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July
2026
MRHS
Newsletter No. 102
Dedicated
to True Believers Afloat & Ashore
Silent
Key: Denice Stoops/DA
Announcement:
Night of Nights XXVII
Bolinas
Radio Antenna Field Restoration Progress
Report
MRHS
Hosts Public Tours of BOLINAS RADIO
President
Dillman Profiled in Award-Winning
Newspaper
Another
Ordinary, Extraordinary Day at BL
MP
Returns to Position One
"The
Music of Morse"
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|
|
Silent
Key: Denice
Stoops/DA | |
|
President Dillman/RD sends
along this sad news ...
"It
is with deep sadness that we record the passing of
Denice “DA” Stoops. DA was a part of our KPH
project from the beginning. She learned her trade
at US Coast Guard master station NMC, adjacent to
KPH. At NMC she earned the coveted gold lightning
bolt radioman’s insignia (there was no such thing
as a radiowoman in the Coast Guard). She also
acquired the salty vocabulary she needed to hold
her own in the all-male world of Morse operators.
When
her hitch in the Coast Guard was up she applied to
be a Morse operator at KPH. She was hired by
station manager Ed Brennan in 1979, becoming the
first female operator at KPH. Ed told me several
times that hiring Denice was one of the best
decisions he made as manager.
Coming
from state of the art NMC with a full suite of
brand new HF-80 series Collins equipment she was
appalled to find the antique vacuum tube receivers
still used at KPH ("They had to be calibrated!").
When
KPH closed in 1997 she worked dispatching tow
trucks and later for a window company always
referred to as "The Window Mafia." When we began
our project to restore KPH DA was there to guide
us in proper professional practices and
procedures.
When
Tom Horsfall and I restored a Victory Ship RCA 4U
radio console for the San Francisco Maritime
Museum Denice joined us on Saturdays to
demonstrate the console to
visitors. | |
|
She
also operated from SS JEREMIAH
O'BRIEN/KXCH | |
|
It's
hard to believe now but when we first opened RS to
the public the gate was open and we had a hard
time attracting visitors. So with DA's assistance
we put our first "Historic Radio Exhibit" sign out
on Sir Francis Drake
Boulevard. | |
|
In
2010 Denice embarked on a new career in the
merchant marine. We treated her to a farewell
dinner at a restaurant in Olema where Bill Ruck,
Paul Shinn, Steve Hawes, and I presented her with
a special
certificate. | |
|
She
went through all the required safety training and
soon began her new career at
sea. | |
|
But
sadly, as she was ready to depart on her second or
third voyage she was struck down by a stroke in, I
think, Singapore. She continued to live
independently for may years after that incident,
driving and shopping on her own. I often met
her at the Palace Market in Point
Reyes.
I
know we all wish Denice fair winds and following
seas and know that she still stands watch on
600m.
RD" | |
|
The
founding team of the MRHS, including
DA | |
|
Members
of the MRHS core team were invited to send along
memorial tributes for DA. They speak to the person
she is, beyond her incredible skills at the Morse
key.
First,
a word from Stan Jaffe/SJ:
"I
have my own DA story. We were together at one of
our events (probably International Marconi Day at
Marshall) back in 2009. I had left the safety of a
big company in 2003 to take a new job at a small
startup group. The company fell on hard times and
I was informed "your position has been
eliminated". It has been said that a job can be
what you do, or who you are. If the latter,
finding yourself no longer employed can be
devastating. I had the good fortune to share this
experience with DA, who also experienced this and
she was very helpful. I was lucky in that while my
position with that company was no longer
available, similar work still was, and I was able
to find an equivalent position elsewhere. DA was
not so lucky as the demand for proficient CW
operators was non-existent. For her, paying the
bills meant taking whatever job was available,
hence working as a dispatcher. While it was
tangentially related since operating a radio was
involved, it was a far cry from her contributions
to KPH.
DA,
thanks for your support when I needed it. I hope
our talks together might have helped you as well.
