Mr. John Etter, W2ER donates boks he saved
from the RCA Riverhead Staion that were originally at the Belmar Wireless
Station Library aka Camp Evans.
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Mr.
John Etter, W2ER, began his career in radio technology around 1937 at the
RCA Riverhead Station. He worked with some of the great pioneers
of wireless and radio development who were the old timers when he started. 
During
WWII he would help setup communications for the Pacific fleet after the
attack on Pearl Harbor. Mr. Etter visited nearly all the former Marconi
High-power wireless stations, then RCA stations, to help improve war-time
communications. When the war was over he returned to Riverhead.
Over the years his co-workers,
Dr.
Harold Beverage and H.O Peterson, told him stories of the old days
at the Belmar station. Mr. Etter even wrote a biography of his friend
Dr. Harold Beverage and visited Dr. Beverage until his death at age 99.
Mr. Etter joked that he and Dr. Beverage graduated from the same university
and started at RCA, just 30 years apart.
Mr. Etter told us he
recalls RCA purchased land in Riverhead, Long Island and built a new station
because the property around the Belmar Station had become too expensive
to economicly expand the station. The property in Riverhead was much
cheeper. Dr. Beverage and staff closed the Belmar Station and moved
the useable equipment and furnishings to the new Riverhead station.
Mr. Etter recalled a
great story from the old Belmar days, told to him by Dr. Beverage or "Bev"
as he was called. Bev was working on his famous 'Beverage antenna'
at Belmar during WWI. The station was operated by the U.S. Navy under
the authority of the 'Radio Act of 1912'. To protect the station
and it's important communications mission the station had marine guards
on duty there. Normally, guards accompanied the station staff when
they worked on any of the over 30 antennas at the station. Bev and
associates were in an overgrown field working on an antenna. Local
farmers came out after them with pitchforkes thinking they were German
spies!
Mr. Etter became the
station manager at Riverhead. He helped implement improvements in
communications technology at the station during his long and distinguished
career. Finally, satellite technology would take over and RCA made
the decision to close the station. RCA donated the station to the
town of Riverhead for $1.00. Mr. Etter saved a number of the books,
photos and documents from the RCA Riverhead Station Library that were being
discarded. The Riverhead Station Library was started from the collection
relocated from the Belmar station in 1923-24. Mr. Etter kindly gave
us eight books from the original Belmar Electrical Library from his library.
After eighty years it is amazing that eight books have returned to the
old Belmar station. Thank you, Mr. Etter - W2ER!!!
Page updated December 31, 2003
page created September 22, 2002
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