Fourth Cliff, Gazebo and cottage vernacular Base End station. Gun-line extended from the new gazebo over new lower picnic table to the sea.
What is ARRL Radio Field Day? An nationwide Emergency Communications exercise disguised as a contest/cookout.
What was Coast Defense? The forts of the Coast Artillery Corps defended the harbors of the nation, with cannon and tethered controlled mines. The Coast Defense Study Group is the central exchange of their history.
EMA - NE Div - USA - Other military sites
Fourth Cliff, Gazebo and cottage vernacular Base End station. Gun-line extended from the new gazebo over new lower picnic table to the sea.
ARRL Section : Year(s) : Callsign : Fort/Base/Battery
EMA 2008-* K1M/N1LNX Fourth Cliff, Bty #208 (6") HD Boston / SAGE? Radar experimental.
... 2016-* N1ERC
Still a USAF camping reservation. associated with Hanscom AFB. The camp's BBQ Gazebo (pictured to right) is at No.1 gun-mount. Satelite Map of Gazebo. Behind the gazebo is a base-end station disguised as a coastal cottage, now in use as a coastal cottage.
When we took our quick tour of Fourth Cliff during the StBabs
conference in 2007, the campsite at the north (No.2) gun-mount was in use by
a USAF airman who had his ham radio gear with him in the camper; he
got a nice spot for talking to Europe.
This is no mere coincidence, the USAF campground site manager
is a ham who DXed around the world on active duty -- very ham-friendly and family-friendly camping,
if uniformed / veteran / reserve / DoD civilian.
Confirmed for 2010-2022.
Starting in 2016, the Fourth Cliff Bty #208 crew is hosting NEARC, who were at a State Forest in 2015.
Recently, the post-war Radar experimentation heritage was renewed: WHOI has installed a 25-MHz Codar Seasonde–type HF backscatter radar for tracking sea-state. (Previous Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory experiment.)
EMA 2003-2007, N1NBQ NAVFAC Nantucket, Tom Nevers Beach
2022-* W1TUK
From 1955-1976, Naval Facility (NAVFAC) Nantucket on the bluff above Tom Nevers Beach was part of the SOSUS Submarine defense network, a successor to the Navy harbor-based mag-loops and sonar that existed in the WW2 CAC era of harbor defense. NAVFAC NACK also hosted a head-of-state nuclear-refuge bunker.
EMA 2016 - 2017 QRA/W1EKT Overlook Park NIKE B-84 IFC (Winn Hill, Burlington) NIKE Boston
This NIKE Barracks and Radar site was is now a park. Buildings are used for a Theatre now.
(The companion Launch site B-84-L is now NU Burlington campus was carved from a different park.)
EMA 2011 BEM+USAR BO-15Lc, NIKE Boston (google)
Launch site for BO-15 is on the grounds of airport BVY. Current usage is Beverly Emergency Management and FEMA Urban Search And Rescue team. Secure facility. Have ID and call ahead !
Virtual Globetrotting WikiMapia military history photo album History
EMA 2008 K1RFI PR29c, NIKE Providence
(google)
(reused as a baseball academy -- launch site is a data repository)
Scratch 2008 -- Alas, the baseball fields are needed for baseball, so 2008/2009 FD is not at this site, but downtown at Town Hall Annex.
Fort Standish Lovells Is: collapsed switchboard to left, MIT vertical right.
EMA 2007 W1MX Fort Standish, Lovells Is, HD Boston
MIT W1MX & Harvard W1AF joint operation, rather more like IOTA than FD. They chartered a harbor water taxi, as the ferry service was not very convenient for gear & crowd.
EMA 1978-1989 W1MJ Ft Andrews Peddocks Island HD Boston
Another of the islands in HD Boston now part of a joint State/National Park.
