Topband: Glory Days

[robert briggs]

.I can remember very well my first "DX" on Topband in 1979..I was living 
in Portland Victoria and had the callsign of VK3BVS.
Living in a town situation and not having a lot of room I managed to fit 
in an inverted V with a few short radials..I started off talking to a 
few local VK stations using a Yaesu 101E,including Hugh VK5BC...I used 
to listen to him working DX and always wondered how he did so well...He 
took me under his wing and encouraged me not to give up and keep 
trying...I was able to hear the occasional American station and my 
appetite grew..Well after a bit of time passed I worked my first DX 
station...That was Bert ZL4IG now SK..That was a big thrill to me as it 
was my first station outside VK...I started to work Bert regularly after 
that and those who knew him will remember him as one of life's really 
genuine gentlemen...

Eventually I was able to work my first US station...That was Bill W0ZV 
..That was the pinnacle for me and I can still remember myself shaking 
after that contact and knew that at last I had made the grade..

Well the rest of the story is water under the bridge now, but every time 
I work a new DX station and he tells me I am his first DX contact on 
Topband I know exactly he feels....It is an infectious disease with no 
known antidote and once the bug gets you you will have it for life..

Good Topband  Dxing and 73......Bob VK3ZL..