[South Florida DX Association] Night of Nights-2006

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For CW buffs -
 
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HISTORIC  MORSE CODE RADIO STATION KPH 
RETURNS TO THE AIR FOR "NIGHT OF NIGHTS  VII"

Former RCA Station KPH Celebrates Its 101st Anniversary    

Coast Station KSM Celebrates Its 1st Anniversary

Coast Stations  WLO, KLB, NMC and NOJ To Be On The Air

New Frequencies for KSM, KLB and  NOJ

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In the seventh annual event that has become known  as the "Night of 
Nights", historic Morse code radio station KPH will return  to the air 
in commemoration of the last commercial Morse message sent in the  
United States.

Frequencies and reception report information for all  stations appear 
below.

KPH, the ex-RCA coast station located north of  San Francisco,  will 
return to the air for commemorative broadcasts on  12 July at 1701 PDT 
(13 July at 0001 GMT), 7 years and one minute after the  last 
commercial Morse transmission in the US. These on-the-air events are  
intended to honor the men and women who followed the radiotelegraph  
trade on ships and at coast stations around the world and made it one 
of  honor and skill.  

Transmissions are expected to continue until at  least midnight PDT 
(0700GMT).     

Veteran Morse  operators, including former KPH staff members, will be 
on duty at the  receiving station at Point Reyes, CA listening for 
calls from ships and  sending messages just as they did for so many 
years before Morse operations  were shut down.    

The transmitters are located 18 miles  south of Point Reyes in 
Bolinas, CA at the transmitting station established  in 1913 by the
American Marconi Co.  The original KPH transmitters,  receivers and
antennas will be used to activate frequencies in all the  commercial
maritime HF bands and on MF as well. 

Many of the KPH  transmitters will be 50s vintage RCA sets.  KSM will use 
a 1940s  vintage Press Wireless PW-15 transmitter will be on its 12Mc  
frequency.  Power output will be 4 to 5kW.  The transmitting  antennas 
include a Marconi T for MF, double extended Zepps for 4, 6 and 8Mc  
and H over 2s for 12, 16 and 22Mc.     

KPH will  send traffic lists, weather and press broadcasts as well as 
special  commemorative messages, some of which will be sent by hand.  
At other  times the KPH and KSM "wheel" will be sent to mark the 
transmitting  frequencies.      

Members of the public are  invited to visit the receiving station for 
this event.  The station  will be open to visitors beginning at 
1500PDT (3:00pm).  The station is  located at 17400 Sir Francis  Drake 
Boulevard and is on the route to  the Point Reyes lighthouse.  Watch 
for a cypress lined driveway on the  right about a mile past the entry 
to Coast Guard station  NMC.     

KPH is operated by the Maritime Radio  Historical Society in 
cooperation with the Point Reyes National Seashore,  part of the 
National Park Service.     

Further  information may be found on the Maritime Radio Historical 
Society Web site  at http://www.radiomarine.org or by contacting 
Richard Dillman at +1  415-990-7090 (email: rd at radiomarine.org) 
or Tom Horsfall at +1 510-237-9535  (email: wa6ope at hotmail.com).