Did a recon today in Portsmouth and found the lightship. I think it would be a blast activating the lightship. However, the position is going to be tricky…. it’s almost totally surounded by buildings. I think my best bet will be to set up in front (to the west) of the ship along the walkway paralleling the water.
Tag: lighthouses
Old Point Comfort Lighthouse activation
What a wonderful morning at Old Point Comfort Lighthouse, Fort Monroe, VA on the Chesapeake! Blue, clear skies, temp at 60d F, with a slight breeze. I could see the Norfolk Navy Base across the bay and watched as USNS Comfort pulled out towards the Atlantic.
I pulled up to my position on the top of the wall surrounding historic Fortress Monroe, right above the moat. Instead of using my mag mount Hamstick, I set up the homebrew vertical dipole on the edge of the wall, raising the mast to about 10 feet. Setup was complete by about 0740/1140(UTC) and started calling CQ on 40M.
Callsign State Member
WA1OHR CT Y/#587
W1VR FL Y/#143 operating from USA 869
W1MCE NH Y/#491
The band died down and I took W1MCE’s advised and switched to 20M.
Callsign State Member
VO1RYL Canada Y/#1218
K0VDP ND N
KB7IOG WA N
KE5FWY TX N
KB7BGS UT N
KC0UIQ CO N
KE7CWR WA N
I then dropped back down to 40M to finish up the morning.
Callsign State Member
K2DNV NJ Y/#1004
N3LWM PA N
K8WFL OH N
N8GW OH N
I shut down at 1050/1450(UTC) and packed up. Thank you for the contacts and the spots on DX Summit and the Beacon Bot. I really enjoyed all the exchanges.
Please look for US Army Amateur Radio Society’s special event station W4M on 27-28 May, operating from Fort Monroe (and USA 567) in commemoration of Memorial Day.
KTF!
73 Scott AD7MI
Weekend wrap up
Got to see a bit of the air show today from a nearby park that has a good view of Langley Air Force Base. Had my Bearcat Scanner (BC245XLT) with the Radio Shack antenna and was able to monitor the Air Boss as well as the air/ground communications for the Golden Knights parachute team.
Tired to contact the special events station at Fort Knox (W2P), but the propagation just wasn’t there. I was able to make two other SSB contacts while trying as well as a PSK31 contact with a Swedish amateur radio operator on St. Martin.
Worked on cleaning the radio room.
Started looking at using my TH-D7A for accessing a DX packet cluster… but I’m not sure if we have any packet clusters in the area. We’ll see.
I’m looking at getting an amp for my FT-817 so I can use it for portable operations without having to pull the IC-706 out of the shack.
Finished about 30 QSL cards to be sent out tomorrow.
Weather Display works on Ubuntu!! I need to transition my weather station from the radio room to the linux box out in the garage. I need to figure out how to do do the FTP upload and webcam.
Started working on a webpage for Old Point Comfort Lighthouse activations: http://www.ni0l.com/monroe/monroe.html
Lighthouse activation
On Sunday I headed out to Fort Monroe and activated the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse with limited success. About 4 hours on the air and two contacts. The first contact was Colorado, a loud, booming 59. The next was Virginia Beach…. about 5 miles across the water. I need to come up with a better plan than my hamstick vertical. I’d like to do the next activation during Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day coming up on Memorial Day weekend.
Anyone have any antenna ideas?
Shore thing Virginia Beach lighthouse is a beacon of history
By KRISTIN DAVIS
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse should have disappeared when its lantern went black more than a century ago.
Cracks split through its stone face and inspectors deemed it unsafe. A newer, more modern one beamed a few hundred feet away, safely beckoning ships into the Chesapeake Bay.
But from the time Old Cape Henry went up in 1791 until its replacement was lit in 1881, the lighthouse was more than a guide. It was a landmark, a symbol of a young country’s progress.
So Old Cape Henry stayed.
That’s a lucky turn of history for me and dozens of others who climb its winding staircase on this warm March day. And lucky for the thousands of others who’ve followed in the keepers’ footsteps over the years.
This is my second visit to Old Cape Henry, one of a dozen lighthouses I’ve visited in Florida, Virginia and North Carolina. I do not collect miniatures or wallpaper my house in the bricked, painted and patterned towers, but they do intrigue me.
