Name: Terry Jones
E-mail: seasider5@tesco.net
Date Posted: 23:27, 02 02 2010
Message: I was one of the few who escaped from Decca Survey with relativley little liver damage. Great trips to Seychelles, Gulf, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia - pulse8 no less!! Antartica plus the obligitory North Sea. Now enjoying retirement in Sunny(ish) Bournemouth

Name: Alan
E-mail: alancordwell[at]blueyonder.co.uk
Date Posted: 07:11, 02 02 2010
Message: test

Name: Peter Ebsworth
E-mail: lb0k at online dot no
Date Posted: 20:30, 30 01 2010
Message:
Good to see the site is still open.
I came from Decca EW and joined DSL at New Malden in 1971, Len Bridger and Arthur Paton were the two managers then and Carol, who sorted things out.
My first day of employment was spent drinking tea, photos for a passport, more tea, and my first ever early 'lunch'. I spent a couple of weeks in Apsley House working under Tex, the workshop supervisor, upgrading Hi-Fix receivers to the mod 19 (I think) status. This replaced the valves in the cathode follower circuits with FETs!!
Then I embarked on the 'real life' of a Deccaman with the 12 week training course at the school in Brixham. This was managed by Sandy -Big T- Trevelyan. There were six in our group, Ian, Mike, Ray, myself and two from Malaysia. Our main instructor was Ken G. and we were also instructed in surviving in uncivilised parts, First Aid, Decca Main Chain and surveying!!
Since then I've sat on Hi-Fix land stations, HiFix-6 and HyperFix ones too, survey boats and seismic vessels; and used the whole gamut of other systems and their use for surveying, rig moves, pipelays, etc. etc. Now I'm with the Norwegian branch of Fugro Survey, where I try to get colleagues to look after antenna cables so that they can be used more than once.

Name: Jerry Wahl
E-mail: jwahl[at]qubicle.com
Date Posted: 15:09, 26 11 2009
Message: Interesting stuff. I have an old ham license but my profession is as a surveyor. There was another technology that predated GPS for navigation and surveying and we referred to it as DOPPLER satellite surveying which used the TRANSIT system of satellites. Motorola, Magnavox, JMR and others made receivers. For surveying it was good to a few meters by collection of data over several days and post processing.
Time frame was probably early 1970's. I used them in the field up until 1984 and they went on a few more years before the beginnings of viable GPS units. Magnavox 1502 was what we had.

Name: Mike \\
E-mail: vk4mike[at]yahoo.com.au
Date Posted: 18:45, 29 10 2009
Message: I was in the RAN hydrographic Service from 1971 until 1991 and we used Decca Hi Fix and Decca Lambda until mid to late 1970,s.
We used to do 3 month surveys using range/range as well as hyperbolic operation.
Power was provided by 2 petter generators which charged a battery bank which we used as a float for stable voltage supply.We later went to Yanmar motors.
The tuning, by being part of the antenna system, was always just accepted and although the system worked well in all weathers it was discernable jump when one left the earth mat area. We also used to watch the diurnal effect as a slight drift in tuning during the day. We used to work at getting a good earth for the whole system.
They were good years and bring back many memories of listening to the HF radio and occasionally tuning off to listen to commercial radio for news music etc which sometimes meant us being caught out by the ship calling us for some reason.
On the launches we used to pound heavily but the valves held up and it was only late in the 70's that we started to experience major faults which appeared to be due to corrosion due to many years of operating in the hostile marine enviroment.
A remarkable perion which only ended when we got ARGO DM54 which was unmanned and operated similarly.

Name: Pete Brackett
E-mail: k1po[at]arrl.net
Date Posted: 19:12, 26 10 2009
Message: Hello:

I worked on a Decca HiFix chain temporarily set up on the SE coast of Nova Scotia back in the summer of 1963. The customer was Shell Oil, exploring for gas/oil fields off the Nova Scotia coast using three off-season seal hunting ships. One of the slaves was located at Cape Sable Island at a place called "The Hawk", which is the most southerly point of Nova Scotia. Two of the boats were termed 'sound boats' carried hydrophones and lots of analogue recording gear. The third ship was called the 'dynamite boat' or 'shot boat'. As the three boats steamed along Decca lanes, the shot boat periodically set off underwater dynamite explosions, the sound boats picked up the resultant seismic waves and recorded them for later analysis off line by the Shell Oil digital signal processing software. The shot boat carried several tons of dynamite! Half way through the summer, an accidental fire started in the shot boat galley... the captain ordered abandon ship, and the shot boat drifted for a couple of days before the 'final explosion' took her to the bottom. The dynamite explosion could be heard more than 50 miles away! I remember we had to talke to the boats over HF SSB as dawn and dusk neared each day and to warn of 'lane wander' due to sky wave propagation. That was a long time ago.

