Topband: VE1ZZ has passed on - Very Very Sad news! (Long)

Fri Oct 19 15:48:24 EDT 2018

Very sad, 

Jack was my first VE on TB when I got my first novice lis with call
OL1BVR. I was totaly amazed that morning and I was not able to focuse
for anything in school all that day...
I runned 10W only into sloped 41m wire in the city and Jack was the only
guy who found me on the band.
We exchanged dozen of letters and Jack explained me several basic things
about Top band operation. Real gentleman.
I will miss him...

RIP Jack,
Petr OK1RP

On Fri, Oct 19, 2018, at 8:21 PM, Chris G3SVL wrote:
> Terrible news. Like Ian, I could always rely on Jack being the
> first NA> station to call me in a contest. The record being 3 minutes in on one> CQWW160.
>
> RIP OM.
>
> 73 Chris, G3SVL (currently @ VK9XG- and will be on for SP)
>
> > On 20 Oct 2018, at 00:32, Ian Fugler <zen90387 at zen.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> > That is very sad news, but thank you for a such a personal insight
> > into Jack's station and his life, Jeff.  I'm sure the tributes to
> > Jack will be almost endless, such was his status.  His signal was
> > awesome and he was nearly always the first station in north America
> > to call me on topband in each and every contest, often well before
> > any other NA signals appeared on the band.  I last worked Jack on
> > 160m in 2014 and I recall the contact to this day.  It was early
> > evening UK time and I was listening to the east on a very
> > directional beverage. It was Jack's signal that alerted me it was
> > time to listen to the north west.  I switched rx aerials and there
> > were several (weak) north American stations calling me.  But Jack's
> > was the only signal from that direction that I could hear off the
> > back of the east beverage.  My log tells me that I had dozens of
> > QSOs with him over the years.> >
> > RIP, Jack.
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Ian G4IIY
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf
> > Of Tree> > Sent: 19 October 2018 18:13
> > To: Jeffrey Briggs
> > Cc: 160
> > Subject: Re: Topband: VE1ZZ has passed on - Very Very Sad news!
> > (Long)> >
> > Very sad news.  The passing of a legend.  I remember hearing
> > "zulu zulu"> > from A73A back in 2012.  My only NA on 160 in the CQ WW SSB.
> >
> > Tree N6TR
> >
> > On Fri, Oct 19, 2018 at 10:10 AM k1zm--- via Topband
> > <topband at contesting.com>> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hello Gang
> >>
> >>
> >> I am truly saddened to have to pass along the contents of an email
> >> I just> >> received from Carl Leahy who was one of Jack Leahy,  VE1ZZ's sons.> >>
> >>
> >> It is short and sweet - but I will add some personal comments after> >> sharing his note to me.
> >>
> >>
> >> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Carl Leahy carl.leahy1 at gmail.comHide
> >>
> >> To
> >> k1zm k1zm at aol.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Jeff, our family wanted you to know that dad passed away last
> >> evening. If> >> you could let the people in the ham world know we would really
> >> appreciate> >> it. It was a very big part of his life . He had just been talking
> >> about you> >> and the book you gave him a few years ago..
> >>
> >>
> >> Carl Leahy
> >> Signing off for VE1ZZ 😞
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> >>
> >>
> >> A few comments from my memory now follow - as best I recall them:
> >>
> >>
> >> VE1ZZ was not only a personal friend to many of us - he was
> >> probably one> >> of the finest Topband Dx'ers ever to have lived.  He goes back to
> >> not long> >> after W1BB came back on the band at the end of WW!! - and was one
> >> of the> >> strongest signals I have ever witnessed on Topband.  His signal was
> >> almost> >> LEGENDARY all over the world.  EU stations used to say  - "He is
> >> almost as> >> loud when he calls in Asian pileups as the EU callers are over
> >> here"...and> >> that says it all!
> >>
> >>
> >> Jack Leahy was personally responsible for my migrating to VY2ZM
> >> and was> >> here at my home twice - once is 2002 and once in 2012.  I last
> >> visited him> >> and Opal (his XYL) in August of 2014 with Mike OE6MBG who wanted
> >> to meet> >> Jack and see his QTH .
> >>
> >>
> >> When I finally had the time after building my house here on PEI  to
> >> visit> >> Jack which was probably in July of 2003 or 2004, at first blush his
> >> place> >> did not make a huge impression on me because it had only a short
