MARCONI AUTOMATIC WATCH KEEPING RECEIVER TYPE M

THE MARCONI AUTOMATIC ALARM RECEIVER TYPE "M"  RECOGNISED THE CW ALARM SIGNAL I.E TWELVE , FOUR SECOND DASHES SEPARATED  BY A ONE SECOND SPACE ALL SENT WITHIN A MINUTE , EITHER BY HAND KEY OR PREFERABLY BY THE AUTO ALARM SENDER. APPARENTLY A LOT OF THE TIME YOU HAD TO BANG THE SIDE OF THE CABINET TO GET THE 'VIBRATING REED' TO WORK SO THAT THE TIMING MOTOR STARTED TO GET THE MECHANISM  TO START TO TURN. I REMEMBER SAILING ON SHAW SAVILL SHIPS ( THAT WERE D.C ) AND HAD D.C TO A.C CONVERTERS FOR SOME EQUIPMENT, NOTABLY THE DYNATRON BROADCAST RECEIVER, AND I WAS ALWAYS HAVING TO TAP THE REED ( PLUG IN DEVISE LIKE AN OCTAL BASED RELAY ) TO GET THE RECEIVER TO WORK, HARDLY EVER HAVING A SPARE, AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO LAST LONG WHEN YOU PUT A NEW ONE IN.