SJ"
Tom
Harris/TH sent along this spot-on memory
...
"I
only met her once or twice , but remember the
jingle jangle of the bracelets as she operated the
key. It was mesmerizing.
TH"
Roy
Henrichs/RH, who volunteered with DA on SS
JEREMIAH OBRIEN/KXCH sends along the following
memory. Roy was new at KPH. One Saturday DA (this
was after her health issues) was expected to be on
SS JEREMIAH OBRIEN. During the day a call came in
on 500 kc from the O'Brien. The Position One
operator at RS tried to respond to the call from
KXCH, with no luck. Someone mentioned DA's health
issues, so Roy decided to see how he might help.
We turn now to RH's account:
"So
I contacted Denice (had never met before) and
joined her aboard. When we powered up the MF, the
transmitter tuned up OK, but no audio from the
ship's main MF receiver - even after a ten minute
warmup. All connections appeared in good
order.
So
I pulled the receiver out of the console. Found
that some of its tubes had date codes around
1950!
(The
onboard) Tube tester was inop(erative), but found
the problem tube by substituting from new
condition ship's spares. Problem solved, and
definitely not an operator problem! No
amplification in tube, no regeneration / dead
RX.
A
guy was watching me, said I looked like I knew
what I was doing. True - I had worked on shipboard
gear before. And, he said I probably could do his
job as Master Radio Electronics Officer aboard
Matson ships, and would recommend me to the ARA
union if I'd like to pursue that!
Bottom
line. I boarded the ship to help Denice solve the
(non-operator) problem - and wound up sailing for
the ARA Matson customer! Unexpected consequences
for a simple good deed to help Denice. You just
never know . . ."
On
the other end of the radio circuit, at RS, at a
later date, we offer the following special
moment:
We
knew that DA was expected to be on SS JEREMIAH
OBRIEN that day, with another member of the MRHS
Operations Department. We were hoping that DA
would be able to take the key.
Eventually,
the famous sound of "cat stepping" (sounds of
tuning) was heard on 500 kc. In short order a
brief, but poignant contact ensued ...
SS
Jeremiah O'Brien/KXCH: "KPH DE KXCH K"
KPH:
"KXCH DE KPH GA QRU?" ("Good afternoon, do you
have any messages")
KXCH:
"QRU" ("I have no messages")
KPH:
"TU QRU ....." ("Thank you, I have no messages for
you")
And
then a tentative pause ... and a hope
...
KPH:
"OP?" ("Who is the operator there?")
Another
long pause ... and more hope ...
KXCH:
"DA"
There
were smiles, and cheers, and perhaps a tear or two
all around the Morse Room at RS, where DA had
spent so many years of dedicated, exceptional
service. Despite the immense challenges, DA was
back where she belonged. That dedication and
commitment were still there. An inspiring
moment....
Rick
Wahl/FW, who worked with DA at NMC and KPH sent
along this amazing tribute...
"Along
with everyone who knew her, I was devastated to
learn of Denice's passing - much too soon,
depriving her of the many more years of life she
deserved. My deepest and sincere condolences to
her family and friends.
I
first met Denice in the Coast Guard, where we were
both stationed at COMSTA San Francisco/NMC. She
was nearing the end of her enlistment and soon to
move on to KPH, while I was just beginning my
stint at NMC.
During
her service in the Coast Guard, she had
demonstrated and perfected her extraordinary Morse
Code proficiency with the bug, a significant
qualification for being considered to join the RCA
crew next door.
In
addition to her exceptional work as a Telegraph
Operator, she worked many watch-hours as the
station's Tech Controller, managing the technical
operations of the Coast Guard's premier long
distance communications facility on the West
Coast.
After
she left for KPH, I spent the next 3-years at NMC
- mostly finagling every opportunity I could to
sit either 500 kHz or HF CW positions - and would
often work the same shifts she did, occasionally
coordinating with her on the air or over the phone
regarding some ship's business or
traffic.
