sonic Name of ship:  M/S Buenos Aires Maru
Flag:  USA Flag:  USA Flag:  Bahrein Flag: Japan
Position:  near Singapore Position:  23N 69W Position:  off Ghana Position:  Rotterdam
JAØWW/MM G3UFO/MM ELØC/MM JA7ACM/MM
QSO in 1961 on 14 MHz QSO in 1966 on 14 MHz QSO in 1969 on 14 MHz QSO in 1970 on 28 MHz
Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  M/V Clan Malcolm Name of ship:  M/V Weatherly Name of ship: S/S Showa Maru
Flag:  Japan Flag:  Great Britain Flag:  Liberia Flag:  Japan
Position:  26.52N  52.43E Position:  23N  17W Position:  Mediterranean Sea Position: Persian Gulf (bound for HZ)

 

SM3CAE/MM 4Z4AQ/MM JA5BHL/MM WA3GZD/MM
QSO in 1961 on 14 MHz QSO in 1970 on 21 MHz QSO in 1971 on 14 MHz QSO in 1970 on 21 MHz
Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  M/V Avocadocore Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  USS Glennon
Flag:  Sweden Flag:  Israel Flag:  Japan Flag: USA
Position:  15N  52E Position:  15N  21W Position:  11N  111E Position:  Indian Ocean
JR1LSQ/MM JH4MIF/MM DJ5FP/MM SL8CKR/MM
QSO in 1976 on 21 MHz QSO in 1976 on 14 MHz QSO in 1983 on 14 MHz QSO in 1987 on 14 MHz
Name of ship:  M/S Shizuokamaru Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship: HMS Carlskrona
Flag:  Japan Flag:  Japan Flag:  Germany Flag:  Sweden
Position:  off Yemen Position:  35N  123E Position:  Mediterranean Sea Position: Biscaya

 

 

OK4AWQ/MM ZF2IR/MM SO2FCJ/MM UT4UXX/MM
QSO in 1984 on 14 MHz QSO in 1986 on 21 MHz QSO in 1992 on 28 MHz QSO in 1989 on 14 MHz
Name of ship:  M/S Orlik Name of ship:  M/T OT Garth Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  unknown
Flag:  (former) Czechoslovakia Flag:  The Cayman Islands Flag:  Poland Flag: Ukraine
Position:  17N  56E Position:  Black Sea Position:  29N  13W Position:  Black Sea
RW1Q/MM G3SXW/MM OK4FCJ/MM TM9KAL/MM
QSO in 1992 on 14 MHz QSO in 1993 on 14 MHz QSO in 1994 on 21 MHz QSO in 1995 on 21 MHz
Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  M/S Vitkovice Name of ship: M/S Kalliste
Flag:  Russia Flag:  unknown Flag:  Czech Republic Flag:  France
Position:  Sukhona River Position:  South Atlantic (bound for ZD9) Position:  Bay of Aden (near Yemen) Position: between Marseille and Bastia

 

                                                                                                        

 

K8XF/M OK1DX/MM UT5FB/MM RA2FAM/MM
QSO in 1960 on 21 MHz QSO in 1960 on 14 MHz QSO in 1998 on 28 MHz QSO in 1999 on 18 MHz
Name of ship:  M/V Lake Charles Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  unknown
Flag:  USA Flag:  Czech Republic Flag:  Ukraine Flag: Russia
Position:  03N  68E Position:  33N  25E Position:  off  W. Sahara Position:  24N  16W
UR3IDD/MM UE1ZRF/MM R1ANF/MM RX4HJ/MM
QSO in 1999 on 21 MHz QSO in 1999 on 18 MHz QSO in 2001 on 28 MHz QSO in 2003 on 7 MHz
Name of ship:  M/V Socol-6 Name of ship:  R/C Petr Welikij Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship: unknown
Flag:  Ukraine Flag:  Russia Flag:  Russia Flag:  Russia
Position:  33N  30E Position:  69N  33E Position:  03S  31W Position: unknown

 

 

DKØWWB/MM UU9JX/MM VP8CMH/MM
QSO in 2002 on 7 MHz QSO in 2003 on 24 MHz QSO in 2004 on 28 MHz
Name of ship:  M/F Admiral of Scandinavia Name of ship:   unknown Name of ship:  Royal Research/S James Clark Ross
Flag: Germany Flag:  Ukraine Flag:  Falkland Islands
Position:  North Sea, southern part Position:  near Mauretania Position:  56S  48W

                                                                                                        

RA2FCV/MM RU3HD/MM 8Q7VR/MM OE3JAG/MM
QSO in 2006 on 7 MHz QSO in 2006 on 7 MHz QSO in 2006 on 7 MHz QSO in 2007 on 10 MHz
Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  M/V Akademik Fedorov Name of ship:  unknown Name of ship:  M/S Costa Victoria
Flag:  Russia Flag:  Russia Flag:  unknown Flag:
Position:  unknown Position:  17N 18W Position:  Black Sea Position:  near Sicily
DLØCUX/MM R1ANN/MM DPØMSM RW1AI/MM
QSO in 2006 on 7 MHz QSO in 2006 on 7 MHz QSO in 2007 on 10 MHz QSO in 2007 on 10 and 18 MHz
Name of ship:  F/S Feuerschiff Elbe1 Name of ship:  M/V Akademik Fedorov Name of ship: R/V Maria S. Merian Name of ship: I/B Rossija
Flag:  German Flag:  Russia Flag: Germany Flag: Russia
Position:  Helsingör Position:  48S 22E Position: 62.42N  2.12E Position: Maidenhead Locator QR11

