My XYL, Silvia, and I just returned from a short trip to Cape Cod.
While researching what to do while visiting the Cape, I found the list “50 Best Things to do on Cape Cod in 2011.” Two items caught my eye:
- #3. Visit the Sandwich Glass Museum to see live glassblowers make unique art, or visit the gift shop.
- #38. There’s much history to be relived at Marconi Station and Marconi Beach in Wellfleet.
The second item sounded really interesting, especially as how I’ve worked KM1CC, the club station of the Marconi Cape Cod Amateur Radio Club (MCCARC) several times. I even found a motel that claimed it was a 15-min. walk from Marconi Beach.
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate. It was cold and rainy and windy. In a word, miserable. On Tuesday afternoon, I could barely run to the beach and back, it was so cold out. Wednesday wasn’t much better, although I could stand it just long enough to read the displays and peer through the wet, sandy film to see the model of Marconi’s station.
The evening before I was commiserating with the woman at the motel desk, and she told me that recently some of the sand on the beach had washed away and one of the the tower foundations was now visible. The weather was just too miserable to go and find it, however.
As I drove around, I was trying to figure out where KM1CC was located. There was an administration building near the station site, but I didn’t see any amateur radio antennas. After getting home, I Googled KM1CC and discovered that:
KM1CC sets up a temporary ARS for events at Cape Cod National Seashore. Events are usually held in a park facility that has electrical power. However, we do operate at the original Marconi Wireless Station Site (no electrical power) when the weather cooperates and at other locations within the park if the locations are historically associated with an event topic.
So, it’s too bad the weather wasn’t better, but I did have fun, and it makes a good story.
Larry W2LJ says
When I was a Novice, I was on vacation in Cape Cod and “discovered” Wellfleet. Wow! It hit home and really brought the entire Amateur Radio experience closer to me. What we take for granted and for what some sadly dismiss as archaic was the result of the blood, sweat and tears of many.
Larry W2LJ
Dan KB6NU says
Peter, W1ISA, wrote:
Dan KB6NU says
That does look like a great place to visit. Thanks for the tip!
Ray KB1UFO says
I visit the Marconi Station every June for some 6 meter and HF fun. Contacts are very excited to get FN51 at Marconi’s site . I do it for the tradition of radio,what a better place to be.