EMA 1985 WA1RNE / 1999 WARS - B-63-C
WA1RNE / 1985 - "Field Day Is ... 10 years later with more of those club experiences under my belt (and a couple of license upgrades), a friend and I set up our own Field Day event at a local site about 255 feet above sea level. (considered fairly high terrain in Massachusetts.) To locals, the site was also known as "The Nike Site", one of many Nike-Ajax air defense missile sites deployed around the state in the 50's."
Based on altitude, that's B-63-C ( 42.290169,-71.254968) 255ft Needham, MA -- Also used by WARS in 1999 with no overt Nike connection. The only close alternative would be B-73-C, "Drumlin Farm", Lincoln,(42.407128,-71.332379) 266ftASL. Chicktawbut B-55-C is the higher Nike, above 500'+ in Blue Hills; Danvers and Reading sites above 200' but no where near quoted 255.
To add a radio Field Day site at a Coast Artillery or Missile Air Defense site, email n1vux
Master directory for non-EMA sites is ARRL Locator. To look up these there, copy and paste the callsign into input box there. (The Contests - Results - Soapbox section may have comments from prior ye
ARRL Section : Year(s) : Callsign : Fort/Base/Battery
CT * W1BRS - NIKE HA-25C Garden Grove Rd @ Hercules Dr
The BEARS of Manchester, Inc - W1BRS. FIELD DAY regularly at "the old Nike Site, off Keeney Street in the southwest quadrant of Manchester."
Confirmed for 2022 again; seen since 2010.
Visited by our NE DIV Director K1KI in 2004 (Soapbox)
HFD NIKE
PAWA at Ft Williams with Lighthouse in background
ME 1994-2015 W1KVI Ft.Williams, HD Portland (ME)
Portland AWA regularly holds held Field Day at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth Set (aka Two Lights).
(Follow signs in the park to the site).
Usually they had a cookout at the site late on Saturday afternoon.
Typically the county RACES trailer and the club tower are set up as well as other antennas.
There had space RVs and camping gear on site.
2016 Operating from Clubhouse as 2F EOC nearby, but not on Fort grounds?
Their picture gallery now has been culled to form a narrative.
Site is below Battery Blair (2x12") and next to 1917 (2x3") AA site. (map)
ME 2009 NA1GB Ft Foster, Kittery; HD Portsmouth
More adventures of 1963 LandRover that's a contest Rover.
HECP-NB - Fort Burnside, RI. (From: Varoujan Karentz EPICV at aol.com, thanks)
RI * W1OP HD-NarragansettBay
Battery 213 (1943 - 1948). two 6 inch guns + HECP/HDCP SCR-582, Ft.Burnside
Providence Radio Association, Beavertail Light, RISP, Jamestown, RI, 41.454982,-71.396365
Confirmed for 2010-2018 again.
The combined HECP-NB and BCP, Base End station building is worth looking at if it looks as nice as this still, as it seems to on Google Maps. (HECP-NB = Harbor Entrance Command Post, Narraganset Bay). Note with Radar and radio antennae, and Base End Stations and Command Posts observation windows, all disguised in RI "cottage" vernacular.
RI 2014 NA1GB HD-NarragansettBay
The Green 1963 LandRover that rarely does FD in the same place posted pictures from Point Judith, FD 2014.
RI 197x-198x ?WA1YPN? PR-38C
The East Bay Amateur Wireless Association (and sometimes the Brown ARE) used to operate FD at the old Nike site on the hill near the Haffenreffer Estate in the 70's and 80's timeframe.
Charlestown NAS circa 1945 USG copyright c/o wikipedia and CEMA
RI * KB1NTE/W1CRI Charlestown Naval Air Station
Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI FN41ei (maps G osm)
KA1RI/KB1NTE Charlestown RI EOC Ham Team (aerial image 1945 c/o KB1NTE CEMA and wikimedia)
Confirmed 2012 2018 2022
Other history & photos,
video flyby 0:00:49
Although not a Harbor Defense or Air Defense Artillery site,
this historic base is regularly active in Field Day in New England, so I'm choosing to promote it.
