Communications Station Honolulu
History
The Fourteenth Coast Guard District was established on 1 July 1939 with the merger of the Lighthouse Service and the U. S. Coast Guard. Prior to that, a Section Office of the Twelfth Coast Guard District handled all Coast Guard activities in the Hawaiian area with offices and radio facilities located in the Aloha Tower. Upon establishment of the 14th Coast Guard District, the offices were relocated to 8 rooms on the second floor of the Gold Bond Building on Ala Moana Blvd, which served as the Federal Building, and the Radio Station (NMO) was moved to Diamond Head.
With the outbreak of World War II in December 1941, the Coast Guard established a Training Station in early spring 1942 at the former Naval Radio Station at Wailupe. One of the most important schools at the Training Station was the 16-week Radioman School. There were approximately 20 students per class, with the first class beginning in March 1942. In November 1943, the Coast Guard assumed control of all inter-island communications for the Navy. As a result of the increased traffic, a new primary radio station was constructed on the site of the Wailupe Training Station. On 20 August 1944, the Radio Station at Diamond Head was transferred to its new location. The equipment at the new Radio Station included six wide bandwidth transmitters, each having a separate antenna. Operation on both Medium and High Frequency was possible. An FM link was established to provide an emergency circuit between Wailupe Radio Station, the District Communication Center, and the Captain of the Port Offices in Honolulu.
In August 1945, the Coast Guard assumed operation of the former Navy Direction Finder Stations. The circuit net control was established at the District Radio Station, Wailupe.
The history of Coast Guard District Fourteen states, "It is believed, however, that the site of the present District primary radio station at Wailupe is far from satisfactory because of lack of space and the character of the terrain which prevents the proper separation of transmitting and receiving antenna systems". This no doubt led to the relocation of the receiver site and administrative offices to Building 10 on board the then Naval Communication Station Honolulu (Navy #85), and the transmitter site to Building 71 Naval Radio Transmitting Facility Lualualei on the west side of the Waianae mountain range during the summer of 1953. The USCGC RICHEY and USCGC NEWELL took partial radio guard during this time which ended with full commissioning of Coast Guard Radio Station Honolulu at 1200W 15 July 1953.
During the period of September - October 1958, the receiver site and administrative spaces were moved to their present location in Building 242, on board what was then called NAVCAMS EASTPAC Honolulu. On 1 August 1973, the station was redesignated Coast Guard Communication Station Honolulu and tasked as Alternate System Control Station for the Pacific Communications System.
On 4 June 1975, the rehabilitation was completed and the all- new Coast Guard Communication Station was commemorated with a recommissioning ceremony. The station area was modernized with more than double the space. This included new administrative offices, sound-proof air conditioned operating positions with sliding glass doors, carpeting, all new communications equipment, and a larger repair facility.
In late 1984, major improvements at the transmitter facility included installation of eight 10 kilowatt HF transmitters, and an antenna switching matrix and control system.
During the early months of 1987, the entire Coast Guard went through a massive reorganization. This evolution was designed to increase the efficiency of the service. As a result, the COMMSTA administratively, as well as operationally, fell under the direct control of Commander, Pacific Area located in Alameda, CA. However, because COMMSTA Honolulu is geographically located within the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, there is an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and support between the two commands.
Lualualei transmitter facility building 97 was demolished in 1992 and replaced entirely by a concrete structure, building 471, providing office space and a bunk room for watchstanders. During the summer of 1996, an additional seven Harris RF-755A HF Transmitters were installed at the transmitter site, bringing the total number of HF transmitters to 15. Also installed in 1996 were a T1 line from the Wahiawa receiver site to Lualualei transmitter facility, and a Coast Guard owned microwave link between transmitter site and receiver site was established.
In June of 1997, COMMSTA Honolulu was converted to a remote operations site. Technicians still occupy and maintain both receiver and transmitter sites, but the equipment is operated by Coast Guard Communications Area Master Station Pacific (CAMSPAC). This consolidation facilitated the removal of over 20 Telecommunication Specialist (TC) billets. The command structure was also reorganized as part of the conversion. Formally a Lieutenant billet, the Officer in Charge is now a Senior Chief Electronics Technician.
In 2001, a remote video alarm and surveillance systems were implemented at the receiver site, allowing the site to be monitored remotely by watchstanders at the transmitter Site. This eliminated the need for an overnight watch at the receiver Site. Collins HF-80 transmitters #8 and #13 were removed in 2003 and replaced by two new RT-2200 ALE transmitters.