> >> triangular> >> portion of land at the road in the Head of Jeddore NE of Halifax -
> >> and the> >> land rose rapidly behind his home.  One initially wondered "How
> >> does he get> >> out so well from here down at the road?"
> >>
> >>
> >> The answer came shortly thereafter - Jack took me out behind the
> >> house -> >> and we climbed that hill - up and up and up for something like a
> >> MILE - it> >> was a pizza slice in shape and very wide at the top of the hill
> >> in the> >> woods - with only about 100 feet (if that) at the road front side
> >> of the> >> parcel.
> >>
> >>
> >> Some distance up the hill was Jack's 160m 4sq array - which was
> >> made of> >> ROHN 6 tower - that was sitting on 18 wheeler truck tires as base
> >> insulators.  The towers were not tall - perhaps 55 feet or so and
> >> the rest> >> of each radiator was wire - so it was really a WIRE inverted L
> >> 4sq.  Jack> >> was the "ultimate scavenger" and his radials were all 1-2" diameter
> >> pieces> >> of HARDLINE!!!  Hundreds of them all over the hillside  I think he
> >> had a> >> friend in CATV or at his local dump - but he got most of it for
> >> next to> >> nothing he said.
> >>
> >>
> >> From that point of his land, he could reach around the HILLTOP on
> >> 160m to> >> acquire  a clear shot to EU and the South was wide open and to the
> >> SW was> >> also clear looking over the water.  Looking straight up the
> >> hill was> >> probably blocked to some degree - but often this does not matter
> >> all that> >> much on Topband.
> >>
> >>
> >> The day I was there was shortly after Jack had managed to
> >> communicate> >> across the pond on what I think was 600m - I may be wrong about the> >> frequency - but the antenna he used to make the SLOW SLOW SPEED CW
> >> contact> >> was something out of this world!
> >>
> >>
> >> It started about 1/3 of the way up the hill - and ran all the way
> >> to the> >> rear of the property to near the furthest reaches of his land -
> >> and this> >> was a LONG LONG LONG walk to get there - through some land that I
> >> recall> >> was swampy.  It had to have been at least 3000 feet long.
> >>
> >>
> >> Part way up the hill, Jack had built a small shelter in which he
> >> placed> >> the BIGGEST homebrew loading coil I have ever seen. It was about
> >> 4 feet> >> tall and about 8 feet in diameter and wrapped around some kind of
> >> coil form> >> he had created.
> >>
> >>
> >> Jack explained that it took him awhile to resonate the system
> >> to his> >> desired operating QRG - and this was done by taking a pair of
> >> alligator> >> clips and through trial and error he tapped the coil he made -
> >> trying to> >> use a DC ammeter to find the point of peak current into the system
> >> - which> >> he explained seemed to indicate the system was reasonably matched.> >>
> >>
> >> His was among the first to work across the pond with that antenna
> >> - just> >> one of his many achievements.
> >>
> >>
> >> When I was in the US Navy stationed at Bremerhaven, Germany I
> >> used to> >> listen to Jack and W1BB on 160m.  W1BB would sit around 1801, KV4FZ
> >> often> >> was around 1803 and Jack was down at the low end as well -
> >> calling CQ> >> listening QSX up at around 1825-1830 in what was then known as
> >> the "DX> >> Window".
> >>
> >>
> >> Jack had a huge signal even then - using equipment that was
> >> popular in> >> that era.  I recall a Hammarlund HQ 160 Rx or something close to
> >> that model> >> - there is a photo of that station from the late 1950's in my book
> >>   "Dx'ing> >> on the Edge."
> >>
> >>
> >> Jack's More Recent Station  - Inside
> >>
> >>
> >> When I first visited Jack in 2003/2004, it was in his old house -
> >> not the> >> newer one he built further up the hill some years later.  The
> >> station was> >> vintage (much like my own on Cape Cod) - and Jack used a TS830
> >> driving a HB> >> amp to something around a KW DC input.  Jack's operating table
> >> gave me a> >> chuckle because there was only about 4 inches of space between the
> >> front> >> panel of the radio and the edge of the table.  Jack was a
> >> "leftie" and> >> placed his paddle parallel to the front of the TS830 and did his
> >> best to> >> keep his forearm on the table while he sent.
> >>
> >>
> >> Jack's keying system triggered a bunch of interconnected relays
> >> as he> >> operated and he had quite a number of vintage antenna switches
> >> which> >> selected his many Rx antennas.
> >>
> >>
> >> After visiting his shack, Jack later showed me around other parts
