Night of Nights XI 2011 Details

There are some changes. This info comes from the MRHS web site.

KPH:

Transmit: 426 500 4247.0 6477.5 8642.0 12808.5 17016.8 22477.5

QSX: All ships can call on 500 kHz and ITU Channel 3 all bands.
Channel 3 freqs: 4184.0 6276.0 8368.0 12552.0 16736.0 22280.5kc

The KPH/K6KPH receive/operation site is open to the public beginning at 3 PM Pacific (5 minutes ago). Tours to the transmitter site are available for true believers in the benevolent god RF. This building has plenty of that. The transmitter site is remote controlled and quite distant from the receive.

KFS:

Transmit: 12695.5 17026.0
QSX 500 and Channel 3, same as KPH

12695.5 will be on a 1940s vintage Press Wireless PW-15, formerly at the KFS transmitter site in Palo Alto, CA and one of the transmitters on the air on 12 July 1999. 17026.0 will be on a Henry transmitter [commercial grade, and no slouch either].

KSM:

Transmit: 426 500 6474 8438.3 12993
QSX: 500 and Channel 3, same as KPH

(see KPH listing for frequencies).

QSL for KPH, KFS, and KSM:

Ms. DA Stoops
P.O. Box 381
Bolinas CA 94924-0381
USA

Denice is an ace telegrapher who worked at KPH in its heyday.

WLO:

Transmit: 4343.0 8658.0 12992.0 16968.5
QSX: 500 and Channel 3 (same as KPH)

(No 2 MHz this year.)

WLO is the ShipCom station in Mobile, AL. It still handles HF commercial ship traffic, though not in CW.

WLO QSL:
WLO Radio
7700 RINLA AVENUE
MOBILE, ALABAMA 36619
USA

KLB:

Transmit: 488 500 (A1 & A2), 8582.5 (A1A)
QSX: 500 8368.0

KLB is the ShipCom station in the Seattle area. QSL is same address as WLO.

KKUI:

WWII Victory ship SS AMERICAN VICTORY will be on the air attempting contact will all the coast stations above. They'll use the best calling frequency for the prevailing propagation at the time but they usually call KSM on 12552.0.

K6KPH:

Amateur station K6KPH will transmit and listen on 3550, 7050 14050 and 21050 for KPH, KFS and KSM reception reports.

Professional operators will be at the key and commercial procedures [see below] will be used. But please don't hesitate to call, no matter what your code speed or experience level may be. We look forward to your call.

[They switch to usual amateur procedure if there's a pileup, which there often is. There's more on the web site.]

QSL: Same as KPH.

Don't Forget Night of Nights XI

I can't believe it's been 11 years since the last stations pulled the plugs on commercial Morse telegraphy in the US.

Be that as it may, this infamous anniversary will once again be marked by several large stations spitting dits and dahs defiantly into the Ether as if nothing had changed. All hail to the Martitime Radio Historical Society for taking the point on this important work.

Period equipment will be used on many frequencies, and ships may call on the receiving frequencies (500 kHz and HF calling Channel 3). KKUI, the restored SS American Victory, has announced its plan to work all stations. They most frequently use the 12 MHz frequency of Channel 3, but others are possible.

The fun starts at the exact time Morse went away, or 0001 UTC on the 13th. Reception reports are welcome, and QSL info is here.

For those in the Bay Area, the receiving station on Point Reyes is open for visitors starting 15 minutes ago. Trust me: it's worth the trip. Directions to the receive site are at the same link. GPS is desirable for navigation, if you have it. The place is really out there.

Here are the frequencies:

KPH
Xmit: 426, 500, 4247.0, 6477.5, 8642.0, 12808.5, 17016.8, 22477.5
Rcv: 500; 4184.0, 6276.0, 8368.0, 12552.0, 16736.0, 22280.5 (C3)

KSM
Xmit: 426, 500, 6474, 8438.3, 12993
Rcv: Same as KPH

KFS
Xmit: 12695.5, 17026.0
Rcv: HF Channel 3 (same as KPH)

WLO
Xmit: 2055.5, 4343.0, 8658.0, 12992.0 and 16968.5
Rcv: 500; 8368 (C3)

NMC (USCG CAMSPAC Pt. Reyes))
Xmit: 448, 472, 500, 6383.0, 8574.0 and 17220.5
Rcv: HF Channel 3 (same as KPH)

NMN (USCG CAMSLANT Chesapeake)
Xmit: 8471.0, 12718.5 and 16976
Rcv: HF Channel 3 (same as KPH)

K6KPH
Simplex 3550, 7050 and 14050 (taking reports)
K6KPH ops use some commercial procedures. DE means about the same as QRZ?

All emission CW Morse telegraphy, and loving it!

WNE: New US Commercial Medium-Frequency Station

The historic old medium-frequency maritime band continues to be repopulated with new commercial stations seeking to keep this heritage alive. This information comes from Richard Dillman at KSM/KPH/K6KPH:

Another new US coast station has been granted a license for operation in the MF maritime mobile band.

OM Steve Russell of Stoneham, MA has been granted the very fitting call WNE for his station with authorization for 5000W on 500kc and 472kc in the name of the New England Historical Radio Society, Inc. Steve will be building the station "from the ground up", as he puts it. Erection of the antenna will have to await until temperatures rise a bit but the base for it has already been installed.

WNE joins two other recently licensed stations, KDR (Bellevue, WA on 500kc and 482kc) and WFT (Palmetto, FL on 500kc and 486kc), as part of the re-population of the MF maritime mobile band with commercially licensed stations.

"We have a lot of work to do and any input, suggestions, questions or donations will be greatly appreciated to make this happen" says Steve. We at the MRHS applaud the effort Steve has made to obtain his license and his willingness to take on the job of building a new commercial coast station. His efforts and those of Joseph Venable of WFT and James Dalke of KDR are major steps toward keeping commercial Morse alive in this most historic portion of the radio spectrum.

VY 73,

RD