Shipboard interior communication needs for men-on-the-move

The use of walkie-talkie radios to supplement fixed wire interior communications systems on ships is discussed. Electrical and acoustical noise interference problems were studied on replenishment ships, and the use of FM at VHF together with noiseproofed acoustic transducers was found necessary for many operations and/or for men in certain locations. RF signal penetration tests showed VHF to be superior to HF for reliable communications between certain interior spaces and the weather decks. In some cases antennas with coaxial lead-ins had to be provided to maintain adequate communications. These and many other problems were found to exist when alternate interim solutions to a man-on-the-move communication (MOMCOM) problem were tried on the U.S.S. Mars (AFS-1). In addition to finding a workable interim system, many problems and some answers were uncovered that will lead to a better integrated MOMCOM system for future ships.