The last Morse code maritime radio station in North America | Bartell's Backroads

1999 marked the last time a commercial Morse code message was supposedly transmitted to ships at sea. However, if you travel on the backroads to Point Reyes, Morse code is alive and well at KPH Maritime Radio Station thanks to the help of Maritime Radio Historical Society and National Park Service.
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[@MrCJNice]

I was crying because i remembered my dad, who was a marine radio officer, when he mentioned their last transmission was 1997 and that was also the year my dad forceably retired since his position on the ship was no longer needed. he was so depressed. we witness his struggle to survive depression. missed him. he passed away 2years ago.

[@stavinaircaeruleum2275]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[@MrCJNice]

@@stavinaircaeruleum2275 thank you. i rember him saying that the morse code can be very useful when all the latest hightech electronic devices fail. you can go back to simple way of communicating from a distance like: flashlight, manually tap a churchbell or any metal device, landline phone, and others.

[@Farmboyzim]

Sorry for the loss of your Dad, too! My Dad was pretty bummed out when forced to retire at 65. He was in the Navy as a Radioman since he was 18, so it was his life! Don't sweat it MrCJNice , They have the BEST equipment up yonder to work with, AND there is no limit on WATTS! ;-)

[@joseprotacio5654]

i was one of those marine radio operators but i shifted to being ship electrician before they completely dissolve the job of a marine radio operator

[@663rainmaker]

I Salute You Sir and Your Wonderful Father! I appreciate this videogate and us old school radio operators

[@A3Kr0n]

Never turned it off. That's good.

[@LoremasterRelomi]

A waste of electricity XD

[@LaffeyKentaro]

What happen if theres a power cut

[@seanjuth]

@@kiwimerchant121 yeah unfortunately people like you are the reason people die in an emergency

[@seanjuth]

@@LoremasterRelomi so are the cell towers.

[@kishascape]

Actually they did in 1998. This is just one of those heritage site showpiece type things done for fun. Typical poorly researched american reporting. Station is not commercial at all.

[@dhavlena]

Unusual use of Morse code: We rushed to the hospital when we heard my brother had been in a horrible car accident. There he was, over 40 broken bones, neck back included. He was completely “wired up” with tubes, ventillators esticking out of every orifice! Completely unable to talk, I asked if he still remembered Morse Code (he had a ham license once) and he shook his head yes. I put my hand in his and he tapped out “What Happened?” in Morse code. … he had question after question, including asking if anyone else was hurt….I couldn’t bring myself to tell him then that the drunken teenage girl who hit his car head-on had died. As he tapped away on my hand, the Nurses and Doctors were intrigued…to the point where one Doctor asked him if there was any pain in a certain area, my brother replying to me through code. The Doctor had a few other questions of this sort and he explained to me that this otherwise unavailable information was quite valuable as they set him up for surgery. Morse code to the rescue! Ps I was the last Telegrapher ever hired for Great Lakes marine service, at shore station WLC in Rogers City, Michigan. Dennis Havlena W8MI PS… 20 years later my brother recovered wonderfully!

[@DevoutFollowerofYeshua]

Ty for sharing this wonderful story. Morse Code saved many military lives in many wars. I wish we were taught this in schools.

[@kayalizzie]

What a lovely story, thanks for sharing. Glad to hear your brother recovered ❤️

[@dhavlena]

Thank you @@kayalizzie

[@lorenheard2561]

20 years to recover!! ? What a tough,and enduring,brave guy!!! How good it is that you were there for him!! God bless you both❤❤❤

[@dhavlena]

Yessir Much thanks @@lorenheard2561

[@Farmboyzim]

That's my Dad, on the left, Harold F. Zimmer, W6AOY, at 2:43 in the video, back in the 30's... :-)

[@TusharGaurav]

Wow, that's awesome!

[@richardbrobeck2384]

that is really cool I still have a few morse code keys and even a practice set up for kids

[@AnimeBee25]

Whoa 😃🙏🤩

[@HimanshuSharma-oy9ss]

Its cool to know. You must be proud !

