SAN FRANCISCO, May 25, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The San Francisco Amateur Radio Club (SFARC) in cooperation with the California Historical Society (CHS) will mark the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge by contacting other amateur radio operators throughout the world on Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th.
The SFARC will operate on five amateur bands using the special Federal Communications Commission assigned call sign W6G. It will transmit from its home station located at the San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center at 42nd Avenue and Clement Street for 26 hours beginning at 1:00 PM PDT on May 26th and ending at 3:00 PM PDT on May 27th.
In announcing this event, SFRAC President Tony Dowler, K6BV, said, "We are extremely proud to be a part of this historic occasion. The Golden Gate Bridge is known throughout the world not only as a great engineering feat, but also as a symbol of the San Francisco Bay Area. In that spirit we will be assisted by members from the Marin County Amateur Radio Club."
Dowler further advised that confirmation cards will be sent to all stations contacted that request one. In addition, any station contacting W6G on all five amateur bands will receive a special certificate from the CHS marking that achievement. Due to security and space restrictions, press availability to observe W6G on the air must be arranged in advance by contacting SFARC President Tony Dowler at (650) 359-8888.
"As a radio amateur myself, I am particularly pleased that these two pioneer organizations are cooperating in this worldwide event," stated CHS Board President Thomas R. Owens.
The CHS, established in 1871, is the official State historical society. The SFARC, founded in 1916, is the oldest amateur radio club in the San Francisco Bay Area. The CHS is a partner in 75 Tributes to the Bridge, a community program commemorating the 75thAnniversary, organized by The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Visitors can experience the Golden Gate Bridge exhibition in person at the California Historical Society gallery located at 678 Mission Street in San Francisco through October 14, 2012. Operating hours are being extended this weekend during the 75thAnniversary celebrations, open to the public May 25-28 from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5 per person.
As part of the 75thcelebration, the CHS has also released a FREE multi-media eBook for iPads to capture the rich history and amazing story of the Bridge through a selection of rarely seen artwork, photographs, video, memorabilia, stories, images and much more. The free iPad eBook, funded through a grant by UnitedHealthcare, can be downloaded at www.californiahistoricalsociety.org. The app is also available on Apple's iTunes® App Store as a free download under the name "GG Bridge".
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Contact:
Cathie Bennett Warner
415-420-1573
cathie@cbwgroup.net
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