USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
Robert Tevault (OLDSWAB)
on
April 12, 2009
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Hello everybody;
Earlier I saw some articles about US Navy WWII people and their experiences in the service. Well this is an experience for me being I didn't serve during the WWII, Korea War, or the Vietnam War. I served during the Cold War. On the east coast chasing subs. We were an Anti Sub Carrier; the USS Wasp CVS-18.
By the way I am just a regular SWL person and not a Ham. While listening to traffic on the two-meter band I heard about the starting project of the USS Indianapolis Radio Room Being put together by the Indy Radio Club. Well being Navy I contacted Chuck Crist W9IH. Who is the Trustee of this project. We had a great talk and was invited to help on this project.
Thinking back about the Indianapolis and her sinking and here we were on patrol looking for subs. I still have reason that we chased a Red October for days but then and now it is still a "Need to Know" thing! We had our good times touring many lands all over the Med., Africa and the Caribbean.
Anyway I have had a great experience contacting people and e-mails in regard to equipment needed for this project. We have a great start and a long way to go. Since we don't have a ship it is hard to say that the radio room looked like this so we are making a typical "Navy Ship Radio Room".
All of the original radio operators are departed and now it is just the few men who served and their memories of what happened that we go on. We are open to any help and I know I could goon and on about this but space permitted we still need things like Bulkhead Lights, Fans, Antenna Patch panels, Overhead lights and the likes. Trivial but to some it might make the exhibit more true to what it was.
Feel free to contact me or Chuck and discuss anything you might have of interest. Thanks The Old Swab Ted.
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by WB2HVF on April 13, 2009
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Try checking out the website www.nj2bb.org and see how we restored the radio room on the Battleship New Jersey. True, it isn't a flattop but I do believe there will be many similarities.
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by KA5HIA on April 13, 2009
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Thanks for posting this.... On 28 March, the Bryan Texas radio club (W5BCS)....( www.bryanarc.org ) set up shop on the Battleship Texas BB35. This was made possible by the Battleship Texas Amateur Radio Station (BTARS) NA5DV and their President Frank Cooper, W5VID. ( www.na5dv.org )
We set up a dipole and also used one of the antennas on the ship. While set up, Frank was able to contact the club on the USS New Jersey....so we had a battleship to battleship QSO.
We had a great time....and also had many tourists stop by and see what amateur radio was all about.
Take Care....
KA5HIA
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by KI4SDY on April 15, 2009
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If you have advanced this far as a SWL, why don't you take the Technician exam and become a full-flegged ham. Sure, its fun to listen, but it is even more fun to talk and "make it happen!" Go to QRZ.com and keep taking the technician exam until you are getting 90% or better on the test and your ready!
Good luck on the radio room. It sounds like a fun project. Don't forget the coffee pot and the pin-up girl wearing head phones. Check with your local antique radio colletors for period equipment.
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by KF6U on April 18, 2009
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From one old swab to another, Ted, you and the others on your project are to be commended for what you are trying to do. I agree with KI4SDY and hope you consider getting your Amateur Radio license. We need more like you in our community. I was fortunate to have met a survivor of the Indianapolis sinking while I was still in the Navy over 30 years ago. I look forward to seeing your completed radio shack someday.
73, Gary KF6U
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by K9ZF on April 21, 2009
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I take it since the "Indy radio club" is working on it, the station will be located somewhere in Indianapolis?
I'm from southern Indiana, but I would like to see it someday. Do you plan to have it open to the public?
Also, I will echo the comments of a few others, go get your ticket! You obviously have an interest, and the test isn't anything to worry about.
Hope to work you on the air!
73
Dan
--
Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Clark County Indiana. EM78el
K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269 Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
<http://www.qsl.net/n9rla> List Administrator for: InHam+grid-loc+ham-books
Ask me how to join the Indiana Ham Mailing list!
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RE: USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by N9KT on April 21, 2009
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It will be in the Indianapolis War Memorial just North of the circle in downtown Indianapolis.
http://www.in.gov/iwm/
http://indiana-war-memorials.visit-indianapolis.com/
-David, N9KT
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by KI4JEK on April 25, 2009
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Dear Oldswab, Contact the group that sponsers the LST 325 in Evansville. This, by the way, is the only fully opernational ww2 navy ship. Takes cruses. They received donations of actual WW2 ship board radio equipment and perhaps they can point you in the right direction. May not be the same brand on the Indy but will be WW2. For an earlier post, the Indianapolis was a Cruser that was torpedoed after delivering the Fat Boy to Tinnian, Marshal Islands. Hope this helps you obtain WW2 shipboard radio equipment for the Indy radio room. Send me an e-mail and I will power up no old laptop and send you some pictures of the LST325 radio room. You can e-mail me, my QRZ address is good. 73 Don KI4JEK
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by AA4ZZ on April 27, 2009
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Some of the Hmas in Wilmington NC have restored the radio room on the Battleship North Carolina. See http://www.ac4rc.org/ and click on Battleship. One intersting point, the transmmitter was not actually in the radio room but keyed remotely.
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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Radio Room
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by KB7AIL on May 1, 2009
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I suppose there could be two ways to go about this:
1. Get original equipment, restore it and then operate it using old Navy manuals and guide from old guys. Might be kind of hard to get all of the considering the amount time that has gone by but you never know...
2. Get as much old gear as possible and "fill in" with home brew or modern equipment.
3. Use modern equipment and put together an audio-visual presentation to show old time operations. "Messages" could be received via the computer presentation and operators could demonstrate how to interpret them and reply to them. I teach high school history and kids today love text messaging and it has its own language. I have introduced Morse and CW operation procedures and messages and they were just fascinated.
I think actually communicating through a museum station is as important as having the gear preserved. Boxes are not of interest to the general public. Boxes with information and demonstrating communication are of interest to the general public.
-------
Old Gear Report:
A guys was selling the entire SSB setup of the type on B-52s and C-141 on eBay a bit ago. It had everything and he had been using it in his house. I *really* wanted to have at it but it was located in NC and I'm in Washington State and it would have cost about $500 to ship it to me. He's got i up for $600 now and hasn't had a taker...
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