[@dao7329]

hope his doing fine

[@1framistan]

I know Morse code, and I have noticed it is still used in some modern appliances. When my microwave oven is finished heating coffee , the oven beeps 4 "dots". That's the letter "H"... which stands for "HOT". When my wife walked into the door of one hairdresser... their door-buzzer beeped a "DASH-DOT".. That's the letter "N" which means someone came "IN." One day while sitting in the waiting area of an office.... one of the copy machines said, "DA-DA-DA-DA-DA" That's 5 dashes... which is the number "ZERO." It kept saying that every ten seconds. I wondered... "Why is that copy machine saying "ZERO..... ZERO..... ZERO." Then one of the secretaries walked over to the machine and pulled a drawer open and refilled the paper which had ZERO paper in it. When she closed the drawer full of paper, the machine said, "DAH-DIT-DAH." Which is the letter "K". I knew the machine was saying "OK!". This week, I finished building a replica of the Marconi Morse key used on the R.M.S. Titanic. It's a beautiful thing. There are some good videos on youtube about replica Titanic keys, if anyone is interested.

[@andrewthomas192]

wow thats very interesting

[@TheCyborgCast]

That's very interesting... It seems like morse code is never going to die.

[@nafismunandar4275]

Just like droids communicating in starwars

[@edrianangeloko911]

Its RMS Titanic or SS Titanic not HMS Titanic

[@1framistan]

@@edrianangeloko911 I fixed it. I thought it was "His- Magestie's-Service" but i guess it is R for Royal. thanks.

[@umsol]

As a child I learnt how to say "SOS" in Morse code. Fortunately I never had to use it, but at the time I believed that only good people would understand the message and help me. It seems that I was right.

[@karenweems5221]

Haecceity Channel this is wholesome (I think)

[@x.e.n.a.official]

S= dot dot dot O= dot dot s= dot dot dot. I know boring but ive learned just in case😉

[@umsol]

@@x.e.n.a.official SOS = three short, three long, three short (or, to respect the proper terminology, three dots, three dashes, three dots).

[@kaiserhhaie841]

I'm pretty sure most people can identify an sos in Morse, three dots, dashes and again three dots. Pretty iconic I think

[@umsol]

@@kaiserhhaie841 I agree it's iconic and yes, perhaps in your country most people know. Where I live, however, I guess that only the military know.

[@thatrecord5313]

But Morse code never did die in the end, did it? Hundreds of thousands of ham radio operators still use it, myself included! -KJ7LEQ

[@sq5ebm]

Military still uses it. French, ex USSR

[@marknesselhaus4376]

Same for me :-) de WA4JAT

[@tc1uscg65]

I think the point is, CW is no longer used commercially (i.e., to make money). Last Coast Guard Radioman class to learn code (a "C" school) was in Dec 94. The Navy still teaches it as a specialty from my understanding. Even though every Coast Guard Radioman had to learn CW (minimum sending, 16wpm, minimum receive was 18wpm to graduate), they didn't use it at every unit either.

[@abwo47]

Roger KJ7LEQ vy 73 fm PA5ABW, ex merchant marine radio-operator in het late sixties and early seventies

[@soldatnrvier5816]

I had to learn it onboard of a German frigate in the last months, since Warships still communicate in morse code - although it is by flashlight.

[@webtely]

My dad was a Post Master General in India in the 1970's, wherever he went on inspection he visited the telegraph offices and I can still recall those nostalgic sounds, for me it was hi tech and I watched in awe as hundreds of messages were transmitted to distant lands in seconds.

[@hughsegrave3979]

Was an R/O in mid 70,s and would just like to say how much I enjoyed myself on long sea journeys, ships engine, bit of static and few distant signals on 500khz. Thanks all operators sea and land for this wonderfull experience.

[@R.O.K.SimGameEnjoyer]

One more maritime morse code station in seoul city. Operating by KT. Name is Hwaseong radio center(화성무선송신소).

[@joshjosh6526]

한덕상 frequency?

[@R.O.K.SimGameEnjoyer]

@@joshjosh6526 sorry current name was KT Seoul Radio Center I don't know frequency but i can give you grand son(he's rescue team crew. And he's also amateur radio user) of retired worker's blog address and e-mail address. Maybe they knows frequency. m.blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=morningsix&logNo=221334451133&proxyReferer=https:%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F E-mail address [e-mail]

[@o6734]

그게 ㄹㅇ 유일임?

[@R.O.K.SimGameEnjoyer]

@@o6734 현재 국내 초수평선 상용선박통신중 모스부호로는 KT가 유일인걸로 압니다.