RW1AI/MM R5RRF/MM XR9A/MM UA9FGR/MM
QSO in 2007 on 14 MHz QSO in 2007 on 3.5 MHz QSO in 2008 on 21 MHz QSO in 2008 on 10 MHz
Name of ship: M/V Akademik Fedorov Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: M/V DAP Mares Name of ship: M/V Marina Tsvetaeva
Flag: Russia Flag: Ukraine Flag: unknown Flag: Russia
Position: Maidenhead locator PQ42 Position: unknown, probably Black Sea Position: Bellinghausen Sea, enroute Peter Is Position: Port of Makpo, S. Korea

RA9KY/MM TA4CW/MM UA1OIW/mm DL9GMM/MM
QSO in 2007 on 14 MHz QSO in 2008 on 10 MHz QSO in 2008 on 14 MHz QSO in 2008 on 10 MHz
Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: unknown Name of ship: C/S Palena
Flag: Russia Flag: Turkey Flag: Russia Flag: Liberia
Position: Ob River near Arctic Circle Position: Aegean Sea Position: Kara Sea (MQ46) Position: 35° 42'N  17°22'W
 

 

R2RRF/MM UA6GO/MM RA1AIF/MM UA1OAM/MM
QSO in 2008on 14 MHz QSO in 2008 on 7 MHz QSO in 2009 on 18 MHz QSO in 2008 on 14 MHz
Name of ship: M/S Vasily Chapaev Name of ship: M/S Melodia Name of ship: M/V Ice Sun Name of ship: unknown
Flag: Russia Flag: unknown Flag: Russia Flag: Russia
Position: Volga River Position: 06°09'N  03°24'E Position: Mediterranean Sea KM63ku Position: RDA MU-18

     
S57RW/MM      
QSO in 2009 on 18 MHz      
Name of ship: unknown (saling boat)      
Flag: Slovenia      
Position: near Hvar Island (Croatia)      

 

(D)  Maritime - but not (really) mobile - stations

ON6NW/MM 3C5J GB2BP
QSO in 2003 on 14 MHz QSO in 2001 on 21 MHz QSO in 1983 on 14 MHz
Name of ship:  L/V  Westhinder I Oil Platform Oil Platform "Magnus"
Flag:  Belgium Equatorial Guinean Waters North Sea
Position:  Rupelmonde (Kruibeke) Position:  grid loc. JJ43bu 110 km NE of Shetland
 
RØUPOL R35NP
QSO in 2007 on 14 MHz QSO in 2008 on 14 MHz
Name of ship: P/V Tara  Station on large drifting ice floe
Flag: France Flag: Russia
Position: two-year's drift in Arctic pack-ice    Position: drifting across North Pole

 

TM1SME and TM2SME
QSO in 2006 on 28 MHz and 2007 on 18 MHz
Name of ship: E. E. "Maillé Brézé" (destroyer)
Flag: France
Position: Nantes Harbour (Museum Ship)

 

DAØFX 7SØSFJ GB3RN 8S8MTB
QSO in 2006 on 7 MHz QSO in 2007 on 18 MHz QSO in 2007 on 14 MHz QSO in 2006 on 3.5 MHz
Name of ship: M/V Dresden Name of ship: L/S Finngrundet (built 1903) Name of ship: HMS Hood (Royal Navy) Name of ship: T/B T26
Flag: former German Democratic Republic Flag: Sweden Flag: Great Britain Flag: Sweden
Position: 54°08.5N 12°05.2E (Museum Ship) Former Position: 61°04N 18°41E, now in Stockholm Position: IO9Øju (Museum Ship) Position: Galö near Stockholm

 

DLØFFF 8SØHRA UE3LAN CS8DFG
QSO in 2007 on10 MHz QSO in 2009 on 10 MHz QSO in 2009 on 14 MHz QSO in 2008 on 10 MHz
Name of ship: F/S "Fehmarnbelt" Name of ship: I/B "Sankt Erik" Museum of Admiral Nakhimov, born in 1802. Under his command the Russian fleet completely destroyed the Ottoman fleet in Sinop Amateur radio station onboard the "D. Fernando II e Gloria", the last sailing fregate to serve in the Portuguese army in the 18th century
Flag: Germany Flag: Sweden
Ex-Position: 54° 35'N  11° 09'E (now Museum Ship) Position: The Vasa Museum, Stockholm Position: Smolensk Position: 38°12'N  009°09'W

 

 
GB1ØØMSC SN1ØØDP SB56EN/MM  
QSO in 2009 on 10 MHz QSO in 2009 on 7 MHz QSO in 2009 on 14 MHz  
In commemoration of Jack Binns, wireless operator onboard RMS Republic, whose actions saved the lives of 1600 passengers in 1909 Celebrating the 100th birthday of the "Dar Pomorza", one of the most beautiful tall ships in the world Name of ship: Eric Nordevall II, a replica of the original Eric Nordevall, a paddle steamer sunk in 1856 in Lake Vättern, Sweden  
Flag: Sweden  
Position: Marconi Wireless Station, The Lizard, in Cornwall (IN79) Position: The Polish Maritime Museum, Gdansk Position: Motala Harbour  

 

(E)  ... and those (once) serving maritime-mobile stations

          DLØDAN  Club Station of the DARC             celebrating 100 years (1907 - 2007) of the famous Radio Norddeich (commercial callsign DAN), which provided a 24-hour service on MF, HF and VHF in CW, phone, and teletype. Radio Norddeich was shut down at the end of 1998.

GKB4 and GKB5 (Portishead Radio)
cross-band maritime/amateur radio  QSOs (GKB4: 7/8.5 MHz and GKB5: 14/12.8 MHz) on 29th April 2000, the last day of operation
"The World's Premier Maritime Radio Coast Station"

 

The End

 

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