A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MARITIME WEATHER NET |
| by Gerry Harris, VE1AAC - February 2008 This net is a network of amateurs from across Atlantic Canada, New England and points beyond. The net was started by the late Bert Whittaker, VE1RT on September 26th, 1960. It has met six days a week, Monday to Saturday ever since, on 3770 KHz at 7 am local time. The Net Control Callsign is VE1MWX and is currently held by me. On the first day there were 13 stations checked in. We have had as many as 35 callers on occasion, including stations from Hawaii, California, Florida and we still have regular callers from Eastham, MA, East Boothbay ME, Milford NH and Gatineau QC. Of the original 13 callers, two are still regular callers. Four of the originals are still living to the best of my knowledge. The info that we collect is sent by fax to the Dartmouth office of Environment Canada and is used to update their forecasts that would not contain current info otherwise. We also sent the info to CBC until the internet came along. Now they don’t need us. Over the years there have been numerous net controls and I have been doing it almost daily since 1976. We often have had to deal with QRN, QRM and poor reception. Relay stations are a great help to me and much appreciated indeed. The linking of repeaters has been a great help too when there is poor reception on 3770. Today most of the members have weather stations of one sort or another so info gathered is fairly accurate. A large number of our earlier members have become silent keys and are too numerous to mention here. Their devotion and support is much appreciated as well. I will list the original callers and then include a personal note about Bert VE1RT. FIRST DAY CALLERS VE1RT— Bert Whittaker VE1BL ----Cy Smith VE1KR----Fred Barrett VE1OY----Joe Burke VE1PM----Harold Gammon VE1VX----Rannie Molson VE1UE----Newt McLeod VE1XP----George Richards VE1AAZ---Jim Whitman VE1ES-----Ed Hart VE1AL-----George Crowell VE1FR-----Murdock McLean VE1GA----Murray Banks That’s 13 including Bert, who was net control. VE1PM and VE9ES (-1ES) are still regular callers. VE1XP and VE1AAZ are also still living, to the best of my knowledge. ~ Gerry Harris, VE1AAC—VE1MWX The following is a personal note about Bert VE1RT... I talked with Bert on many occasions on air. When I got my first ticket and had to stay on CW for a year, I had only one crystal for my old Hallicrafter transmitter and it was 3750 KHz. Back then in 1963, Bert could always be found hanging out around 3750 and he policed it very carefully. It was in December when I made my first transmission and it was late evening and on CW on 3750, my only crystal. I listened to the frequency for a bit and all was quiet. I sent out a CQ and Bert came back to me on AM phone. He blasted me left, right and all directions for using CW on 3750. He said that was for phone use only and for calling only as well. No ragchews were allowed there. I didn’t know who he was so I told him I only had the one crystal. He asked me to describe it and a few days later I received one in the mail from him for 3600 KHz. I got the message. When I got on phone the following December we had lots of conversations from then on until he died. I never met Bert in person until he was on his death bed at Camp Hill Hospital. I was at home with my family watching TV and the phone rang. The XYL answered it and said it was for me, and she said it was some man she didn’t recognize. When I answered the phone the man on the other end said he was calling from Camp Hill Hospital. He asked if I knew a Mr. Bert Whittaker and I said yes. He told me that Bert had asked him to call me and ask me to come to the Hospital as Bert wanted to talk to me. I went to the Hospital and since I had no idea what Bert looked like I asked the orderly to take me to his room. Bert looked very sick, thin and very frail. He was asleep but the orderly woke him up as he did want to talk to me. We shook hands and in his slow, soft voice we talked about Ham Radio for nearly an hour. Visiting hours were long since over but the orderly told me to stay as long as Bert wanted to talk. Soon Bert became tired and weaker so I decided I better leave. We shook hands and as I turned to go Bert said “wait a minute”. He said there is a box under the bed that I want you to take with you. I opened it and it was his Hammerlund HQ 180 receiver. I said thanks and started to go. He called me back and reached under his pillow and pulled out a beat up old brown paper bag. He said “I want you to have this”. In the bag was his Johnson Original Vibroplex Bug. The last thing he said to me was “think of me whenever you use it and don’t ever use it on 3750 KHz”. To this day I never have either. Oh yes , he told me he was going to be buried in a plain old pine box and what money he had he was leaving to the Hospital to buy TV sets for the lounge areas. The old receiver was in such a mess inside we were never able to get going again. No more than 20 minutes after I got home the phone rang. All were in bed so I answered it. It was the orderly at Camp Hill calling to tell me that Bert Whittaker, VE1RT passed away only moments after I left his room. Can any of you match an experience like that? I never have and never will forget Bert. ~ Gerry Harris VE1AAC |
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