-- Pete K1PO, Indialantic, FL (USA)

Name: Paul McEnhill
E-mail: paul[at]mcenhill.net
Date Posted: 10:12, 08 10 2009
Message: I joined Decca Navigator in 1963, and transfered to the Survey division in 1966. I worked in Nigeria from 1966 until the enforced evacuation on Decca's Survey vessel "Martinetta" due to the Biafran conflict. Worked later at King's Avenue, Great Yarmouth and the Gulf, before joining Fowler International in Harvey, Louisiana in 1971. I must say that the camaraderie made working with the Company the most enjoyable in my working life.

Name: Jim Sansbury
E-mail: jimsansbury[at]homecall.co.uk
Date Posted: 09:17, 30 09 2009
Message: Its great to seee this fine website dedicated to our old Company. Finest years of my life 1964-76. What times. Great to see some old familiar names here too. Endorse Rogers site too...great for lamp swinging!

Name: Bob Le Brocq
E-mail: fattyowls[at]ntlworld.com
Date Posted: 19:57, 27 09 2009
Message: I joined Decca group as an engineering apprentice in September 1967, transfered to Decca Radar, then to Decca Survey in 1975. Worked for Dave Boorman, till redundancy got him, then transfered to Racal Survey working for Neil Statham. I seem to have survived all redundancies, & am now working for Cybit (who took over "Thales Tracs" as we were then called)Eagerly awaiting redundancy now !

Name: Christopher Rose
E-mail: rosechristoph[at]gmail.com
Date Posted: 10:18, 26 09 2009
Message: Have just come across your most interesting site.
For your interest a YouTube clip on Decca Vietnam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgTFrvm
Old Decca Navigator Systems hand, Bahamas and Vietnam.
Christopher Rose
France

Name: Roger Basford
E-mail: Roger[at]new-gate.co.uk
Date Posted: 09:45, 26 09 2009
Message: Hi Alan,

Glad to see that the site is getting lots of visitors and to let ex-Deccamen know we do have a "Decca Daze" group on Yahoo, the URL is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deccaman/

- please join us and swing the lamp a bit!

Oh, and on a technical note, I "won" a HIFIX RX and MDU on ebay yesterday, so listen out for the Jungle Bells again on 1.9Mc!

Cheers

Roger Basford

Name: Peter Rafferty
E-mail: praff at eircom.net
Date Posted: 02:02, 08 09 2009
Message: just discovered your site,it brings back so much memories, i joined sea surveys ireland in 1980,trained in decca college brixham,returned to ireland as station eng on the porcupine chain (belmullet,hags hd,mizen hd and pont du raz in france,monitor station in clifden)worked in denmark and shetlands stations, moved on to hyper-fix and traveled to some strange places erecting base stations ,spent time in norway,aberdeen,great yarmouth, spain, france, holland,nigeria, either on seismic or rig move's or shore stations i have some photos but will have to start looking in box's,thank you again for reviveing old images and good times

Name: maga
E-mail: mugu.maga419[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 16:28, 03 09 2009
Message: VERY GOOD TAHNKS ALOT

Name: Jay Pleas
E-mail: thegameinitiatorlive[at]gmail.com
Date Posted: 21:36, 29 08 2009
Message: Hey, i was looking in your electronics section everything here looks cool. Nice background you have here.

work at home jobs opportunity

Name: Dave Ellison
E-mail: dellison[at]freenet.co.uk
Date Posted: 12:50, 26 07 2009
Message: Must have lots of piccy's of stations somewhere, should dig them out and upload them. Keep up the good work Alan,this sight might end up being the portal for Deccadent men from all over

Name: Dave Ellison
E-mail: dellison[at]freenet.co.uk
Date Posted: 12:46, 26 07 2009
Message: Name: Dave Ellison

Date Posted: 15:24, 26 09 2006
Message: Worked for Decca from 1973 on hifix, hifix6 and hyperfix, sometime known as the hyperfix king or worse!