Even though it was Naval Aviation that replaced Coast Artillery. :-)
To add a radio Field Day site at a Coast Artillery or Missile Air Defense site, email n1vux
Master directory for non-EMA sites is ARRL Locator. To look up these there, copy and paste the callsign into input box there. (The Contests - Results - Soapbox section may have comments from prior ye
ARRL Section : Year(s) : Callsign : Fort/Base/Battery
EB 2011-2014 NB6GC USS HORNET/NAS Alameda
HARC FB NAS Alameda USS_Hornet_(CV-12) Museum2014 Locator NB6GC USS Hornet ARC 707 West Hornet Ave. Alameda, CA GOTA: YES Contact: Keith Farley 925 872-1489 Keith@W6POC.us
ENY 2008-VHF K2BAR+* NY-03/04C
Bergen Amateur Radio Association (BARA) - VHF Contest - NIKE Site Rockland County NY - June 13-15 2008
Not Field Day but the weekend before (or 2 weeks), on VHF and up. Close enough !
VHF/UHF Nike Contest Site on Nike Ln, Off of Tweed Road in Orangeburg, NY
Nike Overlook Park is also popular with VHF Contest mobiles aka Rovers. Overlook proper is "NY-03 - IFC"; just to the south (left at the fork) on proper peak of Mt Nebo is "NY-04 - IFC".
(K2BAR Field Day is in Bergen NJ)
EPA 1967-197x+1984-199x W3ABT Or N3KZ? PH-82R NIKE IFC Valley Forge (Upper)
University of Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Club at U.S. Army Nike Missile Base (PH 82L and PH 82R), Valley Forge National Park, Air Defense of Philadelphia.
at thAlumni club restarting on-campus club. Nike site sold by University in '90s.
W6GJO handling emergency at Ft.Mac after 1933 quake
LAX * K6AA Fort MacArthur, HD Los Angeles.
Confirmed 2018, 2022
(Not from the Battery Museum Radio Room, but up (or down) the hill as a field operation in Angel's Gate Park · quite appropriate, that's how they did it while handling traffic for the city of Long Beach after the quake in 1933 USGS)
(In 2014-2019, a different club, W6TRW TRW Amateur Radio Club operated from the nearby Friendship Park. )
Club Field Day pages: Current and archive.org: K6AA FD2007
2016 Locator K6AA United Radio Amateur Club, Inc. 3601 South Gaffey Street San Pedro, CA GOTA: no Talk-in: 145.510 Contact: Douglas Dowds 310-831-1695 w6hb(at)arrl.net www.k6aa.org
You-Tube videos
LAX 2008 LA-04L W6UE
LAX 2002-2004+ LA-04L W6VIO (JPL club)
( 2002 N6HB notes )
W6UE Mt.Gleason (up hill from Nike at summit)
Nike Site Map1 Map2 Ft.Mac LA Nike pages
LAX 2003 LA-96L/C
San Vicente Mountain Park, former Nike Military Base high above Mulholland Drive just a few miles west of the San Diego Freeway. Trail Map LA Nike Map Ft.Mac LA Nike pages
Confirmed 2022
NorthEast Radio Club
40.7900 N, 73.7808 W
Bayside, NY 11359, NY
Fort Totten Park : NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Maps and history from NYS Div Military and Naval Affairs: Military History FD2009 Photos [flash]
Also a Gazebo FD.
NW2C also operated a 9/11 10th anniversary commemorative event from Ft Totten.
NLI (NYC-LI) 2012+2014+2015 K2EFG Fort Hamilton
2015 Locator
Belt Parkway, West of Exit 4 (arrive from Exit 2) Brooklyn, NY k2efg@arrl.net http://www.youtube.com/k2efg
Links: Harbor Defense Museum (in the Caponier) (Wikipedia); Army History, Fort Hamilton - Wikipedia, Forts-Wiki.
