Amateurs Broadcast from Local Submarine War Museum

Working in the USS Batfish crew mess, Mitch Hull, KE5HWW, Tulsa, watches as Trevor Watts, Lawton, Okla., makes contact in the 15-meter band with a station somewhere in the world. Working in the USS Batfish crew mess, Mitch Hull, KE5HWW, Tulsa, watches as Trevor Watts, Lawton, Okla., makes contact in the 15-meter band with a station somewhere in the world.

Viking Radio Club mentor Paul Goulet, KC5CYY, far left, works with Itzel Berner, KF5JAZ, as they make contact with a station on the 17-meter band as Bill Burns, KB5BG, Lawton, logues the information. Viking Radio Club mentor Paul Goulet, KC5CYY, far left, works with Itzel Berner, KF5JAZ, as they make contact with a station on the 17-meter band as Bill Burns, KB5BG, Lawton, logues the information.

Harold “Chip” Stratton, AE5KA, Tulsa, uses a “key” and a home brew antenna to send a message in Morse code on 20-meters to a station in New York. Harold “Chip” Stratton, AE5KA, Tulsa, uses a “key” and a home brew antenna to send a message in Morse code on 20-meters to a station in New York.

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Amateur radio operators aboard the USS Batfish contacted other war museum radio operators worldwide on Saturday and Sunday.

The USS Batfish/USS Oklahoma Amateur Radio Club hosted a special event as part of the annual "Museum Ships Weekend" celebration created by the amateur radio club affiliated with the USS New Jersey (BB62).

This event promoted the hobby of amateur radio, as well as the preservation of the heritage of sailing ships around the world.

Past and present U.S. warships and warship museums, as well as merchant and passenger vessel museums from other countries, participated in this weekend event.

Radio operators at this event used multiple amateur radio frequencies to contact other ships, as well as other amateur radio operators around the world by voice, Morse code, and computer.

The contacts that this club made included radio operators in Moscow, Northern Africa, Hawaii, New Zealand, and an operator flying above Arizona at 38,000 feet.

A group of students from the Viking Radio Club, a middle school radio club from Lawton, were among the principal operators making contacts.

Eight students, ranging in age from 11 to 15, camped out aboard the submarine for the weekend and enjoyed their time talking to people from all over the world.

The club station is located aboard at the USS Batfish, SS-310, at the Muskogee War Museum, 3500 Batfish Drive in Muskogee.

For more information about admission and hours of operations, log on to www.ussbatfish.com or call 918-682-6294