Name: Chris Bruce
E-mail: pipeorgansatsky.com
Date Posted: 23:41, 18 07 2009
Message: Hi Alan,
Did you ever sort out the Direct action pallet magnets you needed for your project, if not goto.
www.smallpipeorgans.com
I also build & sell multiple 65 note kimber allan switches, to which you can fit the diodes matrix to get your different pitches from one (or more) ranks.
regards chris

Name: John Sharp
E-mail: jondunmow[at]aol.com
Date Posted: 09:46, 26 06 2009
Message: As an ex Dwecca Survey employee and having been involved with the system, I woud like to get in touch with anyone that remebers me.

John

Name: John Sharp
E-mail: jondunmow[at]aol.com
Date Posted: 15:24, 25 06 2009
Message: As an old employee of Decca, had the privilege of work on the Hi_fix 6 carry
out sea trials.

Anyone who remembers me please get in touch.

Name: David Job
E-mail: davidljob[at]btinternet.com
Date Posted: 08:21, 18 06 2009
Message: Hi All,
I joined Decca Navigator-Survey Division (Kings Ave House)in 1968 on the same ten week course at Brixham as Peter Bampton and Tony Mason. Spent a lot of time at Robbies!!
Good times for 21 tear old. Left in 1988 after involement in all systems and levels of management.Needed a change and gPS was coming...The early days were the best and were so full of fun but at times hard work especailly on the Boats.
Alan, a brilliant idea for a web site and it is so good to remember a time when Great Britain lead the way in all forms of navigation, precise positioning and offshore services.You could work hard and play hard.
Best regards to all,
David Job

Name: Bart
E-mail: info[at]oldfashionedtoyshop.co.uk
Date Posted: 14:03, 13 06 2009
Message: Big fan of the lute article. I made one when I was in Poland for my 30th naming ceremony.

old fashioned toys

Name: Richard Sizeland
E-mail: richard.sizeland[at]ntlworld.com
Date Posted: 13:13, 13 06 2009
Message: Hello, lovely site.
Decca Survey 1975 to nearly 1979. Arthur Paton was my boss. Long intensive course (main chain, surveying and what to do if bitten by a snake etc) in Brixham at the Decca school. My first job was at the Hi Fix site at Aldeburgh on the coast near Ipswich. I expect the cliff erosion will have taken that long ago. I was with John Rayment who I met a number of times later in my Decca career in the Persian Gulf. Some truly interesting and fun stories from all that.
My next task was the Norwegian Navy chain. That was lonely, Very tiny island at the end of a pier about a mile long in a little VW van. Well, I was until an almighty wave knocked my mast over and totally flooded the van. Then on to Sletringen Light, the tallest lighthouse in Norway. Lot of mast erecting.
I finished by putting up a Hi Fix 6 Station on Barra in the Outer Hebrides with a scotsman called John. Then I went down to near Stranraer and run a slave there. I cannot remember the address. "Mains of Kinloch" spring to mind as does the town of Leswalt but I cannot find the field me and my girlfriend of the time had our station. It wasn't far from Stranraer, I had Royal Navy caravan and Land Rover. If anyone remembers that chain please contact me.
Anyway it was a wonderful 3 years and the many courses I went on at Brixham were very interesting. I think I might still have all the training notes. Great times and great colleagues. I was 28 then and 58 now and have many fond memories.

Name: Peter Goodison
E-mail: peter.goodison[at]lyit.ie
Date Posted: 15:41, 20 05 2009
Message: Just discovered your site. Well done sir.
Joined Decca Surveys in April 69. Worked in UK, Italy, One Trip to Antarctic and Ireland. Bannished to Gt. Yarmouth in 71. Left in 74 to work for GSI on seismic survey boats. Back to join Gardline in 76. Worked with Ray Lann for a while. Left Garline suddenly in 79 for family reasons. Currenly living in Ireland and still working as T.O. in Letterkenny I.T.