NLI (NYC-LI) 2018,2022 K2EC Camp Hero / Montaulk AFS
Bonac Amateur Radio Club at WW2 CAC Camp Hero(Battery 112 2x16", Battery 113/Battery Dunn, 2x16", Battery 216 2x16") / Cold War Montaulk AFS, at the last site of the old reservation to close (1980s), the "GATR", on Melchionna Rd, Montauk.
NNJ 2008 W2MAR Ft Hancock, Sandy Hook
Ft.Hancock CAC (NPS)
/ Nike NY-56C (Monmouth ARC)
NNJ CAD K2A - Coastal Artillery Day Special Event - May 18 2008
k2gq (Roseland ARC)
Field Day (Monmouth ARC) Coordinates (40.461667, -74.001944) given as Sandy Hook, NJ @ Lighthouse
are very close to the NY-56C NIKE Radar/Control and HECP Battery McCook (8x12" BLR Mortars)
and in middle of old Fort Hancock Historic District (Admin /Officer/NCO residential area)
Contact: David Mutterer, KC2H 908 461 1075 kc2h(at)arrl(dot)net
Coastal Artillery Day - May 18 2008, 1600Z-2000Z, Sandy Hook, NJ. Roseland Amateur Radio Club, K2A. 14.270 7.270. QSL. Roseland Amateur Radio Club, 300 Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland, NJ 07068.
Ft.Hancock was partner with USA Signal Corps in development of Army's shore-based radar, with Ft Monmouth & Camp Evans / Marconi Belmar (below).
NNJ *-? K2USA Ft.Monmouth - former Signal Corps home (SC-Radar w/Ft.Hancock)
Developed Radar for the CAC in WWII; Naturally worked with Ft.Hancock, as Sandy Hook is extension of Monmouth Beach.K2USA is MARS station at Ft.Monmouth.
Sometimes K2USA operates from Camp Evans (below).
NNJ 2010+?+2015 N2MO/K2USA Camp Evans (SC-Radar w/Ft.Hancock)
Marconi's Belmar Stn; WW1 USN radio; adjunct to Ft.Monmouth USA SC for Radar research WW2.
Diana Site on Marconi Rd. Project Diana 1946 was first moon-bounce.
Ocean Monmouth ARC @ Infoage Science/History Learning Center, Marconi Road, Wall, NJ
(2008-2009 were 3E clubhouse; also sometimes in nearby Marucci Park or 2022, Echo Lake Park)
SCV 2020-2022- NASA Ames / Moffett Field
NA6MF
NASA Ames Research Center Amateur Radio Club
Building M529
Moffett Field, CA
SDG 2016-* N6N/W6RDF Pont Loma ARC at Navy Base Point Loma (Topside) / Old Fort Rosecrans CAC
Note this is an active miltary reservation.
Marked location on ARRL HQ Locator FD2018 is between old Battery Whistler and Battery Strong (topside), roughly behind Battery Woodward (seaside).
2022 W6A, "Point Loma Radio Operations Group"
Open for Public Visiting Fri 24 Jun 1400 to 1600
SF 2012-* SFARC/W6PW GGNRA/Ft Miley "West" BATTERY CHESTER
Confirmed 2022
Video "San Francisco Radio Club ARRL Field Day 2013 Highlights at Fort Miley West in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area [bordering] the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate in the City and County of San Francisco."
Confirmed for 2016. Club notes from 2014
.PSK31 QRV in 2013.
Golden Gate Recreation Area (GGNRA) is administered by the National Park Service; Battery Chester is accessed via VA Hospital roads.
pictures 2013 p01 et seq
SF ?-?2011? SFARC/W6PW Presidio/Fort Winfield Scott
San Francisco ARC Robb Hill blg 1444 in the Presidio San Francisco, CA
NPS wikipedia Harbor Defenses San Francisco (1891-1948) "In 1912, Fort Winfield Scott was formally established on the western portion of the Presidio to serve as a coast artillery post." Seacoast Defense Essay
WCF ?-2014 W4A(N4AAC) HDTB Fort De Soto (Mullet Key)
Fort De Soto Park), "is a park operated by Pinellas County on five offshore keys" of which Mullet Key is the biggest.
