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THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => QSO => Topic started by: W1JS on November 29, 2012, 06:46:57 PM



Title: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on November 29, 2012, 06:46:57 PM
Dana Tremblay, WA1HUM, passed away early today.  

Dana started with us New Englanders/Northeasterners 75 meter AM "gang" back in the mid to late 60's.  

Dana and I grew up in the same town, I met him some 45 years ago.    

His wife Kathy will be planning a memorial service sometime in the future in Attleboro, Mass (the "hometown").  I will post notice here when I know


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Bacon, WA3WDR on November 29, 2012, 07:07:06 PM
Darn, I can't believe it.  RIP Dana.



Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1GUD on November 29, 2012, 07:15:28 PM
I lost one of my oldest friends in life early today. Dana Tremblay and I were kids on the ham radio when we met more than 45 years ago. Decades later we stood together at the Cape and watched a Space Shuttle carry his experimental payload into low Earth orbit. I'll never forget his tears of joy and tricking him into a sound bite for our launch story that night. Dana was both brilliant and frustrating, with a wonderful heart full of deep love for his childhood sweetheart Kathy, his adopted state of New Hampshire, flying along with everything from rocket science to the civil war history. We will miss WA1HUM, and his old sign off on the air - "this is HUM radio Attleboro"…73 old friend …

Warren
W1GUD
Tampa, Flori-DUH


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on November 29, 2012, 07:21:59 PM
Some photos...


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Steve - K4HX on November 29, 2012, 07:53:30 PM
I don't think I ever met him in person but I did talk to him on the air over the years. Sorry to hear of his passing.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: WA3VJB on November 30, 2012, 09:23:47 AM
Damn. 

We spent good hours on the radio.  TimTron tagged him Drayna.

He lived in my area for a while when he was at NASA-GSFC




Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: AJ1G on November 30, 2012, 09:51:05 AM
Used to work Dana as a novice  back in 67' on 80 CW along with Warren (then WN/A1GUD), John (WN/A1GOS), Louie (WN/A1GSO), Steve (WN/A1HUD) and  many others, later on the same gang after school on 75 AM.  This hits hard. 

God Bless you and keep you Dana and your family...


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W2PFY on November 30, 2012, 11:41:56 AM
Wow, sad news indeed! I used to work Dana years ago and he was very passionate about this country and the direction it is going. He also liked Saab cars of which we had many conversations. He disappeared from radio at least on AM and I never knew why he left? I can't remember if we ever meet at a ham fest but he certainly stood out from the crowd on AM.  Now this is the third brilliant person who was under 62 years old that has passed away in the last few weeks? What is going on?

I wish he would have stayed on the air as he was in my view,a person who had much to offer. Very sad and he will be missed.

RIP my friend.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W3GMS on November 30, 2012, 01:09:24 PM
Very sad news.  Too many folks are becoming SK's in the last month or so.  I believe Dana was 60 years old.  I had many great QSO's with him in the 60's.  He got his ticket just a year after I did in 66.  Most of the kids back then just fired up the rig when they got home from school. I am not sure when the last time I talked to him on the air, but it appears from the comments that he was not active on AM in some time.

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends who now have to deal with this loss.

Joe, W3GMS    


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: K1JJ on November 30, 2012, 02:02:21 PM
Sad to hear this.  

Dana was one of the original 75M Teenage Net members from the sixties. As already said, it was an after school thang. He was also one of the early few who built up a full-blown 4-1000A plate modulated by a pair of 833A's in the 60's.  He had a great broadcash quality deep voice and sounded like a million bux.  The old timers didn't know what to make of these young punks getting on with huge, excellent-sounding signals...

I see he tried on my gag Mucus Member  - Channel 18 badge in one of the pictures posted... ;)

He's one of the originals - a very talented electrical engineer - and now another AMer who is gone... sigh.

RIP, Dana.


