Night of Nights 2015: Historic Coast Stations KPH, KFS, KSM, WLO AND KLB Will Be On The Air!

[Michael Hyman]

Night of Nights 2015

Basic Event Enformation:
 
Date: 12 July 2015 Pacific Daylight Time

First Transmission form MRHS Stations: 5:01pm Pacific Daylight Time 12 July, 0001Z 13 July 2015
 
Full details below

Historic coast stations KPH, KFS, KSM, WLO AND KLB will be on the air!

USCG stations NMC, NMW and NMQ will return to the air - possibly for the last time!

 RCA "H Set" Transmitter 298 will be on the air (KSM 22Mc)

1942 Press Wireless PW15 transmitter will be on the air (KFS 12Mc)

K6KPH will be listening for calls and signal reports

W4WLO will be listening for calls and signal reports

Hear about Night of Nights on KWMR

Join us in person or on the air!

But wait, there's more:

Attend a special presentation on the history of KPH

Project to rebuild a RCA SSB R3 diversity receiver
 
1925 Radiomarine IP-501-A receiver obtained by MRHS  - and more!

Frank Geisel's Report No. 3 for June/July 1946

Night of Nights 2015!   

It's that time of year again.  Time to honor all those ops who came before us by preserving their skills, traditions and culture through on the air operations. Why 12 July?  Long time True Believers know the story.  But it may be worth repeating for new arrivals and to remind everyone of the traditions we hope to keep alive. On 12 July 1999 some very tough looking grizzled old radio pioneers had tears in their eyes as the last commercial Morse code radiogram was sent. It was the end of an era. And as the last beeps faded away into the static they witnessed the end of the career to which they had devoted their lives.  

hese men - and some women - had stood watch over the airwaves on shore and at sea. Theirs was mostly the business of maritime commerce. But when their ship was in peril they were called upon to send the most electrifying three letters in radio, S O S, knowing that all their fellow radio operators would press their earphones close to get every scrap of information and bring aid to their stricken ship.

Once, our coasts were dotted with great Morse code radio stations, all communicating with ships at sea. They're all gone now... all except one, the one they called the Wireless Giant of the Pacific, located at Point Reyes.

On that sad day in 1999 another event took place. The Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) was formed. We made it our life's work to honor the men and women of wireless by restoring that wireless giant. One year and one minute later the giant's voice once again spanned the oceas as we picked up the thread and kept the faith with our colleagues of the air.

Every year since, in an event that became known as the Night of Nights, Morse code station KPH has returned to the air, joined by KFS and the station of the MRHS, KSM.

This year our friends and colleagues at USCG station NMC have labored mightily to bring that storied call sign back to life on Morse code for the evening along with NMQ in Cambria, CA..

And station NMW in Astoria, OR will be on the air as well.

Stations WLO and KLB will join us again as hey have in years past. 

This is a global and local event.  Hundreds of listeners around the world will be waiting with their earphones on, waiting for the signals of the great station to once again arc over the dome of the Earth to their receivers.   

You can be with us in person!   

Dozens of people will join us at the RCA receiving station in the Point Reyes National Seashore to watch as the signals are transmitted by hand using vintage telegraph keys.   

A guest operating position will be available so bring your key and 'phones or use ours and operate K6KPH.  No license required!  So if you're an ex-commercial op who never became a ham here's your chance to sling some Morse again.  Or if you hold a current commercial radiotelegraph ticket you can operate KPH, KFS and/or KSM and have your license endorse to that effect.  

This year we will have our custom made endorsement stamp available to add that special touch to your ticket.

Date: Friday 12 July 2015 Pacific Daylight Time 

Location: RCA receiving station, 17400 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Point Reyes National Seashore   

Time: Doors open at 3:00pm pdt, first transmission 5:01pm pdt (0001gmt 13 July) 

Refreshments: Served 

Photographs: Encouraged 

Tours: Given 

None of this would have been possible without the trust and vision of the Point Reyes National Seashore.  The only reason these facilities were spared the bulldozer that visited all the others is that they are on park land.  And the only reason they have been restored to operation is that the PRNS staff understood their importance and trusted the MRHS to restore them to life. 
 
MRHS Stations

Notice: At press time we have not received authorization to use the KPH and KFS frequencies.  A special update will be sent when final information is received.

Sixteen transmitters will be on the air from the MRHS transmitter site in Bolinas.  That doesn't include transmitters held in ready reserve in case of failure.  Members of the crack MRHS Transmitter Department and the H Set Team will be on hand to assure that all goes well.

> KPH:

Frequency            Transmitter                  Antenna

500/426                Henry MF-5000D        Marconi T (Off the air, antenna down)
4247.0                  RCA K Set                  Double Extended Zepp
6477.5                  RCA K Set                  Double Extended Zepp
8642.0                  RCA L Set                  Double Extended Zepp
12808.5                RCA L Set                  H over 2
17016.8                RCA L Set                  H over 2
22477.5                RCA H Set                 H over 2

The restoration of the H set has been chronicled in past issues of the Newsletter.  It will return to revenue service for the first time in decades for Night of Nights.  See Newsletter No. 38 for information about and photos of this magnificent transmitter.

