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PVARC Special Event:
Subs On The Air (SOTA) Report
Ken Carr, the president of PVARC, sends this report on their unique experience on the ex-Soviet cruise missile submarine, JULIETT 484, now owed by the Saratoga Museum Foundation and moored in Providence, RI.
The QSL card for the event is displayed at the bottom of this web page.
The Pawtuxet Valley Amateur Radio Club was approached by Bob Doherty, AKA Whitey, to participate in an amateur radio event called Submarines On The Air (SOTA). Whitey, K1VV, started the Lionfish Amateur Radio Club in Fall River. The Lionfish is a US submarine berthed next to the USS Massachusetts. He is also on the amateur radio staff of the club associeated with the USS Salem in Quincy, Massachusetts. The intent of the radio marathon was to get as many submarine museums on the air as possible and to make contacts with other subs and with any hams who might be interested.
The PVARC received permission from Mr. Frank Lennon, president of the Saratoga Museum Commission, to operate from the recently acquired Russian submarine, Juliett 484. Four members of the PVARC set up a shortwave tranceiver radio station on Sunday, April 28,2002. An antenna was lashed to the guard rail that surrounds the deck of the sub. This was done in a rain downpour accompained with high winds, the perfect time to erect an antenna. The antenna lead-in or coaxial cable was routed through the primary escape hatch to below deck and snaked along the compartments until it reached the officers' mess. There the hams had the radio and microphone set up. Mike Therrien (N1VVR), Roger Perry (WA1GCT), Ken Carr (KB1AWV), Ken Franklin (KB1KJF), and Bill Whetstone (WA1RI) took turns talking on the radio and logging the contacts. They contacted over 40 amateur radio operators from the USA and Canada. They even contacted a couple of other submarines. It was a lot of fun.
The PVARC hams were using a special call sign for the day, W1S (the 'S' is for Submarine, the '1' indicates New England). This call sign was specially issued by the FCC and the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) for use during the special event.
They also created, with the assistance of Whitey, a unique QSL card. This card is sent to amateur radio operators who wish to have a written confirmation of the contact. Six of these were mailed out to hams who requested them. We hope to repeat this operation at the USS Saratoga in July when the annual Ships On The Air special event is held.
Log of Contacts:
| Call Sign |
Time |
Time |
Freq |
Mode |
Power |
Station |
Location
Qth |
Signal
Sent |
Signal
Rcvd |
| W9DK |
13:31:0 |
13:33:0 |
14.241 |
SSB |
100 |
W9DK |
USS
COLBIE |
5/3 |
5/5 |
| K8WLF |
02:08:0 |
7.244.5 |
SSB |
100 |
Frank |
CONCORD
OH |
|
|
|
| KKG4OGX |
10:16:0 |
7.244.5 |
SSWB |
90 |
SC |
|
|
|
|
| W3QJA |
10:17:0 |
7.244.5 |
SSB |
90 |
Ray |
599+ |
5/8 |
|
|
| KB3GQH |
10:19:0 |
7.244.5 |
SSB |
100 |
Donald |
PA |
|
|
|
| N8ZA |
10:21:0 |
7.244.5 |
SSB |
Charles |
|
|
|
|
|
| KGT4ODW |
14:21:0 |
14:23:0 |
7244.5 |
SB |
100 |
Jim |
NC |
|
|
| w3mjr |
10:25:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Dan |
PA |
|
|
|
| Kc2ut |
14:28:0 |
7.244.5 |
SB |
100 |
Jerry |
NY |
5/7 |
5/5 |
|
| kb8cmn |
14:30:0 |
14:31:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Charlie |
OH |
5/8 |
|
| N4BMT |
14:31:0 |
14:31:0 |
7.244.5 |
SB |
100 |
BOB |
VA |
5/7 |
5/9 |
| N3HFC |
14:33:0 |
14:34:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Randy |
MASS |
5/7 |
5/7 |
| k8jv |
14:36:0 |
14:36:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Jim |
MI |
5/8 |
5/8 |
| K1DBN |
14:38:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Russ |
NY |
5/5 |
|
|
| ve3cdj/5 |
14:40:0 |
14:41:0 |
7.244.5 |
SB |
100 |
John |
Canada
Border |
5/9 |
|
| w8qi |
14:43:0 |
14:44:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Mac |
OH |
5/8 |
|
| kg4pfh |
14:48:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Timothy |
NC |
5/8 |
|
|
| Call Sign |
Time |
Time |
Freq |
Mode |
Power |
Station |
Location
Qth |
Signal
Sent |
Signal
Rcvd |
| w1raa |
14:51:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Ray |
East Prov RI |
5/9 |
|
|
| w3dp |
14:53:0 |
14:54:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
ick |
PA |
5/8 |
|
| k2ft |
14:56:0 |
14:57:0 |
7.244.5 |
SB |
100 |
John |
NY |
5/8 |
|
| Kb8lnp |
14:58:1 |
7.244.5 |
SB |
100 |
Ron |
oh |
5/7 |
5/8 |
|
| n3vfr |
15:00:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
ED |
penn |
5/9 |
5/8 |
|
| n4kit |
15:01:0 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
Chris |
VA |
5/8 |
5/8 |
|
| w3mtp |
15:06:3 |
7.244.5 |
sb |
100 |
John |
pa |
5/7 |
|
|
| k8fe |
15:19:0 |
14.243 |
sb |
100 |
carl |
MI |
5/7 |
5/8 |
|
| n1kp |
17:05:1 |
17:07:3 |
14.245.5 |
ssb |
100 |
ken |
Mass |
5/9 |
5/9 |
| aa1xm |
17:12:5 |
17:12:5 |
14.245.5 |
SSB |
100 |
Bob |
RI |
5/9 |
5/9 |
| W9AA |
17:43:0 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
AL U505 |
OH |
5/3 |
5/7 |
|
| KA2PDS |
17:46:3 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
Ron |
MO |
5/9 |
5/8 |
|
| N2MCL |
17:49:1 |
17:49:2 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
LYNN |
MO |
59 |
58 |
| K9DEB |
17:51:3 |
17:52:0 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
DON |
IL |
5/9 |
5/5 |
| K6jry |
17:54:0 |
17:54:0 |
14.241 |
SSB |
100 |
Jerry |
OH |
5/5 |
5/5 |
| KW0DPL |
18:03:3 |
18:03:4 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
DAVE |
IOWA |
5/8 |
5/8 |
| YJ4DU |
18:13:4 |
18:14:0 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
ED SS343 |
San
Salvidor |
5/5 |
5/5 |
| wb0lsw |
18:39:0 |
14.241 |
SB |
100 |
ED |
KN |
5/8 |
5/7 |
|
| k9us |
18:40:0 |
14.241 |
sb |
100 |
Tim |
IN |
5/7 |
5/7 |
|
| K8mef |
18:42:5 |
18:43:1 |
14.241 |
sb |
100 |
Chris |
Mich |
5/8 |
5/8 |
| Call Sign |
Time |
Time |
Freq |
Mode |
Power |
Station |
Location
Qth |
Signal
Sent |
Signal
Rcvd |
| wa8meg |
18:44:4 |
18:50:0 |
14.241 |
sb |
100 |
helene |
Mich |
5/8 |
5/8 |
| W4MLB |
18:53:0 |
14.237 |
SSB |
100 |
PCARS |
FL |
5/9 |
|
|
| KO4VA |
19:09:0 |
14.244 |
SSB |
100 |
DAVE |
NC |
5/7 |
5/7 |
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Ken Carr .... KB1AWV ...
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