Norton’s Point Lighthouse in Coney Island, Brooklyn N.Y.

Several members from the KCRA participated in the 12th annual International Lighthouse Lightship weekend on August 21, 2010 from the Norton’s Point Lighthouse in Coney Island, ILLW# US0091.

There are literally thousands of lighthouses, lightships, and navigational beacons around the world. The International Lighthouse Lightship weekend, promotes public awareness of lighthouses and lightships and their need for preservation and restoration, to promote amateur radio and to foster International goodwill.

We arrived about 800 am to meet up with the Deputy Chief of the Seagate police department, who let us on the site. We were given a quick tour, to see what rooms we could use, and where the facilities were.

The electric sockets were tested and were correctly grounded, so we were ready to start setting up equipment. We decided to stay outside because the windows were painted shut. The weather was perfect, nice and sunny with a slight ocean breeze, and you just can’t beat the view we had.

This is the Lighthouse keeper’s cottage, where we set up operations for the day. We had a Dining room, Kitchen, and facilities with a good electrical source. We set up some of the equipment on the small porch, and the rest under an awning. Gary’s canapé we had planned on using had a major part missing, the top!! It was left at home in the closet.

The three antennas went up quickly, without incident. We had tested them before, during the Field day. We were using my homebrew NVIS, 6m D-loop and a 20m dipole. The NVIS (on left side) )was set up in the middle of the yard, and the 20m dipole was hung off the top of a D-Loop on a telescopic pole, the other edn attached to a Flag pole. This setup worked very well for us!!

Dave KB2USM and Laura KB2VDV taking their turn operating my favorite portable radio setup, the IC 756 Pro III & MFJ Versa Tuner. I consider any radio that has a handle, and a cigarette lighter plug attached to it being a portable!

Scott, Rich and Joe N2TEE watching Gary KB2BSL rack up the contacts using Digital modes. I think we have a new HAM, Rich wants to go Digital. Gary worked most of the 50 States using Digital modes.

Vinny KB2PSI, operating 40m SSB on the NVIS antenna… contacted 34 stations, 5 of them were other Lighthouses.

The view from the yard looking out to sea! Can’t ask for a better spot to spend a day!

It is around 5 pm, and Gary is still looking intensely at the digital 'water-fall' on his screen. He didn’t move from that chair all day!

Operators and guests that joining us for the day were:

KB2BSL - Gary
KB2PSI – Vinny and Linda
KB2VDV - Laura
N2TEE - Joe
KB2USM - David

Deputy Chief R. Miller of the Seagate Police Department

Scott Schubert – his family kept the Norton’s Point Lighthouse operating from 1960 to 2003

Scott has made himself the expert on the Lighthouse, and has put together some great information on his Web Site about the radio equipment, and how the Lighthouse operated in those days.

http://coneyislandlighthouse.com/index.php?title=Radio

73’de KB2PSI, Vinny

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