[@user-ni3cm3uq7t]

@@joshjosh6526 Not sure but the internet says the HLG Seoul Radio, South Korea Coastal Radio Station use 8.484MHz frequency. Last identified in 2009. Link: www.swl754.it/files/radio-morse-code-from-3-to-60-mhz.pdf

[@w9alk744]

Proud to be a code HAM. We will always keep it alive.

[@k6aaq64]

ZUT

[@sureshaalborg]

Sure we will

[@rafaelrodriguez1029]

73 from KC4KU. Long live Morse Code!

[@bloggerccc]

I wish I could learn it. Dyslexia. When FCC dropped the code requirement in 2007, I tested two days later. Walked in as a Tech, left as an Extra. de KD6VKW

[@xfire6443]

What are these random letters

[@johnmodlin7028]

I ran WFE Maritime Radio Station in Houston for Western Geophysical Oil Company 1975. I contacted their ships at sea around the world. Most fun job.

[@flagmichael]

I have doubts Morse will die before I do. We still had morse identifiers on our trunking radio transmitters when I retired a year ago. I doubt anything can cut through noise like CW and a very good receiving filter.

[@barry3612]

@Benjamin Tjaa bruh

[@randomnessx3597]

agreed i still need to learn it however lol

[@WolfangStudios73]

Fixed systems still use CW as their callsign Callsign/ID announcement. My local PD uses P25, but an FM reciver might let you hear: -•- ••- --•• ---•• ••--- •----

[@fim-43redeye31]

Probably the only things that outdo CW for bad SNR are synced things like JT9 and JT65, as well as specialty encodings like OLIVIA and THROB. Even so I don't know if they would do so properly, since I'm not a radio technician.

[@princessmarlena1359]

“...’Haywood U. Cuddleme’? I’m looking for a ‘Haywood U. Cuddleme’? ‘Haywood U. Cuddleme’?” *hears laughing, realizes it’s a prank* “Why you...! ‘I’m gonna drive a Golden Spike where your Union meets your Central Pacific’!”

[@elund408]

I love the clock on the wall at 332 at 15 minutes and 45 minutes of the hour all maritime stations went silent to listen for emergency traffic the red areas on the clock were quiet times.

[@josiassparkyboy571]

Sparks, that's one of the amazing thing on Wireless Telegraphy Radio Room during those days .... Love It

[@elund408]

@Siebenstern google marine distress frequencies.

[@desmondsharpe5397]

Looks like there was no link to the site. Here it is now www.radiomarine.org/

[@zoolkhan]

red for morse code , green for phone - both were silence periods.

[@ZonaJim]

@@zoolkhan Yep. The international distress frequence for CW (morse code) was 500 kHZ. For voice, it was 2182 kHZ. I sat many radio watches with my ears glued to the receiver during the "Silent Periods".

[@barryf5479]

When I was a teenager, I knocked on the door of maritime station KOK in La Palma, California. They guys there gave me and my ham radio friend a tour. They were using semiautomatic keys and they could send fast and accurately. Quite a site to see. I've been licensed since 1968.

[@bills.1390]

Holy cow ! I saw my old shortwave radio on the top right shelf 3:50. It is a Hallicrafters SX-28 Skyrider. It was my Dad's, but he gave it to me when I was 14 in 1962, talk about being in hog heaven :) It covered everything from long wave (marine), AM, shortwave, and even Citizens band. Great radio, remember one of the vacuum tubes went out, a 6L7, mowed a lot of lawns to buy a new one :)

[@stargazer7644]

At 1:18 is my first shortwave rig. A Kenwood TS-440. About 45 years newer than yours.

[@flyoverkid55]

My dad was a radio operator in WW II. He used to sit and tap out Morse code at the kitchen table.

[@mikegross6107]

I didn't realize it would be so emotional to watch this video! I was a radioman for around three years on the USS Essex (1956 to 1959) and not only learned morse code but also how to type (although only upper case). I STILL know the code and practice it mentally with different words, license plates etc. Really enjoyed my tour as a radioman and sorry to realize there is no more use of the code!

[@kevinduffy80]

I know what you mean. I was a Royal Navy sparker (1981-1986). Still find myself reading morse code and flashing light on every war film etc. Shame it's all but gone. 😢

[@lewdutoit7630]

So sad, end of an era. Thanks for all still involved keeping the memories alive and equipment in order. Love n God bless on your hard work and sacrifices, 73; 88 de ZA

[@randomnessx3597]

cw is widely used on ham radio though. it'll be hard to make a digi mode that cuts through the noise as well as cw and convey as much information as quickly

[@richardcallihan9746]

sad they muted the end of the last transmission, ie; (73/88 DE KPH SK)

[@foundation806]

I started to teach myself morse code. It's good to know that morse code has a lot of history behind it.

