The 2-20-10 Ensor Special Event is slated for 160 Meters at 1.895 kc and only CW will be used. Historic transmitter used is the restored 1934 Hand Built Rig used in Olathe KS High School by Marshall H. Ensor to help students achieve their Amateur License. It operates Phone, CW, and MCW keyed with a HA-1 Hallicrafters electronic keyer and a Vibroplex. The receiver is a Hallicrafters SX-16. Also An Omnigraph machine from 1910 will send the CQ and identification for W9BSP, We will use only CW beginning at 7PM and ending at 11PM CST Saturday evening.

Eighty seven years ago in 1923, Olathe High School instructor, Marshall H. Ensor, who taught numerous subjects in the Manual Arts for 46 years, built a radio transmitter so students could also get a start in the new field of radio communications. Mr. Ensor's 17 year old sister, Loretta, a senior, became the first woman ham radio operator in Kansas. She studied for the First Class radio license to become 9UA so that Marshall could legally install the first radio station in a Kansas high school. Loretta thus became the custodian for the school station since her brother / teacher could not do so, having previously licensed as 9BSP for his farm home station in 1922.

By 1934, Marshall rebuilt and refined the radio transmitter and it aided students of the Radio Electric Club to qualify for radio licenses until 1941 when the United States, including Marshall Ensor, went to war. The W9UA [Wprefix for U.S.-1927]radio went into storage in an Ensor barn until 2004. Temperature and humidity swings were not kind to the old radio,. nor were the mud dobber wasps and other insects. One afternoon in June, 2004, 1940 Ensor student, Harry Krout, visited the Olathe Ensor Museum and manager, Larry Woodworth, WØHXS. Harry related having been in Mr. Ensor's class and was influenced to choose a career in electrical engineering. Harry has participated in amateur radio for many years, currently holding Extra Class license as WØYQG.

Harry Krout is responsible for bringing the W9UA rig back to life. He cared for the radio for over a year. When it returned to the museum it was was like the day it was built in 1934 by Marshall Ensor. Returning this 76 year old radio to the 160 Meter amateur band, using the earliest mode[Continuous Wave], of Morse Code has been planned for since December, 2009 by the museum radio club; Marshall Ensor Memorial Organization. An invitation to operate the historic W9UA radio was sent to local Morse Code operators. Radio amateurs world wide have been alerted to the February 20 event. The code is still used but not required for a license these days, however many thousands prefer it for long distance communications. Amateur radio has many history buffs and along with the general public, they often come to tour this Ensor Park and Museum dairy farm with 2 conspicuous radio towers from the 1920s and a radio room with original equipment in it.

It was anticipated the radio operators would make contacts around the United States and maybe further on that evening. The Ensor Park and Museum is owned and operated by the City of Olathe, KS. This is not a public event as this is off season for the Ensor Museum, and tour guides are not on duty. The month of February was chosen due to being best for the radios operation.