Name: Ray Lann
E-mail: raylann256[at]btinternet.com
Date Posted: 13:28, 18 05 2009
Message: Joined OPD in 1964 ; Seagoing on seismic ships then Decca Survey on the overseas HiFix circuit ; set up the Aberdeen office/workshop in a Co-Op butcher's shop in 1970 (joinery by Robin Key) ; then Pulse/8 in 1975 and, having got fed-up with the bean-counters, defected to Gardline in '77 ; started Liebnitz-Lann Ltd. in 1980 and Taylor-Lann Technology Ltd. in 1990 ; retired 2004.

Name: Alfred Dekkers
E-mail: nazadekkers[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 07:32, 20 04 2009
Message: I started with DSSH in 1973 together with Kees v.d. Vaart and worked with Hifix, Hifix 6 and Hyperfix. Lived trough the series of company changes and are now joining Fugro in the Caspian from Baku Azerbaijan.

Name: Andy Bogle
E-mail: bogle at ets-houston.com
Date Posted: 20:28, 07 04 2009
Message: Worked for Decca Surveys from 1967 to 1973. Started in GY working as a surveyor the North Sea and yes I remember the Ship Inn with Versy and Carol. You knew those were the early days - after returning to GY from the first trip up to Stavanger I remember someone asking "where the hell is that!" I spent six months in Nigeria with WAS and quit when I got back in order to rejoin at Leatherhead with Messrs Len Bridger and Malcolm Prestwood. Now living and working in Houston, Texas.

Name: Kees van der Vaart
E-mail: info[at]ctsystems.com
Date Posted: 13:42, 06 04 2009
Message: It was a very pleasant surprise to just by chance find this site. A lot of names here are very familiar to me. I kept in touch with just a few old "decca" people like Ian Bone, Wim van Alphen,Rob Berlijn, Dave Garforth, etc. Rob died very unexpectedly a year ago.
I joined decca in 1963. My first job was in France. A demo for the French Navy after the Toran system was shown to them.
After that followed Nigeria, Bonny. Then 3 years in France for the Channel Tunnel project. Then all over the place, UK Ireland Southern Europe, (which I preferred), North Africa, Australia, far East, West Indies, etc etc...
WOuld do it all over again if given a chance.
I left in 1980 after merges with Racal, Nesa, etc etc and after setting up Decca Survey Service Holland.
Started my own software/hardware company and again worked all over the place. Its in the blood I presume.!
Hope to hear from some of you again.
regards
Kees

Name: nick morrissey
E-mail: nmorrissey37[at]optusnet.com.au
Date Posted: 02:29, 04 03 2009
Message: Hi I joined decca navigator in 1960. After some brief training in London, I went back to little wymondley and subsequently was sent to Jersey, then Lewes, then Scilly isles and finally Peterhead in Scotland. For my sins I was then shipped to Das Island in the Persian gulf. Unfortunately I haven't that many names I recall, but I do remember Mr Hamilton and Miss Elizabeth
Farrell from Stevenage and another couple of names of engineers were J Halliday at Peterhead, Norman Medway and Bob Stevenson at Jersey, and I believe Mike Goodey and Jack Goldstone
in the Scilly Isles.
Sad to say I got appendicitis and
had to have an operation in Bahrain. I then returned to Little Wymondly and there was no further work for me. I left and subsequently migrated to Australia, via New Zealand and then spent 35 years working as an engineer
for IBM . Now retired and surfing the web where I found your site.

Nick M.

Name: Dick Harding
E-mail: dick.harding[at]tiscali.co.uk
Date Posted: 20:36, 22 02 2009
Message: Good site Alan. I joined in 66 for HI-Fix 20, travelled widely, Sea-Fix, Aquafix and others. Left in 86. Good days, good people and good fun. Its all got too serious now.

Name: Peter Ebsworth
E-mail: p.ebsworth[at]fugro.no
Date Posted: 19:55, 14 02 2009
Message: Well so many with comments about your site Alan.
Nice to see many names from past years in this list.