> KFS

We want to offer our sincere thanks to Globe Wireless for the help and support they have provided for our project since the very beginning.

Frequency            Transmitter                     Antenna

12695.5                Press Wireless PW15   H over 2
17026.0                Henry HF-5000D            H over 2

> KSM

Frequency           Transmitter                     Antenna

500/426               Henry MF-5000D            Marconi T (Off air, antenna down)
8438.3                 Henry HF-5000D            Double Extended Zepp
12993.0               Henry HF-5000D            H over 2
16914.0               Henry HF-5000D            H over 2

K6KPH

K6KPH ops will monitor the frequencies below as propagation and the number of available operators permit.

Frequency           Transmitter                    Antenna

3550.0                 Henry HF-5000D           Double Extended Zepp
7050.0                 RCA L Set                     Double Extended Zepp
14050.0               Henry HF-5000D           H over 2
18097.5               Henry HF-5000D           H over 2
21050.0               Henry HF-5000D           H over 2

> Reception Reports

Reception reports and verification requests for the MRHS stations listed above may be sent to:

Maritime Radio Historical Society
PO Box 392
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
USA

Station Telephone

The receive site may be contacted by phone on 415-669-9646

 Hear about Night of Nights on KWMR

Community radio station in Point Reyes Station will broadcast a special presentation about Night of Nights on the Epicenter program at 5:00pm Pacific time 8 July.  Listen directly to KWMR on 90.5 Point Reyes, 89.9 Bolinas or 92.3 in the San Geronimo Valley.  Not in the listening area?  No problem.  Listen on line via the KWMR Website.  Just click on Click to Play.  Can't listen at that time?  Again, no problem.  Listen to the KWMR archive of the program.  Click on the date, 8 July, and the program name, Epicenter.

USCG Stations

NOTICE!

This may very well be the last time ever that USCG stations can be heard on the air using A1A (Morse) emission.  As new equipment is installed the hardware and wiring for Morse has been progressively removed.  And the personnel who knowledgeable in the art retire or are reassigned.  So be sure to listen for these stations.

Many USCG personnel at all levels are responsible for bringing these stations back on the air for Night of Nights 2104.  We want to particularly thank ET1 Mike Leska and Chief Eric Simmons (Ret.) for taking the lead for this year's project.

NMC (Transmit Bolinas, Receive Pt. Reyes)

Frequency            Transmitter                         Antenna

472.0                    Nautel ND2500TT/6           173' monopole tower
500.0                    Nautel ND2500TT/6           173' monopole tower
6383.0                  Rockwell-Collins RT-2200  Omni-directional
8574.0                  Rockwell-Collins RT-2200  Omni-directional
17220.5                Rockwell-Collins RT-2200  Omni-directional

NOTE regarding NMC/NMQ/NMW MF transmissions.  Only one MF transmitter will be in service at each station.  Morse transmissions will be made on an as-available basis from each station as USCG operators must also accommodate scheduled NAVTEX transmissions.

NMQ (Transmit Cambria, CA, Receive and Control Pt. Reyes)

Frequency            Transmitter                  Antenna

448.0                    Nautel ND2500TT/6    Inverted L
500.0                    Nautel ND2500TT/6    Inverted L

NMW (Transmit Astoria, OR, Receive and Control Pt. Reyes)

Frequency            Transmitter                   Antenna

448.0                    Nautel ND2500TT/6    Capacitive top hat
500.0                    Nautel ND2500TT/6    Capacitive top hat

>Reception Reports

Reception reports and verification requests for the USCG stations listed above may be sent to:

Attn: OSCS Phil Marsh
USCG CAMSPAC Point Reyes
17000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
USA

Shipcom LLC Stations

All thanks to Rene at WLO and CJ at KLB for the work they do each year to bring these stations back on the air.  They are true radiomen.

WLO

2055.5
4343.0
8658.0
12992.0
16968.5

KLB

488.0
500.0
8582.5

 Reception Reports

Via email (for both stations) to: [e-mail]

W4WLO

Here's great information just received from Rene Steigler of WLO:

We will activate W4WLO ON 40 and 20 meter CW for Night of Nights. We are thinking 7055/14055 so as not to interfere with K6KPH.

Be sure to listen for W4WLO and give them a buzz.
 
Calling Channels

All commercial and USCG stations listed above will listen for calls from ships on 500kc and on ITU Channel 3 HF:

4184.0
6276.0
8368.0
12552.0
16736.0
22280.5

Listen on these frequencies if you want to copy both sides of ship to shore contacts.

Commemorative Messages

Was your father, uncle or grand dad a commercial op or amateur operator?  Would you like to send a commemorative message in their honor over KPH, KFS and KSM?  We have sent several of these messages in past events and they were all very moving.  If you would like us to send such a message this year please send it to us no later than Wednesday 9 July pdt so we can be sure to include it.  Sent it to [e-mail]

http://radiomarine.org/