Many thank to Bob (K4RLC) who shares the next visitor submit:
by Bob K4RLC VE1/K4RLC
Alanna K4AAC and I simply returned from a beautiful journey to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was a bucket record journey. One aim was to go to and activate the 2 Marconi websites in Glace Bay. Then, we’d drive the Cabot Path across the Island, climbing and activating varied provincial parks and lighthouses. Cape Breton Island is extremely lovely, with mountains coming proper to the ocean. The seafood is nice (freshly caught lobster) and the individuals are relaxed and pleasant.
The Marconi Nationwide Historic Web site at Desk Head Glace Bay is on the location of Marconi’s transmitting station from 1902 the place the primary profitable trans Atlantic contact was made with the Poldhu Cornwall England station. Now, there’s a small, however very Informative Parks Canada Museum, which additionally occurs to have an energetic newbie radio station on website. I had organized by e-mail with members of the native Sydney (NS) Beginner Radio Society to satisfy the management operators there.
The station is simply open two months of the 12 months–July & August–and the management Ops are there just for a short while every day. We met Jim and Michael VE1CYO, a former CW operator within the British Royal Navy. Not solely did Mike know the historical past of the Marconi website, he was very gracious in letting me function the station. They’ve a Kenwood TS-590, a Mosley 3 component beam, in addition to a 40 by way of 10 dipole.
It was a kind of days with very unhealthy photo voltaic situations. Mike was uncertain I might make any contacts. Nonetheless, I had pre noticed on the POTA website, because the station can also be a POTA website: CA-4842. The Kenwood and beam labored effectively on 20 meters CW.
The primary contact was Gary, AE4GS, a buddy in Tennessee. Then, Wealthy N4EX again in Raleigh. As Mike didn’t know, I defined to him in regards to the POTA system, and the way there have been many hams who would need to work the Marconi station VE1VAS, named after the industrial Marconi name signal of VAS (standing for “Voice of the Atlantic Seaboard”).
After working all of the stations we might hear, and speaking with Mike about his Royal Navy historical past, he left for the afternoon. As my KX2 was within the store, Rhett KB4HG had graciously lent me his for our journey. I went out to the unique Marconi antenna subject by the ocean and arrange the KX2.
It was a beautiful afternoon, clear skies, good breeze and being on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Situations weren’t nice for QRP, however there have been a number of households visiting with younger kids who had been very interested by ham radio, Morse code, and Marconi. Alanna and I had been pleased to speak with the households and youngsters. After exhibiting the KX2 to a really inquisitive 6 12 months previous boy from Montreal, he advised his Mother: “ I would like one!”
After driving the island by way of the Cabot Path loop for a number of days, we spent the final morning on the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, additionally a POTA website (Alexander Graham Bell Nationwide Historic Web site). Bell was an unbelievable inventor, not simply of the phone, however of scientific and medical experiments. He developed a tool to ship voice over a beam of sunshine. And he predicted cell telephones!
For the final afternoon, we returned to Glace Bay and needed to seek out the previous Marconi Home. We adopted Mike’s instructions to a spot appropriately known as Marconi Tower Highway.
And a gravel driveway the place a number of energy strains made an abrupt flip up a protracted driveway.
This was certainly the unique Marconi Home from 1905, which can also be a Canadian Nationwide Historic Web site however is privately owned. A previous signal that mentioned “Guard canine – Do Not Enter” was nonetheless there and we had been advised the present proprietor didn’t like guests.
Nevertheless it additionally was a POTA website (CA-5830) that had NEVER been activated. So, I used to be standing on the finish of the driveway with the Elecraft KH1 when a automobile got here down from the home. I used to be very apprehensive. However when it stopped, the motive force rolled down the window, checked out me curiously and mentioned “good day”.
I mentioned “good day” again and defined that I used to be a ham radio operator and hoped he didn’t thoughts if I stood on his driveway and operated. He smiled and mentioned he might inform I used to be a ham. Then he mentioned he needed to run an errand however he can be again in 5 minutes and I might comply with him again to the home!
This was Barry, grandson of Russell who purchased the home from Marconi in 1946. This became a beautiful go to with Barry. He initially took us on the surface of the home however mentioned we couldn’t are available in. We mentioned that was wonderful.
Then he took us for a protracted hike again within the woods to the unique Marconi transmitter constructing. Sadly, it had been largely consumed in a horrible fireplace, so sizzling that every one the insulators, ceramics and transformers had burst. Barry was extraordinarily useful, digging by way of the rubble to seek out authentic insulator items for me.
Barry and I hit it off very well. As we walked again to the home, he invited us inside. Alanna stayed within the kitchen and talked along with his very good spouse, Brenda, a First grade college trainer. Barry took me down within the basement and confirmed me Marconi’s workshop.
There have been a whole lot of previous Volt & Amp meters from the early 1900’s. Barry had dug by way of the particles of the VAS Transmitter station fireplace to seek out me previous insulators, shattered by the hearth. Within the basement, he went to a darkish part within the again, underneath the steps and located a unbroken ceramic insulator that he gave to me! We went within the varied rooms the place Marconi had stayed. It was a dream come true.
I solely made a couple of CW contacts with the hand held KH1 within the entrance yard, as Barry and I spent a couple of hours speaking about Marconi and Barry’s household, together with his grandparents, who had been buried within the again, close to one of many huge antenna mounts.
Simply marvel what Marconi would have thought in regards to the KH1 with a 4 foot whip antenna, on condition that he had 4 200 foot antenna towers with an Inverted pyramid configuration of wires, 2200 toes in diameter, unfold throughout 80 acres of land. Wow! I wanted that antenna was there to load up with the KH1.
I used to be operating about 3 watts on 20 CW whereas Marconi’s station had coal-fired boilers driving steam engines pushing mills in sequence producing 15,000 volts that powered the Spark transmitters on 8000 Meters. There have been prepare tracks into the station to ship the coal to this station at Marconi Towers. It maintained in service till 1945 giving lengthy vary communications to ships within the North Atlantic and marine climate data utilizing the decision signal VAS.
It was a bucket record dream come true. I felt honored to each meet Mike, the previous Royal Navy CW Op, and Barry and his household who graciously let Alanna and me come into their personal home (and listen to their teenage daughter Vivian play the classical piano in considered one of Marconi’s former sitting rooms). I hope the pictures do justice.
73 de K4RLC Bob & VE1/K4RLC
Due to Mike VE1CYO for most of the particulars on VAS;
Black & White pictures courtesy of the Cape Breton Wi-fi Heritage Society www.cbwireless.ednet.ns.ca/cbwirelessp3.html for pictures of the unique Glace Bay websites and detailed details about the Marconi websites in Nova Scotia
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