When
my enlistment was ending, I applied to both KPH
and KFS, and was delighted to be hired by KPH - in
large part due to the opportunity to work with
Denice again. Even when KFS called soon after,
offering a CW position, I preferred to stay with
KPH.
She
became a much greater friend, even to the point of
cutting and shaping my hair back to a more
suitable style for civilian life.
When
I first arrived at KPH, I worked evening shift in
the Telex room, she worked the 500 kHz position in
the CW room - just around the corner of the
doorway between the two. She had a long extension
cord attached to her headphones and when she
wasn't busy working traffic or preparing the list,
she would stretch the cord into the Telex room and
help us edit and prepare messages to be placed in
the traffic rack.
There
had always been a a small, subtle, asymmetry of
status between the Telex and CW operators at KPH -
and for her to voluntarily, unashamedly mix with
the unwashed, ink-stained Telex department was a
sign of her genuinely generous heart - and her
professionalism as a Radio Operator.
Like
all of us, she took the closing of the station
very hard. Her volunteer work with MRHS and the SS
Jeremiah O'Brien was wonderful and commendable,
but we were all so very proud when she was hired
by Military Sealift Command (MSC) with an
opportunity to continue her professional career.
Sadly, that was also cut way too short. She
deserved better.
I'll
end with the picture that hangs in the KPH break
room - the annual Christmas picture taken in
December 1981, about six-months after I began work
there. Those were very good years - the best - and
that is how I will always remember Denice, her
smile, her professionalism, and always being the
utmost joy to be with.
73/88
ZUT
FW" | |
|
It
seems appropriate to give the last word to DA
herself.
DA
composed the moving text that is the Closing
Message on Night of Nights each year. For many
years DA herself rightly was given the honor of
sending the message.
We
are so blessed that for two of those years Paul
Shinn/PS made a video recording of DA sending. You
not only get to experience her tremendous Morse
skills, but you also get a glimpse of her
personality.
Click
on the following links to see Our Beloved DA in
action:
Night of
Nights X
Night of
Nights X1
Here
is the text of this beautiful message, sent each
year at the end of Night of Nights:
CQ
CQ CQ DE KPH/KFS/KSM
NOW
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE TRADITIONAL CLOSING MESSAGE
—
DEAR
GODDESS THE MEMBERS OF THE MARITIME RADIO
HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARE YOUR HUMBLE SERVANTS AND WE
THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING US THIS PAST YEAR AS WE
CONTINUED OUR STEWARDSHIP OF THE STATIONS KPH AND
KSM
THE
MUSIC OF MORSE HAS GLADDENED THE HEARTS OF MANY AS
WE HAVE CROSSED THE BARRIERS OF TIME AND SPACE
WE
ASK YOUR AID AND GUIDANCE IN OUR DECISIONS AND
ACTIONS DURING THE COMING YEAR THAT WE MAY BE
WORTHY OF THE EQUIPMENT AND TRADITION THAT HAVE
BEEN ENTRUSTED INTO OUR HUMBLE HANDS
BLESS
ALSO THE EARS AROUND THE WORLD THAT SHARE THE
FRUITS OF OUR LABOURS
ZUT
73/88
DA
DE
KPH/KFS/KSM CL AR
(PS.
It is remarkable to note that before the
publication of this newsletter these videos had
been viewed over 250 thousand times
....) | |
|
Announcement:
Night of Nights
XXVII | |
|
Night
of Nights I at Bolinas
Radio |
|
July
12, 1999.
A dark
day in the history of wireless
communications.
For a
century ships at sea were never alone. Despite
distance and tempests the miracle of wireless
telegraphy kept mariners in contact with shore.
Twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week,
three hundred and sixty five days per year, the
limits of time and space were overcome by
wireless. What made this form of communications
special was that it was always undertaken in the
form of a Morse code "conversation" between two
operators, two living human beings: one at sea,
the other ashore.
But,
seemingly, the conversation came to an end in the
United States of America at the end of the
Greenwich Mean Time day of 12 July 1999 at Half
Moon Bay, California. A century of communication
reduced to silence.
However,
as all True Believers know the radio silence of 13
July 1999 inspired the founding of your Maritime
Radio Historical Society. In short order the
silence was ended as the facilities of maritime
radio coast station KPH were restored and the
fabled music of Morse was revived. Despite
technical challenges, weather induced damage, and
a global pandemic, the silence continues to be
overcome by "The Wireless Giant of the
Pacific."
Each
year the renewal of maritime Morse wireless is
celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of
the Maritime Radio Historical Society with an
event called "Night of Nights." This year marks
the twenty-seventh anniversary of the founding of
the MRHS.
We
invite all True Believers to join in the
celebration once again by tuning into the
transmissions of maritime radio coast stations KPH
and KFS, beginning at 0001 GMT, 13 July 2026
(5:01pm PDT, 12 July 20256.
Reception
Report and QSL Information: Please send reception
reports for KPH and KFS and QSLs for K6KPH to the
Maritime Radio Historical Society at Post Office
Box 392, Point Reyes Station, CA 84856 USA. Please
include a self addressed stamped envelope for an
expedited reply, including covetted KPH/KFS/K6KPH
QSL cards.
N.B.
Due to the challenges presented by logistics and
crowd control Night of Nights XXVII will be a
non-public event. We regret that this is the case
but we invite you to join us on the air at the
frequencies listed below.
Here
is the transmitter, antenna and frequency
information for Night of Nights XXVII:
FREQUENCY
TRANSMITTER
ANTENNA
KPH
CW
500/426
HENRY
MF5000D
MARCONI T
(PARTLY
DOWN)
4247.0
OFF THE AIR ANTENNA DOWN
6477.5
RCA K SET
251
DOUBLE EXTENDED ZEPP
HENRY HF5000D B2
8642.0
RCA L SET
303B3 DOUBLE
EXTENDED ZEPP
HENRY HF5000D B3
12808.5
RCA L SET
304
H OVER 2
HENRY HF5000D B4
17016.8
RCA L SET
305
H OVER 2
HENRY
HF5000D B6
22477.5
RCA H SET
298
H OVER 2
HENRY HF5000D D3 ANTENNA
DAMAGED
KPH
RTTY
6342.5
HENRY HF5000D A2 DOUBLE EXTENDED
ZEPP
8427.0
HENRY HF5000D A3 END-FED WIRE
ANT
12585.5
HENRY HF5000D A4 H OVER
2
K6KPH
CW
3550
HENRY HF5000D A1 END-FED
WIRE
7050
RCA L SET
271
DOUBLE EXTENDED ZEPP
HENRY HF5000D D2
14050
HENRY HF5000D D1
18097.5
HENRY HF5000D B5 ANTENNA
DAMAGED
21050
HENRY HF5000D D4 ANTENNA
DAMAGED
KFS
CW
12695.5
PW-15
12B
H OVER 2
As
we were going to press we learned that Official
MRHS Photographer Ann Hermes will be joining us
once again to document the event. Readers will
remember her amazingly artistic, beautiful work
from years past.
We
also believe that the amateur radio station of the
MRHS, K6KPH will be on the air, using the same
classic transmitters, earlier in the day, so give
them a call! If you want to practice your
commercial procedure just tune your transmitter to
one of the K6KPH working channels and simply send
"K6KPH" a few times, until you get a "DE" ....
That is your cue to send your callsign and list
your traffic!
We
will have a complete report about this years
"Night of Nights" in our next newsletter. We would
be delighted to receive pictures and videos from
your own station showing how you participated in
"Night of Nights." To forward your contributions,
just hit REPLY to this newsletter email and send
them
along! | |
|
Bolinas
Radio Antenna Restoration Progress
Report | |
|
No
matter what your technical background might be you
KNOW that that picture above is NOT
good.
And you
are right!
It's
bad ...
VERY
bad ...
