Topband: Top Band DX Pioneer W8ANO - SK

[K8MFO at aol.com]

The March 2004 issue of QST lists Waldo Sayles - W8ANO as a silent key.   
Some of the old timers on this reflector may remember Waldo as one of the DX 
pioneers on Top Band.   He achieved one of the very first WACs on 160, and 
maintained a sked with a ZL station 365 days per year for a long period of time.   
When I first moved to Ohio over 30 years ago, I went to visit Waldo to see what 
his secret weapons were.   He lived on several acres of land, but the only 
visible antenna-type structure was an 80 foot telephone pole.   Upon closer 
examination, you saw a couple of wires running from the pole to trees.   Inside the 
shack you saw a couple of enormous knife switches on the wall, where Waldo 
could switch from vertical to horizontal polarization.   At that time I believe 
he had an old Viking II transmitter.  No matter, I could never beat Waldo into 
JA or VK, no matter what I was using!

Waldo made his first QSOs in 1915 (no, that is not a misprint) using his 
brother's call of 8IZ in the spark days.   He was still active on the bands daily 
until 2 years ago when it was necessary to move to an assisted living facilty. 
  After my retirement in 1999, I made it a point to visit with Waldo as often 
as possible.  During these visits it was wise to listen only, as you learned 
so much about old time radio, Top Band, and you were probably going to hear 
Waldo strum a tune or two on his banjo.  Waldo was a meticulous guy, and 
documented everything fully.   He had pictures of W1BB and other famous Topbanders, 
along with the exact dates that they had visited him.  Waldo always marveled at 
the "new 160 meters", saying that he had never called CQ DX on Top Band in 
his 85+ years of hamming!

My favorite Waldo story is from about 7 years ago, when Waldo was 90 years 
old.  He went to visit one of his 80 year old ham buddies, who seemed a little 
sad.   It seems that one of the top guy wires on the friend's 100 foot tower 
had come loose, and he was in danger of losing the tower.    No problem, as 90 
year old W8ANO scrambled up the tower and attached a new guy wire!

We are losing old timers very rapidly.   Waldo was one of my favorites, and 
I'm proud to have known him.   Not long ago I pulled out one of his old bugs, 
and made several QSOs.   RIP Waldo…

73

Don Karvonen K8MFO