Alphalpha Repeater Group N4AAC sometimes operates with Lealman CERT
W4A 2014 Locator The Alphalpha Repeater Group Fort De Soto Park Saint Petersburg, FL GOTA: no Contact: Michael Anderson 727-488-0111 manders2@tampabay.rr.com http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_De_Soto Appears to by nearest the post Hospital.
WI ?? MRAC/W9RH NIKE Milwaukee
MRAC W9RH Milwaukee Radio Amateur Club notes that they have in the past used a Nike missile site (among others) for FD, year and which site not specified (Might be any of several).
WNY 2000, 2020-2022 WB2ELW NIKE BU-52
WNY 2005 SKYWARN Recognition Day WB2ELW BU-52
WNY 2007 JOTA WB2ELW BU-52 (jota)
Southtowns Amateur Radio Society (STARS) WB2ELW Nike Base club station (1.75 miles east of Route 20 on Lakeview Road) (or or maybe recreation area is part of old Nike too?). But 2008 Field Day in Glen Meadows Park, crosstown, in Hamburg, NY.
WNY ?2007?-2014 W2SO NIKE BU-18-IFC
The former Buffalo NIKE "BU-18 - IFC" Lancaster (Launcher in Millgrove) is now Lancaster Town Offices / DPW.
2014 Locator W2SO The Lancaster Amateur Radio Club 42.9291, -78.6192 Lancaster, NY GOTA: no Talk-in: 147.255+107.2 Contact: Steven Piotrowski 7168304926 ag2aa.radio@gmail.com www.w2so.org
WWA * K7LED Forts Flagler & Worden, HD Puget Sound
Confirmed 2020, 2022
K7LED 6A WWA 2022 photos (FB)
WWA 2009 SPECIAL W7R/n7pl Ft Worden,
HD Puget Sound
Aug 29-Aug 30, 1500Z-2300Z, Port Townsend, WA.
Jefferson County & Port Ludlow Amateur Radio Clubs, W7R.
Fort Worden Radio Station 100 Year Anniversary.
14.265 7.255 3.920 SSB CW PSK RTTY. QSL.
W7R Special Event, PO Box 88, Chimacum, WA 98325.
Operating from the original 1909 radio building at historic Fort Worden, WA.
JCARC
or N7PL
(via arrl)
WWA * W7JCR Ft.Townsend SP
Though coastal, it's a classic Frontier post, not 19th/20thC HDPS; did it have more than support field artillery in 1870's?. Was reactivated for EOD after WW2. Camp Hayden WW2 Auxiliary Command Post and batteries was nearby, tho.
Confirmed 2018
2014 Locator W7JCR Jefferson County ARC Fort Townsend State Park Port Townsend, WA GOTA: no Talk-in: 145.150 PL 118.5 Contact: John Ebner 360-385-3652 KC7SUF@waypoint.co(2015 - at Point Hudson Marina, in Port Townsend; 2022, Lincoln Park, ditto .)
To add a radio Field Day site at a Coast Artillery or Missile Air Defense site, email n1vux
Obviously Military or ex-Military posts (other than Harbor Defense / Coast Artillery / Coast Defense / Air Defense / Anti-Air Artillery included above) that were found on Master directory ARRL Locator - surely there are many more since I was mosly looking at coastline. To look up these there, copy and paste the callsign into input box there. (The Contests - Results - Soapbox section may have comments from prior years by callsign too.) Additions accepted, if post or ship is (or was) active in ARRL Field Day. (For Coast Artillery / ADA connected, will list above for other radio events, but this is not a Museum Ships on the Air event roster, as that is actively maintained by NJ2BB.)
To add a radio Field Day site at a Coast Artillery or Missile Air Defense site, email n1vux
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