Sad news. VE1ZZ was my first transcontinental QSO on 160m in 1988. R.I.P WMF> Sad news.
WMF> RIP 73 Jack WMF> W0MU WMF> On 10/19/2018 11:10 AM, k1zm--- via Topband 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 [email protected] >> >> To >> k1zm [email protected] >> >> >> >> 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: [email protected] >> >> >> >> >> >> >> 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 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _________________ >> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband WMF> _________________ WMF> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband -- Best regards, Dmitry mailto:[email protected] --- Это сообщение было проверено AVG на наличие вирусов. http://www.avg.com _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
