Sitting here in the terminal at LAX having breakfast. Very sorry to hear abt Mike.
73, John, W4NU Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID Jon Zaimes AA1K <[email protected]> wrote: >Very sad to hear of Mike's passing. > >Flipping back through my old logs, handwritten on something called >paper, it appears our first QSO with Mike was on 40 meter CW in January >of 1980. But it is the second QSO I recall most, on 80 CW on the last >day of that month. We had had several exchanges when Mike reported my >signal had suddenly dropped several S units but he still had solid copy. >Looking up, I realized my manual antenna switch had been left with my >new "Beverage" receiving antenna connected to the transmitter, and Mike >was still hearing me with my 25 watts going into a wire only a few feet >off the ground. We both had a laugh when I told him what happened and, >back on my real transmit antenna, we carried on at full strength for a >few minutes more. > >It was those golden ears of Mike's that gave us so many hundreds of >contacts on Topband -- the first in January of 1981 and the last 32 >years later. He was there keeping the vigil, frequently the only DX >coming through. He'd drop in for a quick hello, just to let us know the >band was open -- halfway around the world -- when there was no other >sign it was open to anywhere. We'd swap notes on the weather, band >conditions and pass along tips on DX the other might need. Often he'd >stop back a half hour later with a new signal report. In the years >before packet and the Internet, and even after, he'd drop in quickly to >let me know one I needed in his part of the world was just a few kHz up >or down the band, and I'd do likewise. > >We will miss our dear friend. Mike helped keep this band alive for so many. > >73 and GL DX, > >Jon AA1K >All good topband ops know fine whiskey is a daylight beverage. >_________________ >Topband Reflector All good topband ops know fine whiskey is a daylight beverage. _________________ Topband Reflector