[@joeschmoe4968]

Every time I see people texting on their phones instead of speaking directly with someone, I think of these old machines. Seems like we've gone backwards in communication. I thought we would all be talking face to face on our phones by now like in Star Trek.

[@Vitorruy1]

Frontal cameras for phones were invented for that, but now they are mostly used for selfies haha

[@pepepistolaxx9820]

@@Vitorruy1 SOCIAL..........DISTANCE! Video call....nowadays !

[@muhammadhanifkurnaen6689]

But front camera sucks when dark

[@Marg1312]

@@Vitorruy1 They're not used for selfies... trust me.

[@Vitorruy1]

@@Marg1312 what do you mean

[@stridermt2k]

Wipes away a tear at they never turned it off. I love radio so much.

[@patrickwall8517]

I really enjoyed this. I had an uncle who was a radioman in the navy and later a telegrapher on the railroad.

[@ricsanders69]

I'm 50 and just starting to learn Morse Code...as a Ham Operator it seems really kewl to know that I could send and receive a message to someone on the other side of the globe using only a watt or so of power, no infrastructure, and all the bandwidth of a human hair! :-D de KN4FTT

[@bigjohnproductions9760]

0:30 poor man :( I would call him back that’s so sad

[@mikefromflorida8357]

Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for posting it.

[@MsLordenatas]

Thanks for sharing this short but amazing video!!

[@pmchamlee]

I'm a new guy [1973- WB5ZAF (now N4MKX)] but I love my ability to communicate in Morse Code! 🤠

[@Swoop180]

Real radios glow in the dark and code is music to my ear! May Neil Peart rest in peace, Y Y Z _._ _ _._ _ _ _ ..

[@TheWareek]

i was a radio operator in the RAN in the late 70's morse code was still used. Not so much to send messages but to establish communications. Have to admit it was not my strong point.

[@zoolkhan]

you operated a russian station?

[@TheWareek]

@@zoolkhan no the Australian navy

[@buddyd1069]

I was an O5C20 in the Army 1971. I still have a Key on my desk.

[@randomnessx3597]

i have a key i got from my ham radio mentor somewhere

[@carlhuffman454]

Ah yes, an ASAer from way back. 98J30 here. When I went through J school at Devens in '69, there were a lot of guys learning ditties in the old WW1/2 buildings on post. Most of them wound up in Nam, to the best of my knowledge. Frankly, I don't know how anybody could take ditties quickly. I have good hearing to this day, but that's a whole different world than the one I worked in. Hats off to you, sir, and keep the faith.

[@MrDANGitall]

I tuned-in to this vid because I wanted to see if I could still copy MC. I was a Coast Guard Radio Operator for three years (1975-78) at CG Radsta NMN, in Pungo, VA, which was the go-to station for the entire east coast. I talked to many shipboard operators on a daily basis. Loved it! I was certified at 37 wpm back then, but I wanted to test myself again, just for giggles. I recertified myself at 10 wpm, which, considering it has been 45 years of NO practice, ain't so bad. Thanks for this vid!! 🙃👍

[@fiddlersgreen11]

Nice Video; Greatings from Germany - a radio amateur.

[@bootmender]

I worked at one of these stations in 1968 across the River from the United States Naval Academy on the Chesapeake bay at Annapolis Maryland. I was a US Marine Gard, there to protect the facility. Severn River Radio Station. For all naval ships in the North Atlantic.

[@paulsmith6184]

As a ships Radio Officer (BP Tankers 1969 to 1974) I have never got used to hearing (in my opinion) the rather "mechanical" sounds of the paddle key. We never used one - it was always the straight-up-and-down version which allowed you to include your own character in the morse. We were trained to lengthen the dashes very slightly to keep the listening station/operator awake. The longest message I ever had to send was a 1440 word (plain language and code combined) stores order to the ships agent in Capetown. Capetown radio was not impressed at all. Back then, there was no way to prepare, for example, on teleprinter. It was all manual. S

[@gordslater]

QTB :)

[@kmooney1954]

Hurray, a purist!