Name: Keith Sadler
E-mail: drmiracles[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 17:52, 31 01 2009
Message: Hi. Great site. When I was 13 I was fascinated by the bell-like tinkle on Topband. Thanks to you I now know what it was all about.

Name: Huanghj
E-mail: huanghj[at]cosl-fugro.com
Date Posted: 02:25, 21 01 2009
Message: would you supply the Deltafix positioning system for us,

Name: newye1717
E-mail: newye1717[at]gmail.com
Date Posted: 19:22, 15 01 2009
Message:
http://bemdjjc.tripod.com/side-effects-of-hgh.html

Name: chris whitfield
E-mail: bandit.whitfield[at]googlemail.com
Date Posted: 17:13, 08 01 2009
Message: Hi Fix engineer mostly north sea seagoing on blazer boats then on shore stations and service. Happy memories of Yarmouth (late 60's early 70's) Anyone remember 'The Ship' and Versy and Carol?

Name: Alek
E-mail: lovesing[at]gmail.com
Date Posted: 02:30, 04 01 2009
Message: Hi. Good site.

Name: Aba
E-mail: aba[at]yahoo.co.uk
Date Posted: 14:52, 27 12 2008
Message: This is a very good work pls keep it up

Name: alan nilsson
E-mail: g6fcx[at]yahoo.co.uk
Date Posted: 21:37, 05 12 2008
Message: Just found your site ,brings back lots of memories when i was younger listen to all the fishing and stuff on top band.
i found it all good reading well done and good luck for the future
alan g6fcx scunthorpe

Name: Bob Hoff
E-mail: bobjhoff[at]aol. com
Date Posted: 22:14, 14 11 2008
Message: Decca Survey Houston 1971 to 1983, off to Racal Great Yarmouth 83 to 87 - terminated at $10 pbbl after helping plan, build, market, manage M/V Lady Harrison. Fond memories of Decca.

Name: christopher bruce
E-mail: motorbikes[at]ntlworld.com
Date Posted: 00:00, 10 11 2008
Message: HI Alan,
Have a look at my site
www.smallpipeorgans.com
Regards Chris.

Name: Ivor Cuders
E-mail: ivorcuders[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 00:02, 09 11 2008
Message: Hi,

Worked for Decca Survey on Decca Engineer, North Sea 1980. Then Racal Geophysical on " Lady Harrison". And latest Thales Geosolutions

Ivor

Name: Peter Ward
E-mail: drawpman[at]aol.com
Date Posted: 12:36, 29 09 2008
Message: In the mid 70s I was the drawing office checker at Decca Survey, and if you look at the drawings in the HiFix 6 manual you will find my signature at the bottom of most of them. I greatly enjoyed working there.
For the record there was not only HiFix and SeaFix, the company experimented with a system called SatFix (Satellite Fix) which was to be fitted to lorries etc to enable them to be tracked. We in the DO strongly urged that we design a version for planes, just so we could say we worked on AirFix!

Name: Jean Benoit
E-mail: benoit.jean.paul[at]wanadoo.fr
Date Posted: 17:07, 19 09 2008
Message: Hi! I'm 79 years old and worked since 1954 with radionav with Toran (a french competitor of HiFix, as employed of SERCEL and CGG) and have more or less same experiences as you, folks!
In the sixties, I had very closed connections with the Decca Survey staff (particularly Ian Thompson). Nice to discover your site !

Name: Ellen Stuifbergen
E-mail: es[at]reson ..nl
Date Posted: 23:04, 03 09 2008
Message: Dear Alan,
I just want to let you know that Artemis is still sold. NeSA has been bought by different companies and we are now called RESON. CHL is still manufacturing the Artemis system. In fact it is still in development. The Artemis Mark V is released a few year ago. I believe it is the only positioning system that survived GPS!

Kind regards,
Ellen Stuifbergen

Name: Bill Elliott
E-mail: wi.e1[at]breathemail.net
Date Posted: 12:34, 26 05 2008
Message: I enjoyed your site on hyperfix which I found most interesting as we are using the ATU and PA to broadcast GPS corrections from a shore based station to the lower Caspian Sea region. I am an ex Racal Survey employee and have old litereature/brochures about Hyperfix at home. If you are interested drop us a line.

