{"id":26961,"date":"2017-07-09T07:27:55","date_gmt":"2017-07-09T11:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=26961"},"modified":"2017-07-09T08:55:17","modified_gmt":"2017-07-09T12:55:17","slug":"guest-post-night-of-nights-july-12-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/guest-post-night-of-nights-july-12-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: \u201cNight of Nights\u201d July 12, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chief Operator Richard Dillman at Position 1 (Source: Maritime Radio Historical Society)<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian Smith (W9IND), who shares the following guest post:<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cNight of Nights\u201d 2017<\/h2>\n

by Brian D. Smith, W9IND<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNight of Nights XVIII\u201d \u2013 radio\u2019s answer to \u201cNight of the Living Dead\u201d \u2013 will again unfold on July 12 (July 13 UTC) with the return of maritime Morse code transmissions that were thought to have died in 1999, but now haunt the shortwave and medium wave bands one night a year. The announced 2017 lineup brings both good and bad news, with venerable Coast Guard station NMN joining the active list while ship-to-shore heavyweight WLO stays on the sidelines.<\/p>\n

For CW aficionados, the event offers not only an audio nostalgia trip, but a chance to obtain QSL cards and \u2013 for those in the San Francisco area \u2013 witness the event in person at the former KPH facility, located at Point Reyes National Seashore near San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Amateur radio operators can get in on the fun by working the Maritime Radio Historical Society club station, K6KPH (via CW, of course) \u2013 and even operating it if they\u2019re close enough to visit. The event organizers endorse amateur radio licenses with special stamps and \u201cthe Great MRHS Seal,\u201d says Chief Operator Richard Dillman.<\/p>\n

\u201cNight of Nights\u201d takes place annually on July 12 to mark the date in 1999 when commercial Morse code operations ceased in the United States. The six participating stations will take to the airwaves on multiple frequencies at 8:01 p.m. Eastern time on July 12 (0001 UTC July 13) and continue for several hours. Two MRHS stations, KPH and KFS, will beam signals from the original KPH transmitter site in nearby Bolinas, California, with a quartet of Coast Guard stations checking in from both coasts \u2013 NMC (California), NMN (Virginia), NMQ (California) and NMW (Oregon). The latter two will operate on medium wave frequencies only.<\/p>\n

Follow this Maritime Radio Historical Society link for a complete list of participating stations, frequencies and other details: http:\/\/radiomarine.org\/gallery\/show?keyword=nonxi&panel=pab1_5#pab1_5<\/a><\/p>\n

For the backstory on the KPH comeback and the tireless volunteer efforts that went into it, read \u201cWho We Are\u201d on the MRHS home page: http:\/\/www.radiomarine.org<\/a><\/p>\n

This Point Reyes National Seashore page gives a historical perspective on the event: https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/pore\/planyourvisit\/events_nightofnights.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

This YouTube video from a 2012 visit provides an inside look at the MHRS operations:\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Wj-IwYPrtTM<\/a><\/p>\n