Sunday, July 12, 2015

2015 Night of Nights is TONIGHT! ALL Frequencies Here!

Youngest:

On all other nights, we use voice or digital modes. Why, on this night alone, do we use good old Morse telegraphy?

Father:

Because July 12 is the Night of Nights, one of the great moments in human defiance, when the barbaric yawp of Morse code comes once again from the RCA Radiomarine transmitter farm at KPH in Bolinas. The corporate Pharoahs gave KPH and CW up for dead, but they were led to freedom by the Maritime Radio Historical Society.  On this night alone, we commemorate this miracle.


The frequencies

KPH has fixed its MW antenna, and, gods be willing, will be on this band again this year.

KPH frequencies:

500/426                Henry MF-5000D        Marconi T
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



K6KPH will again invite amateur QSOs, as propagation and the number of available operators permit. Frequencies (+/- QRM):

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 



KSM, a real genuine commercial maritime coastal station at the KPH sites, will be using:

500/426               Henry MF-5000D            Marconi T
8438.3                 Henry HF-5000D            Double Extended Zepp
12993.0               Henry HF-5000D            H over 2
16914.0               Henry HF-5000D            H over 2



KFS, a call that is now licensed to Globe Wireless, will be heard on:

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


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

415-669-9646
 

The Coast Guard CAMSPAC will again take to the CW airwaves, and this might well be the last year due to big changes at this station. They will also be using the remotes in Astoria, OR and Cambria, CA (usually more associated with NAVTEX).

NMC, Pt. Reyes:

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



NMQ, Cambria:


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


NMW, Astoria:

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

 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. 

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



You've read about ShipCom in the UP column, and you'll read about them again because the HF 911 project is coming along nicely.  Meanwhile, good old WLO (AL) and KLB (WA) will come back on the CW airwaves:

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: wloradio@wloradio.com



W4WLO


Another amateur station will be available for QSOs around 7055/14055 kHz.


Duplex calling channels

Usually at least one ship calls up and passes traffic using standard commercial procedures. Most years, there's way more than one.  Monitor these calling channels for some great catches:

500 (international MW calling channel) 
ITU Channel 3 HF:

4184.0
6276.0
8368.0
12552.0
16736.0
22280.5
 


Catch some dits and dahs starting at 0001 UTC.  That's in a little over two hours!