The Hunley was not involved in international warfare...but was employed during the civil war. I believe it was successful, however, it was also one of the first kamikaze naval missions.
Yes, that is why I posted it here. One would think that an Amateur Radio operator, who in the course of his professional life achieves a significant promotion to a position such as this, would be newsworthy in and of itself. I was aware of this because Jim WB4GCS told me he would be missing our club meeting last week to attend the ceremony (Jim is retired from the US Navy -- which ought to be obvious, but some would speculate otherwise anyway) as he is on good terms with the Admiral. Jim has promised me a small write-up, with pictures, for the next club newsletter as well. Unfortunate that there are those who just have to defile a simple thread with their own pointless arguments, ego-boosting political agendas and biases. But that's the Zed these days.
They stay down for all launches. Vetern of the SSBN 657 Gold And Blue crews, SSBN 632 Gold Steven Wilson W4KG formally MT1 (SS)
I was navy myself from 85-88 with desron 31 ASW.YES we need submarines.That said hey arty im hoping that all the ships will get a ham op in the radio room like my ship had,dd-986 an old Spruance class.
I'm not so sure about that...two test runs killed 1/2 of one crew and all of the other. The Hunley did not have a good batting avg before the attempt on the engine powered sloop. The detonation method originally was supposed to be by a line. Fouling of the line was an issue. They believe they may have used an electric detonator that used a battery cell and had a conductor that was very short. They suspect the crew was killed instantly by the detonation. The engine powered sloop went down quickly...indicating that it was a pretty good sized charge that detonated. There are conflicting stories concerning the Hunley signaling shore after the detonation. In any event the ballast was never jettisoned and was intact with the sub when it was finally located and brought to the surface. They crew may have been unable to release the ballast but may have been able to signal shore with a pyrotechnic device. It is a very interesting historical event to say the least!
There is something very comforting about the commander of our US submarine forces being a ham. I think it shows that he is likely thoughtful, patient, openminded, curious, and comfortable with communicating with people from other cultures. Those are good qualities to have in his position! Congratulations Chas!
Congratulations at reporting advancement of those who hold Amateur Radio Licenses. I may not be a great supporter of some of the things that politicians do with our Defence Forces world-wide, but I am a HUGE supporter of the personnel that work protecting our nations - especially on the front lines (even if to misguided directions). Some feel that AR is a lost, dying activity - killed by the internet. I say repeatedly that AR is the only real social, technical activity that exists - as someone needs transmit and someone different needs listen ! AR is the only real technical activity that crosses all boundaries of engineering - electronics, IT, design and of course in our "black art" of antennas the mechanical engineering ! Promoting such advancements within our own community of AR only forwards our activity and shows to the community that what we do is not only relevant but is also cutting-edge in this day and age - an where many in our community are biased towards banking, insurance and finance … rather than Science and Engineering. What legacy do most (and I do not necessarily mean all that are not philanthropic) bankers and financiers leave??? Hmmm..... Let's ask President Trump and hope that its not "fake news" ! What is the legacy of any science and engineering? Advancement - A better life for us all ! 73 Steve I VK3VM / VK3SIR