Lighthouses represent another age, when sailors relied on stars and simple instruments and beams of artificial light to guide them. They represent a time when a man or woman spent years by the lonely sea, climbing hundreds of steps in heat and cold and storms.
Today Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is just two miles from Virginia Beach’s hub, but getting there isn’t easy. Because it sits on Fort Story military base, visitors must first pass through security. This could involve a car search.
Once you are on the other side, away from the glittery allure of shops, restaurants and million-dollar beach houses shoehorned along the shore, you’ll find a largely unspoiled landscape–much like it was when light keepers lit Old Cape Henry’s oil lamps.
U.S. history here is nearly as old as it gets. The first permanent European settlers landed at Cape Henry in 1606, made their way up the James River and founded Jamestown.
Old Cape Henry lighthouse overlooks the place they first stepped ashore. Old Cape Henry came along 185 years later, after Virginia had gone from colony to state.
By then the beacon was long overdue. For half a century the Colonial governments of Maryland and Virginia got tangled in “red tape” over its construction. When the materials were finally bought and delivered, the Revolutionary War intervened.
The lighthouse was among the first orders of business when the very first Congress of the United States met in 1789. It was also the first federal work project.
Cape Henry Lighthouse took about a year to build and cost $17,700. (“Old” was added when the new one opened in 1881.)
The slim, octagonal tower was made with stone from our very own Aquia quarries in Stafford County–the same sandstone used in Mount Vernon, the White House and U.S. Capitol. You can also find it at Kenmore, home of George Washington’s sister Betty Lewis and her husband, Fielding Lewis, in Fredericksburg.
Workers had quite a time hauling the heavy, awkward sandstone all the way to the coast by way of the Rappahannock River.
Today the 90-foot lighthouse stands as tall and imposing as it must have in its early days, though I imagine salty winds and rain have faded it.
The light that warned ships is more than 100 years gone, but visitors can stand inside its lantern and see where oil lamps–and later, reflecting Argand lamps–once glowed.
It costs $4 to climb Old Cape Henry. A friendly staff sells tickets inside a quaint gift shop where lighthouse coins, books, coasters and shirts line shelves.
The shop’s back door leads outside, where Old Cape Henry stands at the top of a steep set of stone steps.
It is early March, but the weather feels more like midspring. The sky is soft blue, and warm breezes blow in from the bay.
Old Cape Henry is dim and cool, retaining its winter chill thanks to the stone exterior and brick lining added a few years before the Civil War. The black iron staircase spirals up like neatly positioned dominoes.
The view from the bottom is dizzying. I climb anyway, counting the steps as I go.
The original stairs were wooden–and flammable. They remained for 60 years without incident and were replaced during a renovation.
When I reach the platform where a vertical ladder leads to the lantern, I’ve counted 85 steps. But I can’t be sure because three little windows have distracted me along the way.
It is warm and bright inside Old Cape Henry’s small glass crown. I take in the unobstructed, 360-degree view.
This would have been a good day to be a lighthouse keeper, standing as high as the birds over a sparkling blue bay.
To reach KRISTIN DAVIS:540/368-5028
Email: kdavis@freelancestar.com
What: Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, the United States’ first. In operation from 1792 until 1881, when the New Cape Henry Lighthouse replaced it.
Where: 583 Atlantic Ave., Fort Story, Va., 23459. Virginia Beach is just a couple of miles away.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $4 for adults, $2 for children 3 to 12
Info: 757/422-9421 or on the Web at apva.org/cape henry
What has KD7PJQ been up to…..
I haven’t been posting as often as I’d like – my Alienware laptop is down for the count and won’t be operational anytime soon.
…. so…. what has been going here?
In the early part of February I activated the Old Point Comfort Lighthouse at Fort Monroe – had a lot of fun, it was my first experience operating HF outside of the house. Learned a lot and will probably do another activation soon.
I made it up to FrostFest in Richmond, VA last Sunday. It’s the premier hamfest in Virginia. Lots of hams, lots of stuff. Overall – a good time was had. I also took a chance and attended the VE test session there and passed the Extra exam. Now I’m thinking about getting a vanity callsign.
I’ve been enjoying participating in an informal morning net on one of the local 2M repeaters… lots of good folks and I’m able to learn a lot by all the chat.
Hope to get the laptop situation fixed soon and get back to regular posting.
