[NCC] FW: FW: [MRRC] Dave Pruett K8CC

[Tim Duffy]

From: Thomas Roscoe [mailto:k8cx at hamgallery.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 7:40 PM
To: Tim Duffy
Subject: Re: FW: [MRRC] Dave Pruett K8CC

 

The comments of W8MJ have been added: http://hamgallery.com/Tribute/K8CC/
Tnx,
Tom K8CX

On 1/4/2021 12:08 AM, Tim Duffy wrote:

There have been many comments and statements from many others on Dave Pruett K8CC, and I realized that I am kinda of late to offer mine, but in reality I have been morning the loss of a very dear friend . My first incounter with Dave was back in the 80's involving Sweepstakes. I happened to come across him and began the conversation of Sweepstakes, and from there I became envolved with Mad River Radio Club. Dave was always encouraging and challenge you to do your best. He wase not only a mentor as many have said before me, but a teacher and professor of our hobby involving amanteur radio contesting. Dave was always encoraging, and showing us what we we need to do to exceed in this sport of radio contesting. I have know Dave for nearly 20 years and all those years he has been a true friend, mentor, teacher and professior of our sport. The first time I received an invite to the K8CC station was in the early 90's involving CQWW DX contest. My job was 160 and listening and making contacts. His station was extremely impressive, and I was defintely in awe of his station setup. The one thing that Dave talk me early on was if you want to do well in a contest you need to keep your butt in the chair and when the band dried up you need to look for contacts. I remember that so much over the years, because it rings true, the more you are in the chair and making contacts the better you do.

 

There were many contests I was a apart of from his QTH over they years, CQWW DX SSB and CW, ARRL DX CW and SSB, WPX SSB and CW and especially 160 meters. Outside of that he was always encouraging regarding QSO parties espcially MQP. Over the later years Dave was a part of MQP Single Multi Tranmister at my place W8MJ , from 2014 through 2019 we won the Multi Transmitter in MQP. It was a joy and a pleasure to have Dave operate with us. 

 

Dave was so insrumental in my station set up and radio purchaseses. Through all of this he was encoraging, instrumental in what needed to be done with what you have. Many times during all of my station setup Dave was involed offering is comments and what he thought I needed to do. I borrowed a lot of things from him during my station build, specifically his Gin Pole for building towers and antennas. He was always a encoragement to me, and he was always pushing you to achieve your best in what you had. Over the years I would help him and he defiently helped me. So many contests we were involved with CQWW DX SSB and CW, ARRL DX SSB and CW, CQWW WPX CW and SSB. WPX espceically from St. Croix as KP2TM with Dave, Tim K9TM and myself W8MJ. It was fun and enjoyable. But Dave was very instrumental in 160 meters. Teaching me to keep my but in the chair was very instrumental on 160. Dave has done a lot for me over the years and I certaintly helped him when I could. 

 

I remember a couple of times especially, in 2009 I helped him to installed 1100 ft beveages on 160 for the ARRL 160 and CQ 160 contest. We put these bevearges in a farmers corn field right behind Dave's property. That year we did an outstanding job in ARRL 160 4th and CQ160 with a score of 677K plus. It was so much fun operating multi with him during that contest. There are so many memorys over the years, but in all of this I remember Dave always being so helpful. 

 

I remember one time among a few that he needed help working on his antennas on one of his towers, specifically the 20 meter tower. The balun had gone bad on the top 20 meter stack, and there we were one day 120 ft in the air on top of the stack 20 meter tower working on the beam changing out the balun and a few other things that needed to be done. I remember I was at the top just underneath Dave and he was literially on top of the bearing plate working on the beam, and behind us in the distance I could hear thunder in the distance. I looked behind me, and there were very dark clouds in the distance and light thunder. I remember talking with Dave and saying, Dave do you hear what is behind us, and he said yeah I do, I am working as fast as I can. Once we were done, we were climbing down in rain drops were coming down on us, and once we were on the ground and walking back into the garage by the house, it all let loose. Rain down pour, thunder, and even lighting. I remember looking at Dave and saying, that was close, and he replyed its all about the timing. We laugh and went inside. 

 

Dave has been such a tremondous friend over the years. So many contests, escpecially WPX in St. Croix, the mentoring, the teaching, the coaching. He has defintely left his mark on all of us. I will miss my dear friend, but I will not forget him, I will always remember him for what he has done for all of us and our hobby of amateur radio. But espceically I will be conforted in his loss, knowing that he is with our Lord and Savior. Dave was a Christian and beliver, and involved very much with his Church. He was an accomplish painst and used his talents for the lord at church. 

 

Ken W8MJ