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[These transcripts done for me by Ralf in Germany have been long]
[overdue coming, and for various reasons I never got around to  ]
[putting them up here until now. So here they are now.          ]
[Thanks, Ralf - 73's.                                           ]

[No alterations have been made to this file except the addition ]
[of this text and the deletion of Ralf's email address.         ]

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Hello Stewart,

THANK YOU for providing and sharing this excellent sound recordings!!!

I really enjoyed listening to them!
Here is the translations of your recordings - you may add it to your 
web page, if you wish...

0750: 
fragment of ...QSX  500/8369 KHZ AR

0927: 
VVV VVV VVV CQ CQ DE VIM/VIT VIM/VIT VIM/VIT QSX 500 8368 8369 KHZ K

1022: 
VVV VVV VVV CQ CQ DE VIM/VIT VIM/VIT VIM/VIT QSX 500 8368 8369 KHZ K

2359: 
YJZR9 DE VIM QSL K
YJZR9 DE VIM XX OM 73 AND BYE SEU
EE SU EE
SN CQ CQ CQ DE VIM/VIS VIM/VIS/VIT VIM/VIS/VIT=
THIS IS THE FINAL MORSE TRANSMISSION FROM THE TELSTRA MARITIME
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. WE CONCLUDE OUR FINAL CW WATCHKEEPING
AFTER 87 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE WITH PRIDE AND SADNESS.
TELSTRA, THE AUSTRALIAN MARITIME SAFETY AUTHORITY AND THE BUREAU
OF METEOROLOGY WISH ALL SEAFARERS FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS.
ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTLESS SOULS WHO WOULD HAVE DIED BUT FOR THEM,
WE SALUTE ALL WHO HAVE SERVED OUR PROFESSION WITH SKILL AND
DEDICATION THROUGH THE YEARS. 73S =
31ST JANUARY 1999 2359UTC
AR SK
VIX DE VIM GM K
VIX DE VIM R QRV K
VIX DE VIM VIM QSL NR 1 X ERE NIL EXCEPT TEARS K
MARCONI HOPES SO
OK SPARKY ITS TIME TO GO 73 SEE U
EE

1010:
...EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR THE OPERATIONS IN A3 
SEA AREAS =
OTHER WARNINGS IN FORCE =
GENERAL 003 =
NORTH EAST 043/98 045/98 004 005 006 007 008 =
NORTH WEST 009 010 =
REPEATS ON REQUEST =
RCC AUSTRALIA 312045Z JAN 99 AR =

CQ CQ DE VIM/VIS =
FROM 01/0001Z FEB 1999 THE GMDSS IS IMPLEMENTED INTERNATIONALLY AND
CONSEQUENTLY AUSTRALIAN MARITIME RADIO COMMUNICATIONS STATIONS WILL
CEASE TO PROVIDE ANY RADIOTELEGRAPHY FACILITIES. THIS INCLUDES SAFETY
WATCHES ON 500 KHZ AND THE MORSE CODE BROADCAST OF MARITIME WEATHER
AND SAFETY INFORMATION. ALL COMMERCIAL MORSE CODE SERVICES INCLUDING
RADIO TELEGRAMS ETC WILL ALSO CEASE. AUSTRALIA WILL CEASE ALL
RADIOTELEGRAPHY SERVICES AT 2359Z 31ST JAN 1999 =
RGDS TELSTRA MELBOURNE/SYDNEY RADIO VIM/VIS AR =
CQ CQ DE VIM/VIS VIM/VIS TFC LIST =
QTC NIL AR
DE VIM/VIS AR K


Thanks again for sharing these recordings. I would have had a
hard time to catch them here in central Europe.

I myself learnt the morse code back in 1970.
This is really the sad end of an aera ...

73,

-- 
Ralf D. Kloth (DL4TA), Ludwigsburg, Germany

Unnamed Law:
If it happens, it must be possible.

(c) ozradio.com.au 1999.