Topband: VE3OSZ QRT on 160

[Robert Kavanagh]

The up-coming Pre-Stew contest prompts me to inform my top band friends 
that you will not hear me in that contest. In fact you will never hear 
me on any top band event in the future.

Unfortunately, the large and old tree which has supported my 160 
inverted L for years was blown down in a storm a few weeks ago. My 
inverted L crashed to the ground. There is no other suitable tree or 
support available and so VE3OSZ is QRT on top band.

I am sorry to miss the Pre-Stew because I have participated in every 
Stew contest since Tree and Lew started them.

My first QSO on 160 took place from New Brunswick in 1951 when I had the 
call VE1YW. My first DX QSOs on 160 were on January 11, 1953 with G5RI, 
EI9J and G3PU using 20 watts from a home made rig and an end-fed long wire.

Over the years since then I have been fortunate to have worked lots of 
DX and others from QTHs in New Brunswick and Ottawa. For example, I 
recall with pleasure working W1BB, VK3ZL, 4X4NJ, UA0KAG, N6TR, G3PQA, 
IV3PRK, ZE7JX, KH6CC, PY1RO, K6SE, VK6HD, KZ5AA and K7CA among many others.

Needless to say, I shall miss the pleasures and challenges of top band.

73 and good DX to all of you.

Bob(VE3OSZ ex VE1YW, VE1AXT, VE3AQO)