Topband: Re: 160 Nostalgia (W9UCW)

[W9UCW at aol.com]

Earl, K6SE said

>"Rolf certainly gets around!"

 
Yes, and he's a great host, too. I first worked him as PY1MGF in '71, and 
later that year as PY1DVG. He was always in there and I got a chance to see why. 
In 1978 I was working in Brazil where my company (Caterpillar) had two plants. 
Rolf got word to me to come to Rio for a weekend....I was at our Piricicaba 
plant then. Friday after work I jumped on a bus that rumbled thru the mountains 
all night, dropping me on the boardwalk at Ipanema beach, downtown Rio de 
Janeiro in the morning. I took a cab to the address Rolf gave me and was buzzed 
up to the penthouse which was the abode of PY1ZAE and his lovely wife and 
daughter. Rolf was there, as well as Bill, K1MM who happened to be in Rio on 
business. We all had a beer and told stories in the shack. Then we went to Rolf's 
office (Digital) where he showed us a slide show of his and ZAE's  trip to St. 
Peter & Paul Rocks. They went on a sailboat owned by a young French nudist 
couple. What a great show! Then we all piled in a car and went across the long 
bridges inland to Rolf's radio QTH. By sunset we were on the air with that 
monstrous array of vertical dipoles. We took turns operating PY1RO and sleeping on 
the floor until morning. What a blast! Got to say "Hello" to lots of friends 
from that end. Rain showers kept passing by and causing big arcs in the shack, 
but we stayed on all night. Sunday night I was back on the bus, headed for 
Piricicaba. Don't remember doing anything useful in the office on Monday.
BTW, Rolf's E-Mail is  PY1RO at cruiser.com.br   He likes to hear from old 
friends

Jack, N4JJ said

>"Yes, W8VLN was causing QRM back then, too."

During one of twenty trips I made to HK0/San Andres, I sat down and called CQ 
on 1827, which was in "the window" in those days. A pileup ensued between 
1800 & 1805. After a while, a station I worked- don't remember who -told me that 
W8VLN and a few of his cronies had fired up on AM on my frequency. I said "I'm 
moving to 1803" several times and QSY'ed. When I got there, I called CQ, "QSX 
1827". Everybody got the idea. Larry and the boys didn't know what hit 'em. 
What a hoot that was.

Lots of QSO's are memorable for me, but one was not only special but was a 
real surprise. It was on a very cold January 20th, 20 years ago, at about 7 PM. 
I called CQ near the bottom of the band. A real weak one came back, but he was 
building. It took a while before I got the call. It was HZ1AB. Bob, WA8MOA 
had gone to work in Saudi Arabia and took the portable "Minooka Special" I built 
for the Mellish Reef expedition with him. He had just gotten permission to 
fire up on 160 so he put the "Minooka" up in the parking lot of the Aramco 
offices in Dharan and got on the air. Guess it was one of those "right place at the 
right time" deals. I'll always remember that one.


73's, Barry, W9UCW