[@josiassparkyboy571]

Its more than the morse codes that connect Sparks, but the camaraderie apparently built in between through your tapping ... one can feel and recognize as to whom in the other side is tapping if you knew each others .... and yes ... the character that every R/O has .... greetings + va

[@mariusbezuidenhout3371]

. Marius I worked at capetown radio/ZSC for 29 years.

[@PaulSmith-bb7lv]

@@mariusbezuidenhout3371 Hi. ZSC was always very efficient and a pleasure to talk to. Even though they were usually very busy. As an aside, due to thermal ducting in the atmosphere, I heard ZSC on the VHF while we were off the coast of Sudan. The operator in Capetown wouldn't believe me at first when I gave the ship's position. Good old days.

[@Pittsburghestatesale]

I learned Morse Code in the boy scouts and can still send and receive 35wpm without aid of a computer or any other device. Although the time has passed for Morse Code in commercial radio, it is still very healthy and active on the ham radio bands where I use it to communicate every chance I get ... Of course its time has passed but it is still fun and amazing. No one is riding horses to work any more, but people still love to go horse back riding on the weekend or as a leisure in the country ... The only thing that never changes, is that everything changes. Peace!

[@ces4399]

I have to visit that museum when I have the chance. I've heard it on the air when I lived in California. I even know the docent being interviewed. I'm also proud to be a ham who got his license back in the day when CW was a requirement. 73.

[@barryf5479]

Same here. Licensed since 1968. I recall driving to the FCC building on Spring St. in Los Angeles to take my General exam.

[@michaelquillen2679]

My brother was a radioman in the Coast Guard (1976-1980). Used Morse code every day.

[@hughsegrave3979]

Great morse men the were too..

[@ZonaJim]

I was a CG Radioman from 1973 - 1977. It's still ingrained in my head.

[@whatzupmomoland9377]

My heart feels hurt watching this sad historical moment to an end . :(

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

RIP, friend of mine used to work for Scripps Institute of Oceanography radio WWD. Big log periodics out E of (Now MCAS) NAS Miramar near Camp Elliott Spent time at sea on several of their ships as well as operating and maintaining the station at San Diego It's all gone now. I used to be able to find the site of the TX which was remote. I had only been to the receiver/ operating site once.

[@hansgroenewegesr.7787]

Once, I was an R/O in the Dutch Merchant Navy...what a thrill to make contact with a station like KPH from half the world away!

[@Jonegy]

Worked KPH regularly in the 1960´s - KSF too (which ever had the shortest waiting list) MN Radio Officer. Nice surprise - I can still read it straight off in my head . Think I´ve still got my old WWII ex RAF type D key knocking about that came with me on every ship I sailed in. Great days

[@nicolaspaglione]

Beautiful technology high quality, still works

[@moriver3857]

Ironically, even today in 2021, all ground-based aviation navigational aids, are still identified by their ICAO name in Morse code that can be heard in the flight deck. So it's not completely dead yet. Amazing video. Thanks.

[@bill4227]

My dad worked at WMH in Baltimore MD. Originally on the Baltimore City recreation pier at the foot of Broadway and later moved to the Dundalk marine terminal

[@steveaustin1111]

To Fair Winds And Following Seas That always gets me right there

[@CBTman99]

Love the RO Extel TTY terminal where the last message was printed. I worked with them from 1973 to 1975, Very good teleprinters, even the ones with the keyboard. In fact, it seems that they also had a lot of traffic using Baudot code, not just Morse.

[@mgbeck98]

I worked for Globe Wireless the company that took over the Callsign KPH when they took over the transmitters for KPH. The Bolinas site was where the receivers were not transmitters. The transmitters were/are in the Davis area and were controlled by telephone line.

[@josephmanojk2344]

Me: Clicks pen because I'm bored Grandpa: Why do you need an airstrike?

[@allanbrown5435]

Have wked K6KPH a couple of times. Gud ops. Always like to hear them on the air. Reminds me of the old days hearing WSL, WCC, etc on 500 kc while standing Cw watches in the Coast Guard.

[@matambale]

KPH can still be heard, once a year - see "Night Of Nights".

[@timokiiski5912]

Really nice and interesting site. I was hearing KPH etc. in 1960-70 but I worked regularly with East Coast / WCC and WSL. Many really good ham operators over there! 73 Timo OH1TH / OH5TA /ex. MM

[@MrSpruce]

Love the typewriters in the background. Morse and typewriters - two of my favourite hobbies.

