HF frequencies are not really used for communications these days except for
backup or emergency purposes. Ironically, this fact will take the pressure off
of auctioning the Amateur 160 Meter and HF bands.
I worked for two companies that ran HF Coastal stations, ITT and AT&T. ITT
wanted to close the stations in the late 1970's and sell the valuable real
estate. They could not shut down unless the circuits could be handled by an
alternative carrier or service.
I visited the WSL Southampton receiving site in in 1979. They handled Marine
Wireless Telegraph(CW), SITOR and were the receiving site for ARINC
Aeronautical SSB. They had one commercial HF point-to-point circuit, a
diplomatic RTTY circuit from the UN to Havana, Cuba. The equipment consisted of
two Hammarlund SuperPRO receivers run by a Northern Radio stabilized
oscillator. These boatanchors were probably installed in the 1960's.
They could not close down the site until they found an alternate facility for
the diplomatic circuit. They offered to move the circuit to a cable or
satellite facility but the Cuban's did not budge;they wanted a HF circuit. The
diplomatic circuit was eventually moved to WLO and the site shut down. ARINC
set up their own stations. Marine services were handled by other carries and
eventually Global Wireless. I don't know if Global Wireless does HF any more.
If you thing of it, the 20th century was the heyday of HF communications. The
sunspot peaks in 57-58 an 69-70 offered great propagation; we probably will not
see peaks close to that in our lifetime.
Remember, this is a hobby and make the most of it.
Mike N2MS
> One of these days, ham radio will be no more. Commercial users have had their
> eyes on those frequencies for years and sooner or later, they will get them.
> In
> the USA, money talks and they have a lot of money!
>
> Thank you.
>
> Brad Anbro, N9EN
> Bluff City, Tennessee
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
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