News Release

Maritime Radio Historical Society invites you to the annual Night of Nights at Point Reyes National Seashore at 3 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2018.

Three images: 1) the logo for the Maritime Radio Historical Society, composed of the initials MRHS in red, a cartoon of an anchor and radio waves; 2) a white art deco building behind a grassy oval; a male radio operator sitting at a radio board.

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News Release Date: July 3, 2018

Contact: Richard Dillman, 415-990-7090

Contact: John A. Dell'Osso, 415-464-5135

Point Reyes Station, CA -- On July 12, 1999, a ceremony was held at the receive site for coast station KFS at which the last commercial Morse message in the US was sent. Or so it was thought. That was also the date on which the Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) was founded, with the mission to assure that commercial Morse would not perish from the Earth.

Morse code is clearly obsolete, nobody uses it, it's just beeps in the air. So who cares if it perishes? The people at that ceremony at KFS cared. They cared deeply. They were seeing their profession, their passion and, in a way, their life passing away before their eyes. So it became the mission of the MRHS to make sure that the skills, the culture and the traditions of these men and women would be remembered and preserved through the restoration and operation of one of the greatest of all coast stations: KPH.

Each year on the anniversary of that supposed last message, plus one minute, KPH comes roaring back to the air with all the full-throated majesty that mariners around the world heard for decades. Station KFS will also be on the air as well as amateur station K6KPH which will be standing by for your comments and signal reports. Location: RCA receiving station, 17400 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Point Reyes National Seashore. (directions from Bear Valley Visitor Center to Historic RCA Coast Station KPH) Doors open at 3 pm. The opening message will be broadcast at 5:01 pm PDT (0001 GMT).

Join MRHS volunteers for a complete tour of the station. Enjoy complimentary radio sandwiches and all the trimmings. Photograph everything. Whisper the magic words "True Believer" and be granted access to the fabled Treasure Room where the gems of maritime radio history are kept.

For those around the world who will be listening for KPH and KFS or calling K6KPH, here are the frequencies along with the transmitters and antennas that will be used. The RCA transmitters are 1950s vintage. The Press Wireless PW15 is from 1942. The Henry transmitters are 1990s vintage.

-NPS-

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@PointReyesNPS) and
on the park’s webpage at www.nps.gov/pore

Tags: point reyes point reyes national seashore night of nights kph morse code radio radio station radio corporation of america rca wireless radio


Last updated: July 5, 2018

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Phone:

415-464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (e.g., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; fire danger information; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.

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