[NCC] Drew, W8GFG SK 03/01/11

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/2/2011 9:09:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
Jimk8mr at aol.com writes:

I too am  saddened by the word on Drew.  

I did not know Drew as well as  some of the others in the original Rutledge 
 
Road FD effort, and in a  way feel bad that as I arrived, and with great  
help from certain  other area youngsters (and others) turned that site into 
a  
great run  of FD efforts, Drew and some of the original guys got pushed out 
of   the way. 

But I appreciate the loss of Tim and the others who had a lot  more contact 
 
with Drew, and I also keep in mind several other SK  hams from that bunch,  
notably K3SAN and K3QMR.

It was a lot  of fun for all those FD efforts over the years.

RIP  W8GFG.


73   -   Jim   K8MR



In a message dated 3/2/2011 11:48:01 A.M. Eastern Standard  Time,  
k3lr at k3lr.com writes:

Several  NCC members have  operated Field Day from the hill top on Rutledge
Road in  Transfer, PA  under the callsigns W8GFG/3, W3VK and then K3LR. Guys
like  K8CX,  N3RA, K8MR, AF3P, K8AZ, K3LA, K8NZ, N8AA, K3LA, K3MMM, AC8E,
K8CC,   WA3WIK, WA3BBJ (W3JL), K8CCV, WB3EUB, K3UA, W3YQ (KL7WV) and even a 
 
16
year  hot shot CW op who drove to WPA from Missouri, Jeff,  N0AQK - the same
guy  that went on to win three WRTC gold medals (and  holds the CQWW single 
 
op
WORLD records on both modes) - known  today as N5TJ.   



1972 was my first Field Day and my  first ever contest. W8GFG  was a radio
rock star to this 12 year old  skinny Novice. I (WN3SZX) was  honored to be
operating in the same  farm shed while Drew did 75 meters  right beside me.
Many of Drew's  friends would say that he was monoband 75 -  at all times.

So many  things happened to me on that hill top - that  Drew encouraged me  
to
be a part of. My love for contesting - dating the  blonde farmer's  daughter
across the street (love and great QTH's go  together!) -  being at the top 
of
a 40 ft tower when it fell (I was 16)  which could  have ended really bad if
not for WA3WIK saving my life that day  (and  5 days in the hospital). 30 
days
later - stitches were out - I was  up  on a 350 ft tower with Glen, WA3BBJ.



Drew loved  Amateur Radio -  but he was "in love" with 75. You know it when
you  see it. Drew was the  first guy to teach me about contesting,  even
letting me stumble through  working a few guys with his HeathKit  HW-12 on 
75
SSB - that magic weekend  in June of  72'.



Drew was the first guy to take me to Dayton  when I  was 14. All of you know
how I feel about Dayton - a place where all   of our friends are and will
always be.



Tom, K8CX knew  Drew  very well and they operated contests together many  
years
before I was  licensed. 

Tom brought Drew over to see  a K3LR multi multi contest  operation in 
action
a few years ago - I  told him "Look what you started" -  as I always thought
that multi  multi was just a W8GFG Field Day with  amplifiers. Drew told me
how  proud he was of the "fire" he lit in 1972.  

We hugged - I cried  then and again now - that he is gone. K8CX and I  were 
on
the  phone last night for over an hour - with the awesome W8GFG   memories,



This weekend's DX contest at K3LR is dedicated to  the  memory of Drew, 
W8GFG.


Seems very appropriate that  I'll be on 75  meters - I know he'll be there -
hope you think of Drew  this weekend  too



RIP W8GFG  SK



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