BTW, ever see the yearly published listing of famous people who have passed away? It's a group of stars in the sky with the departed names alongside. We might do something like that here every Dec 31st in honor of AMers passed on each year.  An AMfone version of  "Lest We Forget."


T


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Opcom on November 30, 2012, 02:38:32 PM
R.I.P.

Most of these fellows who have passed on recently are not what I would call "old". Its scary.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: John Holotko on November 30, 2012, 04:41:56 PM
Wow... I am really saddened to hear this news. I remember hearing Dana way back when I was a young SWL. I also spoke with him a couple times on 75 AM during the 1980's or sometime thereabouts.  I also remember chatting with him on 2 meters FM back in the early 90's.  In those days I was working in a skyscraper in Manhattan and I used to carry a small dual band HT to work so I could take advantage of the building's elevation.. One afternoon during lunch break I dialed in one of the local Manhattan repeaters and I put out my call sign. As soon as I unkeyed I heard Dana answering my call.  Apparently he was passing through the area on his way to Washington or somewhere in that vicinity and had just dialed in that repeater and heard my call sign.. In any event we had a nice chat,  That is the last time I remember speaking with him.

RIP Dana.



Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: WA1FAF on November 30, 2012, 05:21:05 PM
So sad to hear of Dana's passing.  He was one of the original 20 or so youngsters on 75 meters, all about 18-23 at the time in 1969, I met when the "mob" welcomed me in.  Back then among us there was no mode war, some were slopbucketeers, some AM'ers, and many, like Dana, who ran and enjoyed both.  I remember he had a National NCX-5 like I did and he was generous with hints to get the most out of the rig.  In a lot of ways many of us went from adolescence to adulthood together.  Dana is only a few months older than me and his passing certainly helps me appreciate that life is precious. 

I agree with the previous poster who suggested that we reprise the call signs who are SK at the end of each year.

de "The Faf"


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1RC on November 30, 2012, 09:41:20 PM
Can't believe how many of our fellows are leaving us............so sad.  RIP Dana.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: KM1H on November 30, 2012, 10:00:24 PM
Dang, I know I know him but cant remember from where. Where did he work in the 60-80's?

Maybe I met him at National if it was pre July 69 and he had a NCX-5 problem.

Carl


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on December 01, 2012, 05:51:04 PM
Some photos from the "wayback machine": 


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on December 01, 2012, 06:00:42 PM
Some more recent photos of WA1HUM (June 8, 1950 - November 29, 2012) and friends: 


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Opcom on December 01, 2012, 11:41:47 PM
geez tell me it was not the cigarettes that did it.. I got to quit.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Steve - K4HX on December 02, 2012, 10:50:53 AM
Wow. Nice photos Jack - like a walk through time. Thanks for posting.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: K4RT on December 02, 2012, 11:41:20 AM
My condolences to Dana's family & friends.

In the photo of the guys leaning against the VW, I recognize WA1HUM, but who are the others?

73,
Brad


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on December 02, 2012, 12:04:45 PM
Quote
In the photo of the guys leaning against the VW, I recognize WA1HUM, but who are the others?

WA1HUM, WA1HLR, WA1GQE, WA1ION in front of Timmy's Rockport location. 


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W3GMS on December 02, 2012, 12:23:12 PM
Quote
In the photo of the guys leaning against the VW, I recognize WA1HUM, but who are the others?

WA1HUM, WA1HLR, WA1GQE, WA1ION in front of Timmy's Rockport location. 

Hi Jack,

Thanks for posting all the great OT pictures!  The VW one with Dana and the Tron is my favorite.  Tim was about that old when he came to PA to visit me when I was WN3GMS. 

I had not seen any pictures of Jesse in a long time.  Crazy guy!!

73,
Joe, GMS


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Steve - K4HX on December 02, 2012, 12:24:09 PM
I have audio somewhere featuring PW Fallon and Tron detailing an exploding Slimatron© set off after a Rockport fest.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W3GMS on December 02, 2012, 01:29:30 PM
I have audio somewhere featuring PW Fallon and Tron detailing an exploding Slimatron© set off after a Rockport fest.

