[SEDXC] W4RHE and W9PNE SK

[David Thompson]

In the new JUne issue of QST I noticed the two SK's listed above.

W4RHE had a life before deciding to squat on 14.205.  Charlie was active as 
HS1C in 1959 and I worked him on 15 AM.  He was well over 9 for several 
hours.  Later he was on as a VK8 from Northern Australia.  I remember he had 
a W8 call in West Virginia when he returned stateside.  I went by his place 
in 1991 and he had a 4 el 20 at about 60 feet but his 2 el 40 had lost an 
element.  The guys at AES Orlando said the 40 had been that way for years. 
So long "Red Hot Electrons".

W9PNE was a long time QRP DXer and Contester.  He experimented with antennas 
and corresponded with Dick Byrd G4ZU on Dick's antennas.  Moxen and others 
said the X beam (part of the G4ZU Birdcage system) was poor because of side 
radiation.  In an early ARRL Antenna Compendium
he used what he called tails or wire backs to virtually eliminate side 
radiation and sharpen the foward gain which also helps the front to back. 
The tails make the antenna longer than 1/2 wave but do not detune the 
antenna which is a 2 elment beam with the driven element and director as 
back to back V's.  I put up a 12 meter X Beam in the early 90's made from 
remains of a G4ZU commercial made Birdcage.  It works well and I have passed 
320 DXCC entities including all 40 zones.  Rarest Dx was BQ9P, A52, VK9X, 
YA5T and Heard island.   RIP Brice es TNX

73 Dave K4JRB