[@garrylearmonth9313]

I was an amateur for years and originally found CW to be so so hard but finally got my ham licence and ended up on 80 metres on a Sunday night spending an hour or more using CW with no-one allowed to use voice lol. My CW got so much better over time, and strangely enough at the end of this vid I was able to pickup letters and words as I heard them. I haven't used CW for 30 years lol. Funny how it memories can flood back in, along with CW. I used a standard morse key to begin with, then went onto an electric paddle set up. Thanks for the vid, it brought back a lot of fond memories.

[@johndoyle1969]

We never need to forget how to use Morse code. We may have to use it again some day.

[@ZonaJim]

There are times when the narrow band width of a CW signal is the only comms that can get through.

[@barriepaterson]

I worked at Cape Town Radio ZSC for many years. Great memories!

[@LePepo]

0:05 i can hear Dutch telling me to stay calm

[@jmbjeboybiboy670]

Ahhahahah all i can think about is that haahahhaaha RDR2

[@seirbhiseach]

“I have a plan, Arthur, all I need is a little faith, that’s all I ask from you”

[@jimheckert5383]

Very nice video. Thanks

[@paulhurst4327]

Wonderful. Thank you.

[@michaeledmonds3027]

Great video, love the old radio gear. Thanks & 73 Steve KZ5MSE

[@allanegleston4931]

such lovely morsecode . along with the grimton alexarnderson machine , these are the last.

[@ThrilloVanHouten]

That freq counter at 01:59 is absolutely beautiful. Love those nixie tubes

[@ruialexandre6197]

I remember in the 80s to go through the long wave band in my dad's hifi and listen to these constant dots and dashes flashing at high speed.

[@levynkhs8820]

It should still exist because malfunction can happen and only morse code can save someone 's life

[@donraptor6156]

How? Punch all the code you want! Needed to 96% of any amateur operator!

[@zoolkhan]

shipping lines gladly got rid of the expensive radio-officer .. they dont care about the lifes of the crew.. evey year ships sink ... and nobody on board with the ability to operate a more serious radio than the VHF box on the bridge. Sure automated systems are in place, and the marketing goes its much more reliable blabla. Yet, there is no investigation about the lack of interactivity, inability to respond to coastguard/SAR unit clarifying questions ... with a dedicated pair of operators on board, the station would be permanently manned, and questions and statuses would be going back and forth until the water ends the powergeneration.... while the bridge crew focusses on the situation now there is no dedicated person on the comms, at best a helmsman on VHF ch 16 who is needed in 5 places at once in that situation. And VHF is short ranges comms anyhow.

[@kunjupulla]

My eyes swelled when the last message transmitted was read!

[@shyleshsrinivasan5092]

Thanks a lot for this video !

[@nityanandakabiraj7434]

Very emotional Indeed... Please never turned it off !!! 73, 73, 73...

[@norcaldeemichaels]

“When he opened the door after two years, he heard something familiar”....It was just the Frankfurt asking why the Titanic has been silent lately.

[@TheJames1912]

Yeah bro, she’s been silent for 109 years now

[@Oberkommando]

@@TheJames1912 what are you talking about? It was just 6 years ago

[@TheJames1912]

​@@Oberkommando really? wow i never look at the calender

[@miked7745]

for 2 year no one was like "whos paying the electric bill?"

[@bbs5400]

Soemone knew it was running, they left everything running on purpose, but guarentee it was illegal and they were preohibited of doing that, so of course "it was an accident"

[@richardcallihan9746]

Bill had been paid on time-continuously for 6o + years

[@rexjolles]

My great grandpa was the captain of 3 different merchant marine ships in the 40's and 50's, and he has one of the keys off one of his ships, MV Cinch Knot.

[@jerryfinnegan1323]

I was advised that the last ship to shore msg war sent by the facility near New Orleans, LA.

[@williamfulgham2010]

If that in fact was the last one, that would have been from WNU North of New Orleans around Covington, I believe

[@PRRGG1]

I don't know what's harder to believe, that KPH never shut off OR that this news story was made just last year. Somewhere Charles Kuralt is smiling down on John Bartell, even if he works for a rival network station.

[@bazza945]

Ex New Zealand coast radio station operator, Awarua Radio/ZLB, closed August 1991. Station established 1913.

[@petrofilmeurope]

Extremely interesting. Thank you from a 49'er in Oslo.