Wow, I would sure like to hear that if you come across it in the HUZ audio vault. 

We need to preserve this stuff.  Bert, JYU is doing some excellent work in that regard.  I have miles of tape from the 60's and need to do the same before the tape falls apart.  It takes a lot of time especially if you do any editing.  I think I will just let the tape roll and get it into the digital domain. Editing can come later.... 

Joe, GMS   


Title: Services for Dana, WA1HUM
Post by: W1JS on December 06, 2012, 10:31:21 PM
Hi Folks,

I received word today from Kathy about funeral arrangements for Dana Tremblay, WA1HUM: 

There will be a funeral service for Dana on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 11:00 AM at the Murray Universalist Church, 505 North Main St., Attleboro, MA   02703


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: KM1H on December 07, 2012, 11:42:33 AM
Was WA1GQE Gary from Acton, sure looks a lot like a guy I knew back in the 60's?


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on December 07, 2012, 03:19:56 PM
WA1GQE, was Bruce, a blind op from Western Mass. 


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: steve_qix on December 08, 2012, 04:36:10 PM
Somehow I just saw this post.  I absolutely cannot believe this.  Dana is part of the old AM guard from the late 60s/early 70s era.

Does anyone know what happened?  It's too unbelievable for words.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: WA3VJB on December 08, 2012, 04:59:02 PM
Steve it's been hard to take the loss of Dana, adding to the list of folks gone but never to be forgotten.

Your posting just now reminded me to fetch up the file card I kept on him, and while reading it I was taken back 20 years to when I first met him.  It sounds recent compared to you and others who've known him twice that long.

Some people just make an impression that goes deeper than you realize, until it's too late to tell them.

One note that I made -- married his childhood sweetheart, used to ride bikes around the neighborhood in the 1960s -- man that really got me. 


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W2PFY on December 08, 2012, 05:25:32 PM
Quote
Does anyone know what happened?  It's too unbelievable for words.

I would suggest you contact Tim HLR as he know the details. He explained the situation to me but I may not have the facts correct to post them here.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Ed-VA3ES on December 20, 2012, 01:31:09 PM
Wow!  Dana   was one of my first QSO's  soon after getting my ticket in 1969.   I was only on CW then,  but I did have a 3885 kc  crystal for my trusty  Heath AT-1, and worked  Dana  one early evening.  He replied back on AM.   

Very sad.


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: Todd, KA1KAQ on December 20, 2012, 09:13:43 PM
Draina was a fixture for years, like Deano/KLEE-N-X and so many others. I listened to them AAAAAWWLL the time as a JN. I suppose we're all reaching the crap out point faster than we'd care to think, but it seems like too many are leaving us too soon. We're supposed to live into our 80s-90s and be around long enough to annoy the youngsters. Guess there aren't many of them coming behind us anyhow.

At least he has a good crew to join up with once he gets where he's going. Fortunately he can live on through Jack's old photos and existing audio clips. You only die when you've been forgotten.



Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: WA1EIG on January 04, 2019, 12:05:22 PM
I have not been active for quite some time and just discovered this post.  Many of us spent many hours talking with Dana on 80 meters AM.  I see most of the old gang has posted about our loss.  I hope to connect with some of the old gang in the near future as I consider antenna options.  I am deeply sorry Dana won't be among the old friends.  RIP  buddy.
Gary
WA1EIG  in Maryland


Title: Re: WA1HUM SK
Post by: W1JS on January 04, 2019, 04:28:42 PM
Wow!  A callsign and blast from the past!   

Yep, we lost Dana 6 years ago last month.  Gotta admit I sometimes miss the middle of the night phone calls...   

Glad to see that you are still around and kicking, Gary! 

73,
Jack
W1JS (FKA: WA1ALM)
No. Weare NH 
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