[BVARC] The Short Version -- W5RH at ARRL and W1AW

[Rick Hiller]

Hello, all,

 

Interesting day at Newington.   It started off well, with a personal tour of
the headquarters building , thanks to Dave, WA1OUI.   Meeting a few
important folks like Harold Kramer, Sean Kutzlo (sp?) the contest guy, and
Penny the receptionist (apparently the person to know).  

 

Went to W1AW at 10AM EST and found that there were folks up on the towers
doing inspecting, etc. so I could not operate.....( note: and I was worried
about other folks ahead in line (there were none)  I had private use of
W1AW.)   Anyway about 10:40'ish I was allowed on, but the band was dead,
coupled with the  fact that I chose the 756Pro 3,  as I thought it would be
closer in operation to my 746 - NOT!   So, took me awhile to get that
figured out....plus, I was barefoot.   I gave it up, after trying to work
K5BGB (yes, Rod I heard you 549) but could never get the rig into CW mode
PROPERLY.

 

Had lunch with Carrol, AA2NN, who drove over from eastern NY that morning

 

After lunch, Carrol left for home and I went back into W1AW, but this time
Joe, the station manager, put me in Studio 1 with an Icom 7700 and PW1
amplifier.  The rig acted more like my 746 and for the next 90 plus minutes
I worked 51 stations and even got K5IZO a CW contact with W1AW.  The SSB
pile up was brutal and literally a wall of noise when I let up the foot
switch...I was picking up tail enders as they were easiest.  I didn't just
want to work a '59 GL' QSO,  so I tried chatting with each ham, but that
slowed things down.  I quit at 3: 25 EST.

 

I had a great time.  The tour was very interesting, the museum pieces and
old QST stuff, I even have some stuff at my house like they did, like my
complete collection of ARRL Antenna books.  They, however, had every book
they ever published.....I could have spent a day in the library - hi.

 

GREAT to work, K5IZO, K5CAM, W5HFF, NU5K from Houston and AA2NN/M on the
road home and K3ATO, my very good friend and first 'Elmer' Hal, in Eastern
PA.  Hal even called my Mother and let her hear me...can't wait for those
comments ;-).

 

Thanks to all that tried to work me at  W1AW.....I wish prop would have been
better in the morning, but I forgot to put a quarter in the sunspot machine
before I went.  

 

73...Rick - W5RH and for, today, W1AW !!!

 

Ps--QSL to W1AW (callbook address) with a SASE and Joe will get one out to
you. -- TNX