[VHFcontesting] Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ Silent Key

[af5cc at fidmail.com]

That is sad news.  I remember getting the Long Electronics catalogs when I was first licensed.  They always had a good selection of equipment and presented it well, something to always look forward to in the mail.
 
73 John AF5CC
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: "Les Rayburn" <les at highnoonfilm.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2022 9:19am
To: "vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu" <vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu>, "VHF Contesting Reflector" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ Silent Key



Very sad news this morning. Dale Benton, W4OP of the Boatanchors list wrote to inform us of the passing of Jimmy Long, W4ZRZ. Jimmy was the former owner of Long’s Electronics in Birmingham, as well as many other business ventures. 

Jimmy was also an Honor Roll DXer, EME pioneer, avid VHF contester, and experimenter. From his hilltop home in Springville, AL, W4ZRZ was one of the loudest stations in the Southeast on as many as 12 bands. 

On a personal note, Jim was one of my VHF mentors, and my 2nd ever contact on 2 Meter SSB. He encouraged me, taught me with great patience, and prodded me when I struggled in my quest to earn VUCC on 2 meters using indoor antennas. An effort that he thought was complete folly, BTW. 

More than once, as he struggled to hear me on 1.2 Ghz, he’d shout— “Les, why don’t you just move to someplace that allows you to have antennas!” 

Jimmy loaned out more gear than most of us will ever own. He loaned me gear for 5 Ghz, 10 Ghz, and more when I was roving during contests—and would stay up half the night during contest weekends to work me from a new grid. He drove 35 miles to my house once in the middle of the night to loan me a Belko 432 amplifier. It was at my shack for so long he seemed surprised when I returned it. He had honestly forgotten the loan. That’s the kind of guy he was. 

He will really be missed. Can’t imagine a VHF contest without hearing “Radio Zebra Radio.” 


73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
les at highnoonfilm.com <mailto:les at highnoonfilm.com>
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114
EM63nf

NRC & IRCA Courtesy Program Committee Chairman
Member WTFDA, MWC

Perseus SDR, AirSpy + Discovery, SDRPlay RSP Duo, Sony XDR-F1HD [XDR Guy Modified], Korner 9.2 Antenna, FM-6 Antenna, Kitz Technologies KT-501 Pre-amps, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip. 

“Nothing but blues and Elvis, and somebody else’s favorite song…” 

_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting