[SCCC] W6VSS K6UA Dale Hoppe

[Michael Tope]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "W6SX Hank Garretson" <w6sx at arrl.net>
To: <sccc at contesting.com>
Cc: <w6vr at amsat.contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 6:41 AM
Subject: Re: [SCCC] W6VSS K6UA Dale Hoppe


>
> At 04:07 AM 28 12 2008, W6PH wrote:
>
> I remember W6VSS and others getting busted by the FCC in the ARRL DX
> Contest of 1957 or 1958 for excessive power.  I was always curious
> about how much power Dale was running at the time.  Does anyone
> recall this?  There was a reason for the phonetics, W6 Very Strong Signal.
>
> I remember as a very young ham reading the QST article about the FCC
> busts.   In the fall of 1996, W6VR took me for a short visit to
> K6UA.  This was the first and only time I met Dale.  I noticed a
> framed page from QST on the wall.  It was that same article!
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Hank, W6SX
>
> Mammoth Lakes, California

I don't know how much gas Dale was running, but I do recall a story relayed
to me by an old timer who used to operate from Dale's place. This OT and
I were BSing one day about various prominent DXers and contesters, and for
some reason (I don't recall why), I mentioned another old timer (now SK) 
who's
QTH in New Philadelphia, Ohio I used to pass on the way from the little wide
spot in the road where I grew up - Dellroy,  Ohio - down to Columbus where I
went to school (OSU). Back in those days (mid 80's) this OT was always on 
air
working DX and he did very well for just having a little tribander at 40ft 
on his
tiny lot in New Phila. Whenever I'd hear him on the air I'd say hello and we
would exchange pleasantries. Later I was quite astonished to discover that 
this
old chap was at the top of the honor roll with something like 375 all time 
DXCC
countries (I don't remember the exact count but I believe it was near the 
top at
that time). So I said to my friend do you ever remember hearing George, 
W8BKP
on the air. He said not only had he heard him on the air, he had met him 
while
George was living in Southern California working for non-other than Dale 
Hoppe
K6UA. Seems that George was a very skilled techician/engineer and Dale had
hired him to come out to California and work on his amplifiers and to help
maintain the contest station. Talk about a small world. I really got a kick 
out of
that story :-)

73, Mike W4EF..........................................

P.S. I googled W8BKP just now and found this obit written by Don K8MFO

http://www.geocities.com/w8jyz/W8BKP_Obit.pdf