In a message dated 96-02-20 12:09:49 EST, you write:
> And
>how about that booming signal on 160 from KH6CC at sunrise? He
>sounded like a W9.
That was Jack Wheeler, in person. W6CYX and I were there for the contest and
did all the operating except for a couple of "special" times like the one you
mentioned, when we recruited Jack to show his stuff on 160. He was really
something to watch--just a straight key and a pencil and paper, yet he had a
rate of over 250/hour (on 160!) for some good stretches. Jack managed to get
322 QSOs with a mult of 50 for us. He has a 127' vertical with 50+ radials
under it. His QTH is at about 2000' on the northeast side of Mauna Kea
(total height almost 14000') on the Big Island. From his tower you look
straight down the slope of the volcano to the ocean and then it's a straight
shot off to the US. Jack is such a 160 fanatic that he doesn't even have
commercial power out to his place--he uses a 16KW generator instead. The
generator generates no electrical noise at all, but the rumble of the engine
forces you to wear some heavy earphones. Jack's XYL has decreed that there
will never again be a 48 hour contest effort from her place because of this
generator noise!
Having now visited Jack Wheeler's station and watched him operate, I can
truly say I have seen a real (tm) old-time contester in action. His
home-brew amp uses pre-WWII tubes, and they do glow like nothing I've ever
seen before. Jack only operates 160 and some limited AM (!) DXing. The
walls of his shack (and it is a REAL shack) are covered with CQ-160 contest
plaques. I think Jack said he has won every CQ-160 phone plaque ever awarded
for Oceana. He will definitely be on this weekend in the phone contest,
determined to win the '96 plaque.
Bruce, AA6KX
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