"Rust
never sleeps"
In
recent issues of YOUR MRHS Newsletter we have
mentioned that the first steps were being taken to
begin the arduous task of restoring the antenna
field at BOLINAS RADIO, the trasnitter site for
KPH.
For
many months the Transmitter and Maintenance
Departments have been surveying the situation, as
it stands (or not!). Unlike other recent antenna
repair work that has been completed, this task is
totally dependent on funding by the MRHS. If that
situation changes we will let you know, But, for
now, we are on our own.
The
first good news: You have been very generous. We
have funds to BEGIN the project.
The
second good news: Our own David Mortimer has
graciously accepted the role of project manager
for this herculean task.
Recently,
David met with members of the Transmitter and
Maintenance Departments to review the existing
survey work and to develop a number of strategies
for moving forward.
The
third good news: Professional rigger and MRHS
member Adam McLaughlin has agreed to develop a
scope of work and quote for doing the work. True
Believers will recall the excellent work Adam has
done at BL and RS over the years. Adam literally
grew up at the station and is committed to the
vision of the MRHS, par
excellence.
Progress!
David
Mortimer presented to Adam the prime MRHS strategy
for moving forward: Let's concentrate on fixing
what is broken. Adam then did his own
survey.
The bad
news: Everything is broken ...
Needless
to say, our need far surpasses our means to
address the fullness of the need.
BUT,
thanks to you, we can get started.
At
press time, the plan was to focus initially on
poles that are currently on the ground. Just doing
that would restore a number of antennas that have
been either out of service or compromised for MANY
YEARS.
As we
move forward we will keep you posted. Many thanks
for your generosity, which has gotten us this far.
Stay
tuned! | |
MRHS Hosts Public
Tours of Bolinas
Radio | |
|
On
virtually every Saturday of the year visitors in
droves are welcomed at the KPH receive site (RS)
on Point Reyes. Every year the number of visitors
grows. However, public access at the transmitter
site (BL) near Bolinas is very limitted for a
number of reasons. First, it is an industrial site
and safety precludes the welcoming of
unaccompanied visitors. Second, and related, the
Transmitter Department is more than busy, even on
a "good" day (see below), and does not normally
have time to attend to visitors. Hence, public
group tours of BL are precious
events. | |
|
However,
on June 27, 2026, in conjunction with Commonweal,
the renter of much of the property at BL, the
MRHS, led by President Dillman, offered a tour of
BOLINAS RADIO. The tours were oversubscribed and
additional tours were conducted to meet the great
demand. As usual, the visitors were presented with
the traditional "shock and awe" experience of
seeing countless transmitters, including classic
sets from World War Two and the glory days of RCA
of the 1950s, doing what they were made to do, as
they did it during their commercial service. Late
reports are that a good and meaningful time was
had by
all! | |
|
President
Dillman Profiled in Award-Winning Local
Newspaper | |
|
Yes,
the "Point Reyes Light," the weekly local newpaper
of West Marin County, is an award-winning
newspaper. Indeed, this esteemed journal has won
arguably the most prestigious award in American
journalism, the Pulitzer. (Aside: the award was
given for reporting of a news story that has a
VERY tangential relationship to Maritime
Radio!)
On
June 24, 2026 "The Point Reyes Light" ran a
wonderful profile of our Fearless Leader,
President Richard Dillman/RD. There is a lot more
to RD than you might know! To find out, CLICK
HERE! | |
|
Another
Ordinary, Extraordinary Day at
BL | |
|
During
the for-profit commercial days of KPH, the Marconi
Company, RCA, and in the end at Point Reyes ITT
kept a dedicated and expert corps of engineers,
technicians and riggers on duty or on-call twenty
four hours a day, seven days a week. As legendary
Station Manager Frank Geisel was fond of saying:
“Revenue for the company!” Keeping everything
online and operating was critical not only to the
business of radio, but perhaps even more so for
maintaining the endless watch for the cause of the
safety of life at sea.
