Sun
31
Dec '06
I was interviewed by Mr. Perry on WATD-FM! I just had to let everyone know about this. I told him about operating on the IC-7800 at Brant Rock!
N1EY
'
My friends from the Peconic Amateur Radio Club led a very successful expedition to Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Brant Rock is a section of Marshfield, Massachusetts. Marshfield is located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The actual site in Brant Rock is called Blackman’s Point. This is the location of where Fessenden made the first Radio Broadcast. Fessenden really had no idea of the importance of his deeds here at Blackman’s Point. He showed the world a whole new technology and its’ application. This technology has transformed our culture in the past 80 years.
K2CX from the Peconic Amateur Radio Club was the team manager. He led a very successful operation. K2CX believes in being prepared and using good equipment. Many of the members of K2CX’s club came to help out. They are a great bunch of operators and they also have extensive experience in making VHF contacts. I never heard such distances on 6 meters from Massachusetts until this weekend. WB2QGZ, AA2DR, and W2CYK were key members in making the project happen.
NJ3H, who is the grandson of Fessenden’s radio engineer also came. He was instrumental in making the project succeed. Several clubs including W1SMH provided equipment.
We had a great time for 24 hours. NJ3H made a lot of contacts on 160 meters and he did contacts in AM. We contacted the site of the Eastern Tower as well. I had time to operate on the IC7800 as you can see from the picture above. We spent two days errecting all of the beams and verticals. We had twenty four hours of solid operating. I will be making another article with more pictures. Be sure to also check out http://www.k2cx.us/w1f/.
N1EY
Sun
24
Dec '06
I went to the celebratory broadcast made by WATD-FM 95.9 in Brant Rock, Massachusetts.Ê The broadcast was made right from the tower site.Ê Several members of the W1FRV club were present including AA1A, W1AY, etc.Ê K2CX from the ARRL and AA1A were guests on the program.Ê The vice-president of NPR spoke to the broadcast about radio art.Ê The broadcast also talked with people from Scotland.Ê A good showing of the residency of Marshfield appeared.Ê They had live music.Ê AA1A’s daughter played Silent Night on the violin for the recreation of the original broadcast.
I have noticed that people are confused on Slashdot.Ê Fessenden was the first to transmit in AM.Ê He was the first to broadcast music.Ê He was the first to make religious notations via radio wave.Ê So, you can not complain about Religious-subject broadcasters; they have been there since the start.
Not too much to report.Ê I have heard a bunch of canadian stations using the Fessenden commerative callsigns, but they are only a handful out of the many Canadiens, whom I have heard this month.
N1EY
Sun
17
Dec '06
Merry Christmas to all of my readers. HF appears to be much more usable over the past few days. The noise on 75 and 80 is significantly lower than a week earlier. No exciting new DX contacts have been made this week. I have been experimenting with a sloped 80 meter loop. I made one experiment at matching it to ten meters. I have suffered from RFI problems. I have attempted to make the loop work properly on bands way past its’ resonance. I would not quite call it resonance but I believe that a loop only works best at half of its wavelength. Performance must be degraded at extreme multiples such as one eighth. My matching scheme was a horizontal run of ladderline that was unterminated and approximately twenty feet above ground. I will also try a vertical matching section. The best thing to eliminate RFI is to get the loop away from the dwelling. Unforunately, I do not have much room for this. I also need more coax for the feedline.
My radio club has briefly talked about running a new license class for would be ham radio operators and upgrading technicians. If you have not heard the morse code requirement will be soon fade into the ether. Another ham postulated at breakfast that we would eventually hear ourselves. Now, who thinks the universe is curved and eventually radiowave will return to the earth? I do not really believe in the shrinking bit of the theory. I can not conceptually absorb it.
Anyways, Fessenden made the first voice broadcast in 1906. Look for me at the commeration stations at Brant Rock during the end of year.
N1EY
Sun
10
Dec '06
I decided that I needed to get out a bit. I really do like the nice ocean breeze. Hull was a blast the other week. It also had a lot of charm with the navigation conducted by mechant vessels. However, I had the opportunity to operate from Brant Rock. AA1A has established a vertical for operating at Brant Rock on the site of the Fessenden Tower base. AA1A has spent countless years maintaining the history and the integrity of the site at Brant Rock. The Masons have also participated in masonry work to highlight the area.
I took Railfan Three down to Brant Rock on Saturday. I made a few memorable QSOs. Band conditions were very poor. I did enjoy hearing everyone while monitoring QSOs across 20 meters and 17 meters. I heard every participant. I could hear 7’s talking to 6’s or 0’s. The problem with a good antenna is that you do not have a clear frequency to call CQ! I also heard some commotion 14.275. I did hear several ZS stations. One ZS station said that he had worked VU7. Most hams over the weekend appear to be frustrated by not hearing VU7 at all!
I’ve included a picture of the tower base. I was at Brant Rock previously this summer. I took the day off from work to help my friend WB1EVP and others from the Civil Air Patrol man a station that made contact with the Royal Air Cadets in Scotland. The Scottish contingent made a real dxpedition that required extensive 4×4 work as I was told. The scottish site used by Fessenden was very much out in the boonies. I wonder if that expression is accurate, but it sure sounds like it.
I used my SGC-237 and my FT-857. I am running power off a deep cycle battery. I also have a 33′ vertical with wires for a ground system. I did not need this as a very nice vertical with an excellent guying system was already in place. Additionaly the ground system was in place. I just clipped the leads from the SGC-237 onto the antenna system.
I also took several pictures of the coastline at Brant Rock. The owner of the property is a ham, but unforunately he is not very active. We hope to change this! I did manage to see several local residents walking their dog. They were mildly interested in ham radio. Everyone in the area is apparently aware of the historic deeds that took place at Brant Rock in 1906. Wait to they see the big equipment coming down to Brant Rock for the ARRL Hello centennial event on December 29th. W9DK was operating a special event station during the weekend. This was a club station that was operating in honor of its’ 60th anniversary. The operator, Bob, asked for my name and location. He was certainly suprised when I told him that my name was Bill and I was located at the base of Fessenden’s tower. He wanted to know if I was a special event station was quite shocked that I was just fooling about with no concerted plans. 
N1EY
Fri
1
Dec '06
QSL Cards
I have made a QSL card for my last lighthouse expedition. I just got a card in from WW8w and his lighthouse expedition. Send for the QSL card via direct, please.
Boys and Girls from County Clare
I just watched this movie with the Irish Superstar, Colm Meaney. It was very enjoyable and very warm. It was much to my relief as it ended a long spill of Fassbinder inspired movies and items from the historic Fassbinder collection. Its’ simplicity and heart were a stark change from the serious and ambitious German films of late. N1EY
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