Bill

Name: Robin Key
E-mail: robin.key[at]btinternet.com
Date Posted: 00:47, 26 05 2008
Message: I worked on Hi-Fix,Sea-Fix and Seasearch etc. mostly round & on the N Sea but also Java. I was also based in Apsley House, New Malden for a time and did some work on Omnitrac in Raynes Park. Oh happy days!!! Now live not far from Peterhead and soon to retire - YEEES

Name: Bjorn Erik Jensen
E-mail: jensenbe[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 07:34, 04 03 2008
Message: Hi, Alan!
I found your homepage through various links, connected to navigation. I have worked for Racal-Decca-Thales-Kongsberg-Fugro between 1983 and 1998, mainly on Pulse/8 and DiffGPS, but also a lot on the other systems you describe. Nice to see that somebody has made a page about navigation!

Regards LA6CFA Bjorn

Name: Bjorn Erik Jensen
E-mail: jensenbe[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 07:33, 04 03 2008
Message: Hi, Alan!
I found your homepage through various links, connected to navigation. I have worked for Racal-Decca-Thales-Kongsberg-Fugro between 1983 and 1998, mainly on Pulse/8 and DiffGPS, but also a lot on the other systems you describe. Nice to see that somebody has made a page about navigation!

Regards LA6CFA Bjorn

Name: john lewis
E-mail: g3myi[at]talktalk.net
Date Posted: 17:56, 01 03 2008
Message: Thank you Alan very interesting

Name: test
E-mail: alancordwell[at]blueyonder.co.uk
Date Posted: 17:07, 24 02 2008
Message: this is a test message following the new site going live

Name: Charlie Barber
E-mail: cwbarber01[at]hotmail.com
Date Posted: 12:21, 16 11 2007
Message: Joined Decca (OPD)In 1961 but worked most of the time with Decca Survey after it was set up by Ian Thompson. I worked all over the world initially on Hifix then Seafix and Trisponder plus a brief spell with underwater section. Finished up as Chief Engineer DSOL in Bahrain for 7 years. I left Decca and joined the oposition ONI for a couple of years before going freelance. I am now retired and living in Suffolk and I would love to hear from any old "Decca Deadlegs."

Name: Brian Butler
E-mail: brian.butler[at]arqiva.com
Date Posted: 18:44, 09 09 2007
Message: Hello there, how are you these days? Do want a laugh I have just got an RC690 transmitting on Top Band, so if you have any don't throw them out. Will speak to you soon. Regards Brian G4LUL...

Name: Tim Vine-Lott
E-mail: timvl[at]ukonline.co.uk
Date Posted: 23:43, 08 07 2007
Message: In my late fathers effects I found a hand held device marked 'Seafix', patent number 787653, British made. Large dial marked 200-400KHz, small knob marked 'sensitivity', small rotary switch 'BC', 'NAV', and same again + 'LAMP'. Is it of any interest to you? I could send pic's if you want.

Name: Robert Broughton
E-mail: 03broughtonrob[at]shaftesburystudents.co.uk
Date Posted: 22:56, 14 05 2007
Message: Wonderful website, clear and concise. just to say thankyou for all the effort put in! I am a regular listener to the longwave and low frequency bands, where Loran C, Datatrak and the like are regularly heard. This is the only decent summary of Datatrak on the web!!

Again, Thankyou.

Name: Peter Moger
E-mail: peter[at]ntkymin.freeserve.co.uk
Date Posted: 12:02, 09 04 2007
Message: Worked for Decca/Racal from 1975-86. Had the pleasure of installing and running Hi-Fix/Hi-Fix6/Hyperfix in some of the most God-forsaken places on the planet.

Name: Pete Bampton
E-mail: pete[at]bampton1941.fsnet.co.uk
Date Posted: 01:40, 29 01 2007
Message: joinerd Decca in sept 1968 and was lucky enougth to be able to take redundcy March 21003. Worked on just about every aspect of the system from HiFix to Hyperfix Mode 4.

Name: Dave Ellison
E-mail: d.ellison[at] fugro.com
Date Posted: 15:24, 26 09 2006
Message: Worked for Decca from 1973 on hifix, hifix6 and hyperfix, sometime known as the hyperfix king or worse!

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