From The Desk of Ed W2LCQ


KPH Night of Nights Monday July 12th 8:00 pm EDT/5:00 pm PDT

KPH, the former RCA coast station returns to the air for commemorative broadcasts every year on July 12 at 5:01 pm PDT (13 July at 0001 GMT).

On July 12, 1999, the last commercial Morse transmission in the U.S. was thought to have been broadcast at 5 pm PDT (13 July at 0000 GMT). Transmissions are expected to continue until at least midnight PDT (0700 GMT).

K6KPH, the amateur radio station of the Maritime Radio Historical Society, will also be on the air receiving signal reports and messages from Morse code enthusiasts around the world.

At 5:01 pm PDT on July 12 (0001 GMT 13 July), the MRHS volunteers will send the traditional Night of Nights opening message. They will then stand by for calls or will call CQ NON orCQ NIGHT OF NIGHTS.This gives Maritime Radio Historical Society information about how well the stations are being heard and gives amateur stations the experience of what it was like to work a real coast station.

Stations on the Air:

Stations KPH, KFS and K6KPH will be participating in Night of Nights XXII. Here are the particulars for these stations:
KPH: 426, 500, 4247.0, 6477.5, 8642.0, 12808.5, 17016.8, 22477.5
KFS: 12695.5
KPH and KFS will listen for calls from ships on 500kc and ITU Channel 3 on HF. Here are the frequencies for ITU Channel 3 in each band:
4184.0, 6276.0, 8368.0, 12552.0, 16736.0, 22280.5

K6KPH: 3550, 7050, 14050, 21050


K6KPH calling procedure: We follow commercial operating practices as closely as possible for K6KPH. To call K6KPH select one of the frequencies above and call K6KPH repeatedly until the operator responds with DE. Then send your call sign and any other relevant information.

Since Night of Nights is usually a busy event for K6KPH you may find the station already in contact with another station. In that case make your call using the above procedure at the end of the previous contact. The operator at K6KPH may respond with QRY and a number.

This means that you are number 1, number 2, etc., on the list. It’s just like taking a number at the bakery. Stand by and the K6KPH operator will call you in turn.

Good luck copying KPH and working K6KPH.

73, de Ed Jones W2LCQ