Today,
the MRHS does not enjoy that luxury of a full-time
paid staff. BUT, we have an incredible pool of
talented engineers, technicians, and amateur
riggers, with the same, or even greater,
commitment to keeping the service on the
air.
As
you read above, Bolinas Radio was to host a rare
open day on June 27th. As you also read, a major
part of the experience of a visit to BL is the
“shock and awe” of a long gallery of high powered,
many classic, transmitters all emitting radio
frequency energy into the ether. One of the
featured transmitters in that regard is the PW-15
transmitter from the World War Two era. This
transmitter was built by the Press Wireless
company and it later served the ITT station KFS at
their transmitter site in the Bay Area of
California. This transmitter was donated to the
MRHS and has been lovingly restored to service.
But like any 80-somethng year old it has its good
days and bad days.
As
June 27th dawned, PW15-12B was having a bad
day.
But,
like the men of old, the members of the
Transmitter Department went to work to repair this
venerable workhorse and to return it to service as
soon as possible.
It
was discovered that a rheostat (think the dimmer
switch on the dining room light) had failed and,
in turn, burned out a transformer that powers the
filaments of the tubes in the
transmitter.
Here
is an image of the burned out rheostat, courtesy
of Bill
Ruck/RK. | |
|
Now
enter Jay Krishna, one of the skilled engineers
who keep the transmitters running.
"Hi
all,
Yesterday,
Isam, Bob and I worked on the PW15-12B and it is
now back in operation, putting out a full
5KW!
Summary
below:
1.
Started by replacing the damaged 3KV rectifier
filament rheostat with a 9 ohm
resistor.
2.
Still no filament AC; found the RL16 breaker was
tripping.
3.
Removed all MV rectifier tubes to see what was
causing the overload condition. But RL16 was still
tripping, so suspected a defective filament
transformer (there are 4!).
4.
Isolated the failure to one of the set of three
filament transformers.
5.
After lunch, Isam and I started searching for any
spare filament transformers in the PW15 spares
cabinets.
5.
Isam puts his hand into one of the drawers that
had a mix of different transformers and the first
one he pulls out is a filament transformer
identical to the one we needed to
replace!
6.
Found some difference in the primary winding
resistances between the defective (~4.5 ohms) and
replacement (~9 ohms) transformers.
7.
Replaced the defective filament transformer and
powered up the filaments. Filament AC was up, and
all filaments came on, and remained
stable!
8.
Left the MV rectifier tube filaments on to warm
up.
9.
After Isam and I left for the day, SH turned on
the HV, and confirmed that PW15-12B came up fully
without any problems!
Thanks
Isam and Bob for all your help!
73
JK" | |
|
What
is most remarkable about this account is its
brevity and focus.
These skilled technicians
were able to work as a team to diagnose and repair
a major fault in a systematic, efficient way in
order to restore the service.
The
technicians of old could not have done it better!
Well
done, Transmitter
Department! | |
|
Mike
Payne/MP Returns to Positon
One |
|
|
The
“theme” of our last newsletter was “In the finest
traditions of the service …” One of the features
of that issue was an article about Mike Payne/MP
returning to the Morse key at RS after some very
significant health challenges. At that time we
noted that MP had adapted to his circumstances by
learning to send with his non-dominant left hand
with a standard straight key.
But,
clearly, MP was not content with that immense
achievement.
With
some help from dedicated MRHS member Rob Harris
(who lives in Southern California, but makes the
pilgrimage each year to KPH for Night of Nights),
MP has been able to now adapt to using a virtual
“bug” (semiautomatic) telegraph key. A “bug” is a
mechanical key where the operator makes the
so-called “dashes” manually, normally pushing a
paddle to the left. The “dots” are created by a
swinging pendulum mechanism that makes long
strings of dots when the operator normally moves
the paddle to the right. So, the device as
described assumes being right-handed.
Evidently,
“left-handed” bugs were made, but they are
incredibly rare.
