POTA Activator Dies in Accidental Electrocution

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POTA Activator Dies in Accidental Electrocution

Tripp Owens, N4NTO, a well-regarded POTA activator, died on Friday, July 4th, when, according to investigators, his antenna mast made contact with an overhead power line at the Chicora Civil War Cemetery near the Averasboro [pron: aver-us-burro] Battlefield Historic Site, US-11375. According to several local news reports, emergency crews were called to the scene after Tripp was found unconscious in the parking lot. One news report said that fire crews found him with his foot touching the mast beneath the power lines. Power company crews turned off the power to give the responders access. Tripp was pronounced dead at the scene.

A report on the QRPer.com website relayed information from Dave W4JL, who said Tripp had been spotted on the Reverse Beacon Network between 12:02 and 12:13 UTC that morning but noted on the POTA spots page that he was going QRT.

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Volunteers Bring Last Commercial Maritime Station Back on Air for 26th Year

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The silencing of the last maritime radio station in the US in California in 1999 gave voice to an effort to create the Maritime Radio Historical Society, K6KPH, to preserve its treasured Morse Code tradition.

Every year, the event, "Night of Nights," celebrates this tradition on the anniversary of the day that the station signed off - ensuring that 12th July would not mark the station's final signoff, after all. Broadcast engineers, radio operators and history enthusiasts have seen to that. They volunteered to bring new life to the receiving site at the Point Reyes National Seashore and to the Bolinas Radio transmitter site, returning Morse service to the station known as KPH/KFS. 

This year's 26th edition of "Night of Nights" is a collaboration of modern skills and classic style equipment, including "Marconi T" type antennas at both the transmitter and receive sites. KPH and KFS will be operating on assigned commercial frequencies, while K6KPH will be operating on several HF amateur radio bands.

For times, frequencies and QSL information, please check the Maritime Radio Historical Society website - http://www.radiomarine.org.