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 <zen90...@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-boun...@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@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@gmail.comHide >> >> To >> k1zm k...@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: k...@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 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _________________ >> Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband >> > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > > > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. > https://www.avg.com > > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband