(EXTRA
CLASS) AMATEUR
RADIORUSS BATEMAN K7SG ( K7St. George)
(EXTRA
CLASS) AMATEUR
RADIO
MILITARY AFFILIATE RADIO SYSTEM (MARS)
FORMER AMATEUR CALL LETTERS: W7NFT, KL7AAD, WA7AKI, W3RIO, W0GKQ, W6LVL,
W6KXN, WR7ADV, WR7ADU, WR7AIX, WC7RAD
FORMER MARS CALL LETTERS: AK7AAD, AF7NFT, N0SOR,AFA5EW, AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER
I was first licensed at the End of 1948 while attending Naval Class A Radio Operators School in San Diego, California. I took my "Amateur Radio Class B" Amateur Radio Test before the FCC Engineer in San Diego Field Office and received my license shortly after arriving at Naval Operating Base, Adak. Alaska. While assigned to the USNCS Transmitter Station at Rocky Point, Adak Alaska. My first Transmitter was a surplus Collins RA88 using three 807's in the finial. Some time later, I took the "Amateur Radio Class A" exam and passed it.
The only communications media back to the "lower 48" was the written letter which took a couple of weeks by mail. There was no telephone off the Island. Some of those that I talked with expressed the desire to talk to their family and I made contact passing messages by using CW (code).
I got together with several other licensed Amateur Radio people
and received some very positive support. Most of the credit goes to John C. Houk
W7LBP who was a high level Civilian Contractor. He help us acquire the
"Ham Shack" and get the power in. One of our requirements required by the
Navy was for us to become a "MARS Station" We was able to get a MARS
Station License "AK7AAD" through the Air Force and served as the
Trustee and Station Keeper in addition to my regular duties. I don't remember why we
couldn't get a Navy MARS License.
I
was the Station Operator and Trustee at Imperial Beach, California Naval
Radio Station. The Station W6KXN and N0SOR MARS. This station didn't have
the activity we had in Alaska as it was located in the continental United
States. I returned to the Air force Mars.
Now retired from the Air force, having served in the Army, Navy and Air
Force for a total of 32 years and I have about 54 years in various activities in
MARS programs, and at time of writing, serve on Region 5 Staff. (AF MARS Web
page: http://www.qsl.net/afa5da/)
In 1969, I went to work for the State of Utah, as a Communications Office for the Department of Emergency Services. My main assignment was working in Public Safety, but I also Started the RACES Program in the State of Utah. FM was new on the 2 meter band. Jerry Warner W7VSS and Pat Buller W7RQT made the initial FM Communications Link between Odgen and Providance (Logan) using two old Motorola T41V mobile Radios on 146.94. In addition to Jerry and Pat, our group included Gorden Smith K7HFV, Tom Uhland K7GQE, Phil Bullock W7VEO, Gregg Jensen K7AWY Mike Mladejovsky. WA7ARK, . We were the first group to be operation on 2 meter FM.
I acquired a surplus FRC27 FM military repeater and Jerry Warner modified for operation on 2 meters. This 146.34/ 146.94 repeater has "solder in tubes" and we were never able to put up on the hill, as it didn't stay operational. I then obtained an old Motorola Base Station from Mountain Fuel Gas Company and this unit was make operational on Ensign Peak as the first 2 meter meter in the State of Utah using the call WA7AKI. Licensing at that time required a forty page application which was made up by Pat Buller W7RQT, A Licensed Professional Engineer.
The Civil Air Patrol was issued some VHF Frequencies. At
that time I was serving as Director of
Communications for the Utah Civil Air
Patrol. With my experience with Repeaters in Amateur Radio and as a
State of Utah Planner, installing repeaters around the State of Utah, I knew the
value of a repeater and so went to Washington D. C. to lobby for authorization
for Civil Air Patrol Repeaters. Utah had the first "licensed" CAP repeater
in the Nation. Colorado had the first CAP repeater on an experimental
basis.
In 1971, I served on the national Citizen Band NIAC (National Industry Advisory Committee) sub committee under Gene Gobles. He was a former president of Motorola and at the time was serving as Illinois communications officer and chairman of the NIAC Committee for Citizen Band. Our committee of about eight members was assigned to set up guide line for the 27 Mhz Citizen band operations. I recommended that channel 1 be used for the Emergency Channel, but was out voted by the eastern members who wanted channel 9.
MARS AND AMATEUR RADIO PICTURES
09 May 2006