Today,
most amateur radio operators use what is called a
“keyer.” In this system the operator has a set of
paddles, like the bug, but the contacts close
switches in an electronic device that makes
perfect “dots” and “dashes” as the appropriate
paddle is manipulated. These electronic keyers can
also be programmed to emulate a “bug,” where the
keyer makes strings of dots when the dot paddle is
pressed and makes the longer sound of the dash as
long as the dash paddle is depressed. So, while
the keyer makes the dots automatically (like the
bug), the operator has to make the dashes
manually. Hence, it can be called an electronic
“bug.”
Enter
Rob Harris. Rob generously has loaned an
incredibly high quality, and one might say even
beautiful, set of keyer paddles crafted by the
famed Begali company of Italy. Rob has also loaned
an electronic keyer to MP. What makes this keyer
most helpful is that it can also be programmed to
be a LEFT-HANDED virtual bug! Problem
solved.
With
this technology MP has learned to send again with
a left-handed bug, and recently has been able to
return to a very special place — the commercial
“Position One” at KPH!
“In
the finest traditions of the service …” Once
again.
Congratulations,
MP! You are an inspiration to us all. We are
grateful that you are able to create the art of
the “music of Morse” once again ….
| |
|
Perhaps
the most striking phrase from the classic,
traditional Closing Message of Night of Nights is:
"the music of Morse."
Indeed.
The
mission of the Maritime Radio Historical Society
is to celebrate and preserve the history,
technology, and culture of maritime radio. Also,
we, True Believers all, are dedicated to honor the
men and women, like DA, who spent their lives,
often at great peril and sometimes even making the
supreme sacrifice, in the cause of safety of life
at sea and facilitating commercial adventures. We
always do what we do to promote those dual,
complementary missions.
It
is not surprising that DA would NOT include that
mission statement explicitly in her Closing
Message. Another word appears twice in the text:
"humble." This is a powerful reminder to all of
us, but especially the core team who maintain the
infrastructure at KPH and keep it on the air week
after week, year after year, and now decade after
decade, that this is not about us. While we may
gain great pleasure at the incredible blessing of
"playing in the sandbox," DA reminds us each year
to keep true to the mission, as she was in her own
humble way.
While
preserving and honoring the past, and those who
have gone before us, as the primary goal, we can
also learn from DA and the Closing Message that
there is a certain aesthetic, perhaps even
spiritual, aspect to what we do and what we enjoy
-- manifested each time the Wireless Giant of the
Pacific takes to the ether, creating the art of
the "music of Morse."
Those
of us of this "world" know exactly what DA means,
even though we probably have no ability to
articulate that experience.
And
on Night of Nights, and indeed every time KPH/KFS
are on the air, we can immerse ourselves in that
experience of beauty and meaning.
So,
the next time you dust off the old Hallicrafters,
or even tune the WebSDR, and are bathed in the
"music of Morse," take a moment to reflect and
remember, and be grateful for all who have gifted
us with this amazing legacy.
We
speak of DA's "Closing Message." But it is not
really so. First, her amazing fist continues to
cross "... the barriers of time and space ..."
Now, approximately, 47 Light Years from KPH and
Planet Earth, approaching the Epsilon Eridani
solar system that is known to have a planet. We
hope they are QRV ("Ready to receive your
message"). Second, her "message" lives in and with
us, hopefully inspiring our own "decisions and
actions."
Thanks
to you, True Believers, and your tremendous
generosity, we hope that as DA's fist reaches the
far end of the universe that the art of the "music
of Morse" will continue to emanate from Bolinas
Radio.
Eternal
Memory, DA. Bon Voyage 73/88
Until
next time, Fair Winds and Following
Seas! | |
And
don't miss our fabulous MRHS Swag store. Your
purchases also provide some much needed income to
the MRHS. To access these treasures, click on the
picture of our lovely MRHS Model, Tina Shinn/TS,
below! | |
When
visiting KPH be sure to tune in to KWMR for
the
great music,
local
knowledge and,
most
important, emergency information.
For
more information about KWMR, and to listen to the
live stream, click here.
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