> >> of the> >> rest of the house - and I recall several rooms CHOCK FULL of stuff
> >> most of> >> us would die for.  One room was full of EIMAC xmitting tubes - 4-
> >> 400's,> >> some 304TL's, some 4-1000A's etc
> >>
> >>
> >> Another room had shelves loaded with vacuum relays and vacuum
> >> variables he> >> had collected over the years.  Not one or two - but something like
> >> a 100 of> >> them.  There were also rotary inductors for HB design and many
> >> other things> >> that made me drool.
> >>
> >> I think I remember a third room full of vintage ham radio gear as
> >> well.> >> Older stuff he had used previously over the years I guess.
> >>
> >>
> >> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> >>
> >>
> >> I will relate one story about Jack when I was operating at 7O6T
> >> over in> >> Yemen in 2012 I think it was.  I was calling CQ arond 1823kHz
> >> waiting for> >> SS to occur in NA - and this bone crushing signal came at me that
> >> almost> >> blew me out of my chair.  You can listen to this clip on my VY2ZM
> >> website -> >> and you will see what I mean.
> >>
> >>
> >> I told Jack that I was operating in the snippet - and later asked
> >> him to> >> please tell me when OTHER NA stations were calling.  I said, please
> >> do NOT> >> tell me the calls - just tell me that USA stations are now hearing
> >> me and> >> calling me.  Jack did as I asked and about 15 mins later a very
> >> weak in the> >> noise caller was Dave Patten, NN1N who was probably 3-4 S units
> >> down from> >> Jack's signal.  Dave's station is first rate - but there is
> >> something truly> >> magical about operating from the Maritimes along oceanfront
> >> property.  It> >> is just how things work - Jack had what I call the "front door" to
> >> the NE> >> path and it often shows up as it did that evening at 7O6T.
> >>
> >>
> >> Here's how to listen to what I heard:
> >>
> >>
> >> 1) Go to http://www,vy2zm.com
> >> 2) Select the sound bites tab
> >> 3) Click on Sound Bite #4 and play VE1ZZ - Booming.
> >> 4) If you also wish to hear NN1N's piece look further down the list
> >>    to> >> hear the difference in signal levels.
> >>
> >>
> >> JACK's last years
> >>
> >>
> >> I last spoke with Jack in the summer of 2016.  He told me he then
> >> had COPD> >> and that his amp needed repairs and that his antennas were largely
> >> broken.> >> I had heard him sparingly in 2015 and probably not at all in 2016
> >> - and> >> that explained why.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> JACK's 160m DXCC Achievements:
> >>
> >>
> >> For many years JACK  held the #2 position WORLD in the Topband DXCC> >> rankings.  He finished his legendary Topband career at 334
> >> countries> >> confirmed at position #6 in the current rankings.  This is only a
> >> HANDFUL> >> of entities below that necessary to have qualified for DXCC HONOR
> >> ROLL -> >> single band 160M.  His mild, unassuming manner was also the measure
> >> of the> >> man.  He would stop DX'ing and work ANYONE who called him - which
> >> says alot> >> as well.  His was a special person and I have always admired him
> >> and what> >> he managed to do in HAM RADIO.
> >>
> >>
> >> Not only did he make DXCC on 160m - in the summers he got me hooked
> >> on 6M> >> and he had a 6M DXCC as well - just to keep himself occupied
> >> during the> >> summer doldrums on 160M.
> >>
> >>
> >> I will close now and stop reminiscing about Jack - but I think
> >> it is> >> altogether fitting that we stop and pause a moment to remember
> >> this fine> >> 160M operator and gentleman and what he achieved on the band we all
> >> love to> >> operate.  He will always occupy a special place in our memories of
> >> Topband!> >>
> >>
> >> 73 and thanks for the bandwidth.
> >>
> >>
> >> JEFF  K1ZM/VY2ZM
> >>
> >>
> >> Email:   K1ZM at aol.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Jeff Briggs
> >> DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters
> >> Available worldwide through BookBaby, Array Solutions, DX
> >> Engineering,> >> Royal Society of Great Britain, & Amazon
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _________________
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> >>
> > _________________
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> >
> >
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> _________________
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73 - Petr, OK1RP
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