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Re: [VHFcontesting] Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ Silent Key

To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ Silent Key
From: Marshall-K5QE <k5qe@k5qe.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2022 01:54:32 +0000
List-post: <mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Hello to all VHFers....the original post saying that Jimmie Long-W4ZRZ has become a silent key is NOT true.  I just spoke at length with Chris Long(wife) and he has not passed away.

If you have cross posted this information to another list that I am not a member of, please put out a new post making the correction.  Chris is getting all kinds of condolence calls.....she was just baffled how this could have happened.

Thank you....73 Marshall K5QE


On 8/4/2022 2:19 PM, Les Rayburn wrote:
Very sad news this morning. Dale Benton, W4OP of the Boatanchors list wrote to inform 
us of the passing of Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ. Jimmy was the former owner of Long’s 
Electronics in Birmingham, as well as many other business ventures.

Jimmy was also an Honor Roll DXer, EME pioneer, avid VHF contester, and 
experimenter. From his hilltop home in Springville, AL, W4ZRZ was one of the 
loudest stations in the Southeast on as many as 12 bands.

On a personal note, Jim was one of my VHF mentors, and my 2nd ever contact on 2 
Meter SSB. He encouraged me, taught me with great patience, and prodded me when 
I struggled in my quest to earn VUCC on 2 meters using indoor antennas. An 
effort that he thought was complete folly, BTW.

More than once, as he struggled to hear me on 1.2 Ghz, he’d shout— “Les, why don’t you 
just move to someplace that allows you to have antennas!”

Jimmy loaned out more gear than most of us will ever own. He loaned me gear for 5 Ghz, 10 
Ghz, and more when I was roving during contests—and would stay up half the night 
during contest weekends to work me from a new grid. He drove 35 miles to my house once in the 
middle of the night to loan me a Belko 432 amplifier. It was at my shack for so long he 
seemed surprised when I returned it. He had honestly forgotten the loan. That’s the 
kind of guy he was.

He will really be missed. Can’t imagine a VHF contest without hearing “Radio Zebra 
Radio.”


73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
les@highnoonfilm.com  <mailto:les@highnoonfilm.com>
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114
EM63nf

NRC & IRCA Courtesy Program Committee Chairman
Member WTFDA, MWC

Perseus SDR,  AirSpy + Discovery, SDRPlay RSP Duo, Sony XDR-F1HD [XDR Guy 
Modified], Korner 9.2 Antenna, FM-6 Antenna, Kitz Technologies KT-501 Pre-amps, 
Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active 
Whip.

“Nothing but blues and Elvis, and somebody else’s favorite song…”

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