Does anyone remember these guys?

[wa2dtw]

Back in the early to mid '80's, there were two AMers who had almost nightly QSO's on 75 meters.  They had incredibly strong signals in Northern NJ.  One was in Ann Arbor MI, and the other was in Western PA.  I don't remember their calls, or know if they are still on.
Does anyone remember?

Thanks, 73 and Happy New Year

Steve WA2DTW

[WA3VJB]

The Ann Arbor station might have been Jack WA8AHB, but he would only have been going on about Tesla. Jack did not need anyone to talk with. So I don't know the other station, if any.



Jack said:
"We are not talking about an obscure inventor lost in history, nor are we talking about a mad scientist who performed magic."

[wa2dtw]

Yes, Paul.  That's him!  I remember Tesla very well now. 
Does anyone remember the PA half?   They were usually the only QSO on AM (audible in Northern NJ with poor antenna) in those days.
Thanks and 73
Steve WA2DTW

[Pete, WA2CWA]

There was a guy from Pittsburgh, who if still alive, is probably in his upper 80's. He had a homebrew transmitter in adjacent room to his shack and used a camera mounted in front of his meters to view meter action on a monitor in the shack. I believe he was also a musician and/or somehow involved with the music industry. Normally heard him during the late evening hours and sometimes talking to Ed, WA3PUN. He had a W3C** call I think. He always put a good signal into NJ.

[WA3VJB]

Dick, W3NCC, who turns 90 in 2007

[AB3L]

I traced Richard down for someone who had brought him up here last year, oh ya, your welcome for the effort by the way....... Took two days of driving around after work but finally found him. His listing on QRZ is slightly incorrect which added to the search. Turns out he is about a mile from me.

About three months ago I was contacted by another guy apparantly from this list who wanted to contact him for a NYU ham club story. I believe he is the oldest living member.

I remember him telling me that he was involved with KDKA and worked with the studio orchestra part of things back in the early days.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

That's Richard.

Dick, W3NCC, who turns 90 in 2007

[W1RKW]

It's been some time now and it just occurred to me, I have not heard WA3PUN on the air. Anyone know what's up with Ed?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I heard Ed on 75 late one evening several weeks ago. Sounds fine and very busy.

And W3NCC was the person I had in mind.

[N3DRB The Derb]

NCC used to get on very late night as I used to, so we talked many times. His rig had/has 3-500Z's in it in both mod and finals IIRC. Glad to hear he is still around.

[k4kyv]

I suspect it was Ed WA3PUN you heard talking to Jack.  They used to go on for hours, night after night.

I visited Jack as he was building the homebrew rig shown in the photo.  He got the swinging choke in the power supply from me.  I spent the weekend up there.  The purpose of the trip was to sort through the estate of W8ZO.  I published the findings, and his son told me a few months later that he had found takers for the whole basement full of vintage homebrew rigs.  Of course in the deal, I got to pick through the stuff first, and came away mostly with early radio books and magazines.

I never heard Jack on the air much after he sold his KW-1 and put the homebrew rig on the air.  IIRC, the HB rig was a pair of 833A's modulated by another pair.

[wa2dtw]

Many thanks to everyone who helped solve this mystery.
73 and Happy New Year
Steve