[@HannoBehrens]

And wonderful given code at the end, so slow and clean that even I could read it, only after a short playback of course because it hit me unprepared, I was irritated for a moment when it said SK/end of transmission/+ and after that the single K. I am not operating yet, still in the learning process, so that means: now we have to take over the torch, that's how I interpret that ending. Is that correct? That's wonderful.

[@williamfulgham2010]

Be sure and learn Morse as a sound, and it will fall in line as a language. Bill, K5EYS

[@HannoBehrens]

@@williamfulgham2010 I'm on it. Can do almost failure free 15-17 wps with a Junckers straight key, listening to an equal speed, but with pauses inbetween. I did my HAM license just a few weeks ago now, I took three weeks to learn it, did an A-license without a morse test, for the whole test in just three weeks, while I had to work was quite stressful. They said we needed 5 wps (at least), which I could easily have done, but not without a failure here and there and they said, only 3 errors allowed for three minutes test. And that I could not achieve in that short amount of time. So, because I didn't want to embarrass anyone, including myself, I skipped that. Am training a few hours a day since then. I can't get rid of a miss-given character at 17 wps now and then and the spacing errors are killing me (using a Morserino-32/w straight key), so I am not satisfied yet. Using my phone for Koch-Farnsworth method for reading. So since the message three months ago, there was a lot happening in my life. You just have no idea, how much I had to move for this. But feeling good. 73 DE DL7HH K

[@HannoBehrens]

@@williamfulgham2010 DL7HH since October 2020. Thanks for the support! --... ...--, my CW skills getting better daily, still hanging on 16 wpm and not on normal traffic speed with reading, sending with 20 wpm now, but working on it and getting close. WSPR propagation tests yesterday and this night on 40m to US/east coast, VK, NZ, ZS. Should be enough for CW QSO, maybe even QRP. Got a Junker key and a paddle, learning straight key first, since a week now additionally paddles. Yesterday got a WSPR connection to K2JY, that's near your position, maybe I get to you with CW, but it was at 2am local time and 5 watt. So I don't know if that happens soon. But I'm on it. First I have to get up to traffic speed. I had to spend a lot of time and effort to build up my rack and antennas here over the last months. It's hard to get over the 16 wpm, I admit. Especially because it's hard to send with a straight key faster than that. With the paddle, I hope, I'll accustom better to that faster speed. Have thrown away my computer based training lessons, went to more realistic ones from recordings. Works much better for me. In these times of global isolation the radio community is just a blast. Hope this madness ends soon and people find their way back to sanity. I found out, that I played wit a Marconi transmitter as a child. I played only with the sparks of course and got not only once fried by the voltage. But it was fun! Totally childsplay. Still have that thing, that looks quite like the thing that was in the radio room of the Titanic, but I left it at my dads. So to revive these good times, I built myself a little Tesla Coil and fried myself again. Wonderful. While I did that the 11m band was totally messed up with noise, but it was a harmonic on 11m, maybe it was messing up 22m or something, I didn't found the origin, just the next harmonic on 6m. But without an antenna it was of course only messing up my own equipment, maybe 50 meters around my house. It must have been an adventure to do radio in these old times. I lifted my Tesla-Coil with the hands to show it to friends in a video conference and that was the moment I got fried, by the way. It was a permanent little frying and I commented drily „Au Au Au“, while I was holding it up to the camera. They asked what was happening and I said, smiling, that this little brat was electrocuting me, like a scared kitten hisses. It was very cute. And surely not more than 300 kV or something like that and the HF was traveling more over my body than through my body, so it was harmless, I just got minor burns on my fingertips. They said, my hair was standing up straight while showing that little thing.

[@francoispf3418]

Merci pour cette vidéo 👍👍👍👍 un belle héritage de l'histoire des ondes. Ça donne envie de faire une visite guidée du site. 73 Cher OM François

[@ianboard3555]

Morse code gets through when nothing else will.

[@stargazer7644]

WSPR gets thru when morse code won't.

[@gew9487]

My Mother taught Mose Code in the Women's Army Aircorps (WAAC) in WWII. One of her students was Tyronne Power. In late 1950s a submarine in port was open for tours. As we toured, Mom started reading morse code coming in. The Sailor was surprised and set up a test and allowed her to transmit. He said she sent code faster than anyone he'd ever seen. Her entire life Mom sat with her mose code key on the armrest of her chair and did code based on what was on TV. Although not attached to anything she kept up her skills. I became a Woman Marine, 65-68. One of my WWII women Marine friends taught Celestial Navigation to Tyronne Power!! Such a coincidence!❤❤

[@muddrudder2656]

Im glad that someone out there is still listening.

