Meet the QSL Mistress at Coast Station KSM By Christopher Friesen, VE4CWF n July 12, 1999, the commercial use of They sent weather bulletins Morse code ended in the United States and alerts and news reports O of America. On that date, in Globe that could be used in a ship’s Wireless’ Half Moon Bay master station south of on-board newspaper. San Francisco, former operators, company rep- Today, proprietary resentatives, and members of the press gathered forms of data encryption to witness the final transmission – final sign off have replaced Morse code, – before ceasing the operation of coastal stations and maritime communica- KFS and KPH. These two stations were the last tion companies use a mix- in a long line of maritime radio stations that had ture of High Frequency existed to pass traffic via Morse code (CW) and (HF) broadcasts and sat- Radio Teletype (RTTY) from ship to shore and ellite networks to deliver shore to ship. information to vessels at Denice Stoops and Richard Dillman were sea. These communications both at that final transmission. Dillman saw the appear as normal e-mail to event as a celebration of the heritage and tradition the sender and recipient, of commercial Morse code. To his delight, he was but are automatically routed afforded the opportunity to send a commemora- through whichever broadcast Operating position 1 at Point Reyes, Dick Dillman at the key. All tive message on behalf of the Maritime Radio medium is cheapest for a the original equipment is still in place as it was left on the day the Historical Society, to which he and Stoops both vessel’s given location. station was closed in 1997. On this occasion the station is being belonged. Stoops, as the first female operator ever Large commercial operated in the amateur service under the call K6KPH for Straight hired by KPH, was something of a trailblazer in Morse code networks still Key Night 2000/2001. (Photo courtesy Richard Dillman/MRHS) the male-dominated world of commercial Morse exist in other countries. operators. She saw the event as a funeral. For her, the end of commercial Morse was more than the loss of a noble industry; it was the death of her career. “I had gone to mourn and I wore black,” she says of that final day. But, for these two and a few other dedicated volunteers, the end of the era of commercial Morse code did not mean the death of commercial Morse code itself. Shortly after that final broad- cast, the Maritime Radio Historical Society was granted a license to operate a new coast radio station with the call sign KSM. Operating out of the former KPH facility, KSM can be heard for a few hours on most Saturdays, preserving the traditions, skills, customs, procedures and honor of commercial Morse code operators. Dillman is now Chief Operator at coast sta- tion KSM, a position he holds with pride. He says that in the heyday of commercial Morse, there were a dozen or more coastal stations operating. Some were run by companies like Globe Wire- less, RCA Radiomarine, Tropical Radio, United Wireless, American Marconi Company, and United Fruit Company, while others were private, single station operations. To become an operator, Dillman says, re- quired a commercial radiotelegraph license. Sta- Here’s the “Den of Thieves” as it looked in 1979. Denice Stoops “DA”, the first female operator tions passed traffic that included anything from at KPH, is in the center. Seated in the foreground to her right is Ray Smith “RC”, senior Morse information on maritime commerce to personal operator and the person who sent the last message from KPH on the day it closed. (Photo courtesy greetings on behalf of individuals and companies. Richard Dillman/MRHS). Insert: Denice Stoops at the controls. (Photo courtesy of Denice Stoops) September 2009 MONITORING TIMES 13.