Lightship PORTSMOUTH
The U.S. Lightship Service was started in 1820. Like lighthouses and buoys, lightships were navigational aids. The lights atop their masts were similar to those in lighthouses, but their portability made them much more versatile.
The Lightship PORTSMOUTH was built in 1915. She served for 48 years off the coasts of Virginia, Delaware and Massachusetts helping mariners avoid dangerous shoals or enter safely into harbors at night. Typically, the ship would anchor at a strategic location at sea and remain there for months at a time. The maximum crew for the Lightship PORTSMOUTH during her half-century in service was 15 men.
In 1964, she was retired to Portsmouth and renamed according to the custom of naming lightships after the site where they are stationed. In 1989, the Lightship PORTSMOUTH was designated a National Historic Landmark. Now a museum, the ship’s quarters are fitted out realistically and filled with fascinating artifacts, uniforms, photographs, models, and more.
From Beacons of Light to Radio Chats
By Louise Popplewell, Victoria Advocate, Texas
Jan. 9–PORT LAVACA — “CQ, CQ, this is W5TLH — Whiskey, Five, Tango, Lima, Hotel — calling QC from the lighthouse at Halfmoon Reef, USA 363 in Port Lavaca, Texas, QRZ?”
Simply put, in ham operator lingo, that means “Hello out there, go ahead and speak if you can hear me,” explained ham operator Patty Martin.
A response came from someone who identified himself as Carl, calling from Arizona. He is curious about the lighthouse.
Patty responds: “You are 59 (coming in clear) in Port Lavaca, Texas, at the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse. The weather is sunny and beautiful. We are operating today from inside the lighthouse.”
Patty and her husband, Jim Martin, are Extra Class Amateur Radio Operators, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. The Martins, who live in Richardson, took a week off from their regular jobs to pursue a dual hobby that combines ham radios and lighthouses.
“Ham radio is a hobby and traveling to lighthouses was first a hobby, and then a passion,” Patty said.
They arrived in Port Lavaca on New Year’s Eve after having broadcast from the Texas Maritime Museum Lighthouse in Port Aransas and Lydia Ann Channel Lighthouse near St. Joseph Island earlier in the week.
But Halfmoon was special because they were able to broadcast from inside the lighthouse.
The week’s activities were part of a special events competition in which members of the national Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) made contact with as many lighthouses as possible.
Caller Dan, a participant, said, “Sure was great to work with you from INSIDE a light, probably my first QSO with anyone actually inside a lighthouse.”
Broadcasting got under way early when Jim set up the 14-foot antenna, which he designed and built, behind the lighthouse. When taken apart, the antenna fits into a container that measures about 4 feet in length and in inches around. But it allows the couple to reach out to operators around the world. Within the first hours, they heard from most American states and a couple of foreign countries.
The Martins said they were a bit overwhelmed and delighted that so many people were interested in the lighthouse.
Two years ago, they founded the Texas Lighthouse Radio Society, which has similar goals to that of the national society.
“The purpose of the society is to draw attention to the historical significance of our Texas lighthouses and assist in creating publicity about them to help in any renovations taking place. It is our hope that none of the existing lighthouses in Texas will ever be closed or lost to disrepair,” Patty said.
By the time they were ready to head home, the Martins had made more than 1,500 contacts from the three lighthouses. Of that number, more than 800 were made from Port Lavaca and consisted of talking to people in 48 states and about 10 countries.Back home in Richardson, Patty wrote, “Boy, we had a ball at the lighthouse. We made over 800 contacts. It was a total blast. We really had a lot of people calling on the radio, but there were so many people calling that we had a pileup. This means that so many stations are calling at the same time that it sounds like a huge rumble, and you can’t hardly pick out anyone speaking, since there is so much noise. That was exciting.”
George Ann Cormier, chairman of the Calhoun County Historical Commission, provided the Martins with most of the information they shared with callers.
Built in 1858, Cormier told them, the original location of the lighthouse was on the southern tip of Half Moon Reef in Matagorda Bay. It consisted of three tiers placed on pilings about 10 feet above the water.
Children were born and raised in the small confines of the lighthouse, which was home to the keepers.
The lighthouse was an important aid to vessels entering or leaving the bustling port towns of Lavaca, later Port Lavaca, and Indianola until the outbreak of the Civil War, according to information compiled by George Fred Rhodes, former chairman of the historical commission.
