[SEDXC] Midway Island looking back

[David Thompson]

My first confirmed Midway Contact was December 10, 1958 on 20 meters AM 
Phone with KM6BI.  My first SSB confirmed QSL was also with KM6BI  on Jan 
6th, 1960.  Both QSLs are typed on a mill by Operator Frank.

I looked at my early QSLs and I have 4 from KM6BI and my first QSL that was 
not from KM6BI was WA0GFS/KM6 (Dec 1965).  However the equipment was exactly 
the same as the QSOs before except the AM QSL. KWS-1 and 75A4. Altho the 
first SSB QSO also checked a HT-32.

The QSLs covered 10, 15, and 20.  My first low band QSO was with K1AZA/KM6 
on 40 who was on his was to Palmyra On May 1, 1962.  I worked K1AZA and W1MV 
(KP6AX) later in May 1962.  I also worked KP6AX in Oct 1962 on 40.

It took until 1980 to make a Midway 80 meter QSO.
By then I was now at K4JRB.

You had to be patient to work Midway or most any US Pacific Island Station 
as their primary mission was phone patches back to the states.  They would 
work stations only before and after their scheduled phone patches.  The 
Europeans of today would scream as they seldom worked anyone but Stateside
stations.  Best bet for other QSOs were during contests where visiting ops 
would put KM6BI, KJ6BV (Johnston Is.) and KW6CGA (Wake Island) on the air.

73 Dave K4JRB