Radio operator
Person responsible for the operations of a radio system
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A radio operator (also formerly known as wireless operator in British and Commonwealth English) is a person who is responsible for the operations of a radio system and the technicalities in broadcasting.
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The profession of radio operator has become largely obsolete with the automation of radio-based tasks in recent decades.[1] Nevertheless, radio operators are still employed in maritime[2] and aviation fields.[3] In most cases radio transmission is now only one of several tasks of a radio operator.[4][5]
The role of 'Wireless Operator' aboard aircraft during WWII was often abbreviated to 'WOp' or 'WOP' in official documents or obituaries.[6][7][8]
History
Radio operators were indispensable at sea in the early days of wireless telegraphy, and many young men were called to sea as professional radio operators who were always accorded high-paying officer status at sea. Subsequent to the Titanic disaster and the Radio Act of 1912, the International Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) conventions established the 500kHz maritime distress frequency monitoring and mandated that all passenger-carrying ships carry licensed radio telegraph operators.[9]
Notable radio operators
- Harold Bride, assistant radio operator of RMS Titanic
- Harold Cottam, radio operator of RMS Carpathia
- Jack Binns, radio operator of RMS Republic
- Jack Phillips, chief radio operator of Titanic
- Cyril Furmstone Evans, radio operator of SS Californian
- Robert Leith, chief radio operator of RMS Lusitania
See also
- Wireless telegraphy
- Telegraphist
- Marconi Company, one of the first wireless communication companies in history