In 1861, Confederate troops gained control of the lighthouse and extinguished its light. Although the Confederates had hoped to dismantle the light permanently, damage was slight and repairs were made. The beacon was re-lighted on Feb. 20, 1868.
In Rhodes account, he quoted the late King Fisher as saying that he knew of his “own personal knowledge that the lighthouse was maintained in active use until early 1942.”
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and World War II was declared, its light was extinguished when lights all along the coast were blacked out to prevent them from aiding the enemy in any way. Its light was never reactivated.
The lighthouse remained in Matagorda Bay until 1943 when it was removed because of damage sustained in the 1942 hurricane.
Considered a hazard, and condemned by the Coast Guard, the lighthouse was moved to Point Comfort on property owned by Bauer-Smith Drilling Co.
In June 1978, W.H. Bauer Sr. and his wife, Louise, deeded the building to the historical commission.
After being repaired, it was moved to Port Lavaca and dedicated to the people of Calhoun County on Aug. 10, 1985. It is located adjacent to the Bauer Community Center and serves as a beacon to folks entering the county.
—–
To see more of Victoria Advocate, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com.
Copyright (c) 2006, Victoria Advocate, Texas
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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Old Point Comfort Light, Fort Monroe, Virginia
The oldest standing structure at Fort Monroe, the Old Point Comfort Light was built in 1802. The adjacent Victorian keeper’s dwelling was added in 1900. The tower is 54 feet high, and still retains the 4th order fresnel lens that was installed in the 1850’s.
Old Point Comfort is still an active aid to navigation, standing lookout over Hampton Roads Harbor. The second-oldest lighthouse on the Chesapeake, Old Point Comfort witnessed the battle between the Monitor and Merrimack during the Civil War.
Fort Monroe is open to the public, and the lighthouse grounds can be easily approached. You can also explore the WWII gun placements near the lighthouse.
ARLHS #USA 567, 37°00’N 76°18’W
Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS)
The purposes of the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) are to promote public awareness of both ham radio and lighthouses, preserving lights that are in danger of extinction, and paying tribute to the role that hams and lighthouse keepers have played in contributing to maritime safety. A complete statement of our purposes can be found on the society’s Welcome Page.
We sponsor four annual events:
SL: The Spring Lites QSO Party, generally held in April
NLLW: The National Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend QSO Party, in early August
ILLW: The International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend, held the third weekend in August in conjunction with GM4SUC
LCL: Lighthouse Christmas Lights QSO Party, end of December>January.
Note that the ILLW is a special event and not a contest.
In addition to the above, members take various excursions or expeditions, sometimes with little advance notice, to lighthouse, and they activate the lights for a day or more. These events are usually posted on our “BeaconBot,” an automated e-mail reflector, which you can join for free by signing up on Page 6 of our web site.
Next, we offer an extensive awards program (WAS-LH, WAC-LH, DXCC-LH, etc.). Details can be found at Page 9 of the web site, and a book of awards, rules, and application forms is available for download in PDF format.
Very important is our ARLHS World List of Lights. You should check this list to obtain the official ARLHS number of the lighthouses you work. We update this list every day, and it has become the de facto standard for all known light beacons in the world. When you cite the number on your QSLs or in correspondence, be sure to give the complete number, which includes the letters “ARLHS” in the prefix; for example, cite ARLHS USA-045 and not just USA-045 or 045. Since there are several other numbering systems being used by others, this helps make it clear which system you are using.
If you join the society, you will have access to the complete database of members around the world, along with their mailing addresses for QSLs etc. E-mail addresses are not made public (to avoid spamming), but are available for most members upon request to club officials.
Upon joining, you will be assigned a unique member number that is yours for life. Once given to you, it will never be reassigned to others, even if you choose not to renew your membership. It is used in various events to exchange with others for awards, etc.
The ARLHS club station call is KC2HOU and the ARLHS newsletter is called The ARLHS Lighthouse Lens.
Your membership grants you reproduction rights to the official ARLHS logo and acronym. You may use it on stationery, envelopes, or QSL cards as long as you are an active member of the Society.
Each year the ARLHS holds its annual convention. In the past this has been at St Simons Light in Georgia. This year (2004) it will be on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and in future years we expect to move around the country. Perhaps the Great Lakes in 2005. It’s one or two days of LH operating, demos, food, and drink. A fun time for all (spouses are invited) and one that has grown from a handful of members the first year to over 100 or more.
More info here.