KPH Today
KPH as we now know it began operations after WWII with transmitters in Bolinas, CA and the receive and control point at the shortwave point to point receive station constructed in 1930 at Point Reyes. At first the operations room occupied the former lunch room at the receive site (causing no little resentment among the point to point men already in residence). There were two operating positions covering the long wave, medium wave and shortwave frequencies the station used. When new, AC operated point to point receivers were installed on the second floor of the building the batteries and motor-generators that were needed for the older DC operated receivers were removed. The KPH operating room moved into this newly available space and expanded to six operating positions. Operations later expanded to include SITOR operations. KPH traffic levels peaked during the Viet Nam war as the US brought many Morse equipped ships out of retirement to supply that conflict. As traffic levels declined KPH was eventually purchased by Globe Wireless, operator of KPH competitor KFS. KPH operations ended at Bolinas/Point Reyes on 30 July 1997 as station manager Jack Martini transferred the circuits, one by one, to the Globe Wireless facilities. It was, he said, one of the worst days of his life. The station, like so many others, was left for dead, the iconic KPH call sign now owned by the former competitor. Normally the bulldozers would be idling outside the facilities of a closed station, ready to reduce the buildings and antennas to rubble. KPH was spared this fate and became part of the Point Reyes National Seashore. In 1998 the Maritime Radio Historical Society (MRHS) was formed and in 1999 the MRHS, with Park Service blessing, began work to restore the station and return it to operation - the first and only time this is been done in the history of maritime radio communications. Since the KPH call was owned by Globe Wireless, commercial operations resumed under the MRHS owned call KSM. But eventually the famous KPH call sign returned to Bolinas/Point Reyes (along with KFS!) and the transmitters in Bolinas returned to their original frequencies. Today KPH is a fully operational Morse code coast station serving Morse equipped vessels around the world.
KPH CW: 426, 500, 4247.0, 6477.5, 8642.0, 12808.5, 17016.8, 22477.5
KPH RTTY: We have been unable to provide RTTY service for more than two years, this due to a lack of antennas. But during the last year an extensive antenna repair and restoration project was undertaken at the Bolinas transmit site. We hope to resume RTTY service soon. Check back here for details and subscribe to our Newsletter (via the link on the home page) for the latest information.
