Queen Mary's radio room renamed

The wireless room on board the Queen Mary Ocean Liner attraction in Long Beach California was recently renamed the Nate Brightman Radio Room.

This, in honor of Nate Brightman, K6OSC, who helped to make a radio station on board the retired luxury liner a reality many years ago.

Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Teenent, K6PZW, has the rest of the story:

Nate Brightman, K6OSC, lives in Long Beach, California and holds an Advanced Class license. Now in his 90's, he was first licensed in 1957, and is in his 32nd year in service with his local Red Cross Disaster Services group. More important is that Nate Brightman is now in his 30th year as manager of W6RO aboard the Queen Mary. Some say it’s a station that would not exist if not for K6OSC.

Nate Brightman first thought up the idea of an amateur radio station aboard the Queen Mary to be on the air during the ocean liner’s final voyage from Southampton England to Long Beach.

He suggested the concept to his local club, the Associated Radio Amateurs of Long Beach. After getting the green
light, Brightman began the very difficult job of trying to get things organized on an international scale.

He was successful when fellow club member Al Lee, W6KQI, was issued a United Kingdom amateur radio license and
the commemorative call letters of GB5QM. This was the only amateur radio station ever licensed for operation aboard the Queen Mary, and the first time an American was licensed to operate ham radio aboard a British flag-carrying ship.

The voyage lasted six weeks due to the route the Queen had to take around Cape Horn. During the trip, W6KQI made over 3,000 contacts using a donated Swan 500 transceiver.

After the ship was in port at Long Beach for restoration, Brightman submitted a 12 page proposal for a permanent amateur radio operation aboard the Queen Mary. It took a number of years, but on April 27th 1979, Queen Mary station W6RO went on the air and has been in continuous use ever since.

For his work in getting a ham station on the Queen Mary for its final voyage and in spearheading the W6RO station in the ship’s Radio Room, Nate Bightman, K6OSC, was named as the 1991 recipient of the Dayton Hamvention Special Achievement Award.

Now the ultimate honor for the man that made it happen: The renaming of the radio room in his name as a lasting tribute. One that was announced by the outgoing Director of the Queen Mary Foundation, Joe Prevatil, before his organization turned over management of the ship to Save the Queen, LLP. Ironically, Prevatil made the announcement at K6OSC's 90th birthday party which was held on board the Queen Mary.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, editorializing a bit to say congratulations Nate Brightman, K6OSC. You truly deserve the honor.

For more information about W6RO or to become a Wireless Room Operator, e-mail W6RO (at) queenmary (dot) com.

Source: ARNewsline™