[@whatsleftoftherealmctester8844]

Still plenty on the Ham bands

[@khalidjaved8565]

Gold day of my life when I was a Radio officer.

[@pawekozak2832]

Simply great...

[@derkach7907]

Hearing the last message it's like someone you knew died.

[@ALGPEREZ]

WOW THIS IS AMAZING STILL EXIST SINCE I AM A LICENSE TELEGRAPH OPERATOR BACK IN 80' I REMEMBER THOSE YEARS AS AN RTG SENDING/RECEIVING MESSAGES ON AND OFF SHORE ...

[@highdfire]

Worked SITOR/TELEX at KPH for a while in the early 80's after separating from the Coast Guard. The commute from Petaluma was a drag, especially during the rainy season.

[@kmooney1954]

Poor you!

[@christopherlee5584]

W4CBL here. I became and Amateur operator in 1980. I was required to learn Morse to 5wpm. It was an anachronism then.... and these days we have digital modes and DSTARS. The only constant in this life is change.

[@mfbfreak]

So what about that south korean coast station mentioned at the beginning? Some folks on forums say that they still transmit a traffic list, every so often. But some also say, for 20 years it has been the exact same traffic list. Anyway, here are the south korean callsigns and frequencies in kHz: HLF 8484 HLW 8636 17130 HLO 12843 16990 HLF 12916.5 22611.6 HLW2 12923 HLG 12935 HLJ 16910 If you are on a ship, i would absolutely love it if you'd try calling them, even if it's just for a radio check, to confirm someone over there is actually listening.

[@yourdailydoseofchickens7740]

Glad I memorized the entire Morse code language instead of studying for my math test

[@hughsegrave3979]

ah now you got your priorities right..

[@-Cheif]

This made me cry

[@k7acz]

Nearby was the US Coast Guard CW comm station, NMC. In the 1960's NMC was located on top of San Bruno mountain in South San Francisco. At that time I wa stationed at the Coast Guard Air station at San Francisco Intl Airport and NMC handled our comms for our HU16E and C-130 aircraft. I went up to NMC to get my speed key license. K7ACZ

[@clusterguard]

this is true glory. thank you all.

[@plags8165]

Hopefully it never does die because its a lowkey way of communication

[@muhammadsteinberg]

COOL as hell!!!...I love the nostalgia of CW. Never put in the time to accrue the speeds I've always envied.

[@jacklee9538]

Morse Code never became obsolete. It was phased out because it took training and experience to communicate in it. When radio technology enabled voice modulation, that training could be cut out and Marine Radio Operators could man that position with much less training and experience. However, anyone who is trained in both prefer the Morse Code as it is clearer, more accurate, and yes, believe it or not - much faster for marine communications thant voice. I was trained as a Marine Radio Operator back in the early 1980's. Then we were trained to communicate using either voice or ''morse code'. Using simulations using voice or morse code, we found out that it took twice as long to transmit a marine message using voice than it did using morse code. Marine radio message are very complicated and unstructured. Many times when transmitting a critical piece of information, if we had to use voice, we had to spell out each and every frigging letter! Morse code, we could just tap it all out once. :)

[@hughsegrave3979]

Not really, voice and morse were hand in hand for very many years, voice was not an alternative to morse as 90% of ships traffic was morse when voice was available. Morse was a formal document. Telex over HF was the first sign that the R/O jobs were on the line. I recall having it on a banana boat late 70's.. early 80's.. ??So sad to see it all slip away my friend. Kind regards from Dublin

[@kellyphillips4404]

I love 💕 this History of Radio

[@svtelos4726]

Nice to know that someone is still awake at the switch. Is this also the location for the Weather-Fax transmissions? I still recieve them and print out the Pacific weather charts for my boat. SV Telos --KJ7JTR

[@kchilz32]

We may need to get back to this soon.

[@rolandschweiger8678]

ha. I am OE 1 RIC, made my radio amateur licence in the late 1980s. To be honest, morse-code / CW was already "out" at the time but i am glad i learned it and used the short-wave for a while (mainly the 20m band) with all the atmospheric conditions etc. Nice part of history all together...

[@knowhereeverythingchannel2351]

Loved it ❤️

[@stipebalen1330]

He was on the edge of tears