For the last several years, the Maritime Radio Historical Society amateur radio station K6KPH has participated in the annual ARRL Straight Key Night. This is an informal CW activity that runs from New Year's Eve into New Year's Day (US time). The only rule is that participants use a plain simple old straight telegraph key like the one they probably used to learn code. There are no scores or awards, but you can nominate good fists you hear on the air for honorable mentions. It's harder than it sounds!
For 2008-2009, the MRHS activity has been expanded into what is almost a mini Night of Nights (the Morse Code observance in July where several old stations send CW for around 6 hours). KSM (the MRHS commercial CW station at the KPH site) will be active on CW, RTTY, and Sitor-B (FEC mode). KLB, a ShipCom commercial station in Washington state, will also participate.
This activity gives a good chance to hear mediumwave transmissions under optimal winter-night conditions. In general, propagation should be quite a bit different from July.
All operation commences with the start of Straight Key Night, at 0000 UTC 1 January 2009 (after the Leap Second!). Here are the frequencies(kHz):
KLB
CW: 488 500
K6KPH QSX for CW calls from hams
3550
7050 (Vintage RCA transmitter)
14050
Don't forget that straight key.
KSM
CW: 426 500
4350.5 (Vintage RCA tx)
6474.0 (ditto) 8438.3
12993 (vintage Press Wireless tx)
16914
Teleprinting: 8433 12631
Baudot is 170/45
Sitor is 170/100 mode B (FEC)
K6KPH/KSM QSL to
Ms. Denice Stoops
QSL Mistress, MRHS
PO Box 381
Bolinas, California 94926
USA
MRHS mailing list:
Radiomarine-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
