Topband: W8JIs Topband Nostaligia Comment

[TNeill1648 at aol.com]

Tom Rausch mentioned Claude Bass, W4EX (formerly W4DQH), in his comments 
regarding early topband pioneers.  Claude was truly an outstanding gentleman, a 
very knowledgeable RF engineer and a top notch 160 operator.

I first met Claude in 1956 when I was a new general class ticket holder at 
age 12.  Never will I forget visiting Claude's QTH and seeing that 120 foot 
tower with a 5 element 20 meter monobander and its 56 foot boom.  Inside the shack 
Claude had a six foot rack mounted pair of 450THs running on AM/CW being 
driven by a Collins 32V-3 with a 75A-4 receiver.  Most impressive craftsmanship by 
Claude on the 450TH amplifier and the home brewed  big yagi.

By the early 70s Claude had relocated to what was then a country QTH about 20 
miles east of Memphis, TN.  He immediately began working on setting up his 
radio room and was it ever impressive.  Claude was one of the best metal 
craftsman I have ever seen and with his RF engineering abilities he could produce 
beautiful 4-1000A amplifiers.  His shack was the top floor of his house and I 
will never forget my first visit to the new QTH.  Claude has five Bud gray 
crackle 6 foot cabinets bolted together and each contained a separate 4-1000A 
monoband amp for CW and SSB on each band, The 160 meter amp had a pair of 4-1000A's 
in the final.

Claude liked to do his antenna work in the summer months when the weather was 
warm and he did most of the tower/antenna work at night.  Up until he was 65 
or 70 years old he would climb the 120 foot tower at around 11 PM if any of 
the beams required attention.  He would do the tower climbing and I would serve 
as the ground crew.

As an operator, W4EX was at the top of the honor roll when the honor roll 
required less than a fourth of a page in QST to print everyone's call that was on 
the honor roll.  He loved topband and routinely discussed the band with W1BB.

What made Claude Bass such an exceptional person is that he was totally 
blind.  As a sightless person he preferred to do the antenna work in darkness while 
the WX was cooler.  His first love was electronics and that is what caused 
his blindness.  He was injured by a HV arc while working on a 50 KW TV station 
transmitted in Nashville in 1948 if my memory is correct. I continue to be 
absolutely amazed at his construction abilities in building amps and antennas.  My 
favorite Claude Bass story occurred one evening when he said he had to go to 
the kitchen.  I walked with him and he opened his dishwasher and removed a 
Drake TR4-CW.  It belonged to a friend of his that had a house fire and the Drake 
was covered in ashes and smoke stains.  He let it dry our a few weeks and the 
TR4 worked great after a little tweaking and control lubrication. 

Excuse me for rambling but when W8JI referenced Claude's exceptional 160 
abilities, it brought back fond memories of my mentor and friend.  W4EX passed 
away in the early 80s, the result of a severe stroke.  I miss him dearly.

Tom K4XG