[ARC5] NDB IDs

[D. Platt]

Gents,

We're gone from Swan, I know, but not too much on the mainland these 
days. either.  I know of none who have been recently involved in 
rotations either at Copan or San Pedro Sula.  I do know that "we" were 
on Swan for a while with the SF and some other agencies in the 70's and 
the mainland thru the 90's.  The place has been pretty much cleaned out, 
now.  I saw some photos from a "yachtie" last year and the old station 
looks bad.  Hurricane damage over the past 30 years have rendered the 
station a mess.  I believe it was Hurricane Mitch that caused a lot of 
the contemporary damage.  The old upper-air tower is threadbare and the 
buildings are really ratty.   I wish that Google Earth had some hi-res 
shots but not as of today, it appears.  Historically, the US Navy and 
Weather Bureau were there during WWII doing as others have indicated; 
weather and maritime activity reports.  Well before WWII, United Fruit 
had used the place as a way station and radio station.  Again, pictures 
show their two huge 4-leg huge towers.  All that was left when I was 
there were the eight 6'X6'  tower leg bases.  At any rate, I was able to 
read some of the old log books from the war years and it was apparently 
a spartan living, there.  The helium gas and other supplies was 
sporadically airdropped or brought in by small boat or sub and they were 
often very late.  the log books replected some of the concerns of the 
folks there.  The dock was not very good until the Agency moved in 
during the early Castro years. Any of you all remember Radio Americas 
and the "Gibraltar Steamship Co."?).  When I was there, a honeycomb 
ro-ro ramp adjacent to the small dock could be found, submerged and 
acting as a fish habitat.  I understand that it was used to off load the 
LSTs that brought in all the heavy equipment for R/A radio station.  Our 
re-supply was via a ro-ro but they sided up to the dock and craned the 
CONEXs onto the one big truck we had.  To my knowledge, and looking at 
the old photos, there was not a light-house, per se.  Rather, there was 
a rotating aero-beacon up at about 45'.  It was visible for about 20 
miles or so miles and a godsend if you were out fishing in our small 
boat at evening time.  During the day, one had to be careful as the 200' 
HH beacon tower would not be visible very far out, at all. I still have 
a very fond recall of my 22 month stay there.  It was truly idyllic and 
ham radio was excellent, albeit we were no longer a separate DXCC 
country.  Thanks a lot, Tricky Dick!  Anyone still have their HR6SWA (or 
mine) QSL cards?  I'd include a aerial jpeg but I don't think its 
permitted, here.

Hey Mac, is WBR-70 (MIA) still around?

Jeep - K3HVG


On 10/31/2012 9:42 PM, D C _Mac_ Macdonald wrote:
> I didn't even know we still had any "presence" there!
>
> As I recall, "we" went in there in WW II for a place
> to be able to spot Nazi submarines prowling around the
> Caribbean. I think I read that we had a lighthouse
> there at one time.
>
>