Presentation on Historic ex-RCA Coast Station KPH

By | February 16, 2021
picture of the presenter, from Webex

Presented by Richard Dillman W6AWO
live, via Webex videoconference, from California

Here are some notes from W6AWO’s presentation on the history of Ship-to-Shore station KPH. The talk included some fascinating never before seen photos. The station is now owned by the National Park Service.

The virtual talk was well attended and the club members enjoyed it.

photo shows operator seated at a radio operator station, sending morse code
Operating KPH

Here’s the announcement:

Historic ex-RCA Coast Station KPH
Richard Dillman W6AWO

  • Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021
  • Pre-meeting dinner, 6:15 PM, Zoom Video
  • Meeting 7:30 PM, Cisco Webex

KPH is a public coast radio station on the West Coast of the United
States. The station dates back to the dawn of the radio era in the
early years of the twentieth century when it began operations at the
Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, using the callsign “PH”.
Forced out by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, the
station moved from one temporary site to another until it was
acquired by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and relocated to
Marin County. Subsequently, it was owned by MCI Communications and
finally Globe Wireless, who still own the KPH operating license.

For most of the 20th century, it provided ship to shore
communications including telegrams (using Morse code) and marine
telex service (using radioteletype). The station discontinued
commercial operation in 1998, but is operated occasionally as a
historic service.

Richard W6AWO’s presentation will be about the history of KPH and
will include some never before seen photos.

Room full of transmitters, KPH transmitter site Bolinas
Room full of transmitters, KPH transmitter site Bolinas

For more information, follow these links:
Historic KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station and Cypress Tree Tunnel
https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/kph_treetunnel.htm
https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/historyculture/stories_communications.htm