Re W7RM's passing....
I'll add my two cents here - from the perspective of an EAST coast competitor
to W7RM. I recall only too well the competitive REACH of that station - to
wit:
1963 - ARRL SS Phone - pretty sure this was the 2nd SS phone weekend - Sunday
morning on 75 Phone (SSB). Someone said "Hey 'CLQ - listen up! - W7ESK from
Washington state is calling you OM!" I listened again and there he was -
straight up S9 on my dilapidated 80m dipole about 30 feet above ground. I
still
remember that contact 42 years later......It was the only W7 I worked that
year on 75 phone in the SS.
1972 - ARRL DX CW - 2nd CW weekend (yep - I am old enough to have operated
when ARRL DX was still two (2) weekends per mode!)
Operatiing as DL5BR (read that DL5 "Big Radio") on Sunday afternoon on 15CW,
I recall to this day watching the S-meter around 2000z when this ENORMOUS
signal started calling CQ - W 7 R M - Mind you, I did not know who that was -
but
l sure wanted to find out where that signal came from. I think I later saw a
photo in QST of a tower loaded with MANY 3el yagis all aimed at Europe -
stacked up and down a very tall tower - someone said that was the EU system at
W7RM
at the time.
1976 - CQWW SSB Single-Op All Band - operating from W1ZM. I am initially
ecstatic at the score I made in my first attempt at a single-op from Jerry
Scarano's station. Seems I beat all the EAST coast guys handily - then someone
calls me on the phone and tells me K7VPF's score from W7RM - also single op
that
year.
Chip works about 40 pages of JA's I think it was and my joy has turned to
tears as I am now #2 USA. So, it's "wait until next year time....."
1977 - Dayton - somehow a group of us go out on Saturday night to the Tall
Timbers Inn at Needmore Rd. Rush somehow winds up at our table - K1DG is
sitting next to me and Rush is directly seated across from us. I remembering
asking
ALOT of questions about W7RM and him patiently answering every one of them -
for hours.
1979 - Gales Ferry, CT - Rush is on business and arranges to stop in for a
visit with Jerry Scarano, W1ZM. Jerry invites me up to go to dinner with the
two of them on Friday night - we talk for hours...
Rush and I spend the night at Jerry's and the mini-hamfest continues the next
morning before, during and after breakfast - for several coffee pots before
Rush has to go. We give Rush the nickel tour of our 6 tower antenna farm (not
all that bad really with 4 towers better than 100 feet) - but in the end I
knew he was being very polite as his stuff **dwarfed** what we had in the air.
It seems that Rush and Jerry knew probably 20 of the same people in
Washington - and both had called on them over the years in their respective
businesses.
I recall listening mainly - simply spellbound just to have been fortunate
enough to have been *present* when two of the GIANTS of their time were trading
stories and reminiscing together....
Later years - I know I saw Rush several times at Dayton - probably around 5
years ago for the last time.
In 1999 or 2000 he called me on Cape Cod to ask about a 160M antenna I had
installed and I think that was probably the last time I actually spoke with him.
I guess the "BOTTOM LINE" here is that guys like Rush Drake, Ed Bissel, Tom
Perruzzi, Jim Lawson, Buzz Reeves, Lenny Chertok, Jerry Scarano & others have
each been largely responsible for allowing alot of us "young bucks" to cut our
teeth at their stations - and we are all the better for it today. I know I
got my first taste of REALLY competitive antennas and a well-engineered station
at W1ZM where Jerry and I built a world-class station from 1973 - 1985 - with
the help of K1XX, K1RX, K1OX , W1FV, K1AR and others who over the years came
to operate with us in Jerry's garage. I remember K1AR on 20m and W1FV a year
before that - and Dan Street, K1TO, working his first real Dx contest on 40CW.
I remember Dan going to sleep about 0800z too and me yanking him out of bed
because when I tuned 40M myself I found a few signals we had not worked yet on
the band. Sleep when the band is open - what's that???!!!
All these guys are gone now - except for W1ZM - who is still with us. I
played golf with Jerry near Tampa about three weeks ago - and except for a bum
knee, at 90 years old he can still drive a golf ball pretty well. We parred
the
same number of holes after two days of play - which sounds pretty strange -
but true.
Yes, for sure - Rush Drake was one HELL of a SWELL GUY! We all were lucky
indeed to have been touched by this giant of a man in contesting. I suspect
those who knew him won't ever really forget his gentle manner and smile. At
least I know I won't.
RIP OM - we'll all miss you and that enormous signal of yours!
73 JEFF
K1ZM/VY2ZM
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