Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse
Kewaunee Lighthouse Amateur Radio Group
K9KLH
In 1930, the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse was one of 3 light stations on Lake Michigan to receive a new type of navigation device. Instead of navigating by light or sound signal, the new Radio Beacon promised accurate navigation in all weather and could travel further than any existing beacon. Light stations would transmit a characteristic at a specified interval and ships on the lakes would receive the signal with a directional antenna. By plotting the source of the signal on a chart, the sailor could either steer towards the station or use the signal from a 2nd beacon to find their position on the lake. That same technology was used for accurate navigation until the 1970s when LORAN became the standard for navigation.
To learn more about the "Fog Signal at the Speed of Light," view the Kewaunee Lighthouse Fog Signals page.
Today, the Kewaunee Lighthouse Amateur Radio club continues the tradition of transmitting radio from inside the Kewaunee Lighthouse for our visitors and guests.
Radio Waves Across the Water
In 2023, members of the Green Bay Mike & Key Club (K9EAM) were invited to set their equipment up inside the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse in celebration of National Lighthouse Day in August. Since that August day, club members have been a vital part of the lighthouse's tour schedule. The members eagerly share the history of radio in lighthouses with guests as well as the operations of amateur radio. During tours, contacts have been made across the hemisphere, and as far away as the United Kingdom.
In 2025, the board of directors for the Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse approved the formation of a radio committee and the formation of the Kewaunee Lighthouse Amateur Radio Group. The group became recognized by the National Association of Amateur Radio on ________ and received the custom call sign K9KLH ________.