The AM Forum

Just received word that Doug, VE4BX just passed away :'(

Gwen was with dad this afternoon about 5:00PM.
He suddenly sat up and said "come on,  lets go!"
He proceeded to get out of bed and collapsed.
The head nurse said he had stopped breathing and was unconcious,
but when they placed him back in bed he began to breathe again.
He never regained conciousness and very quietly stopped breathing
about 10:45 PM Satuday night Aug 29 2009.
 
Dad was once called the AM voice of Canada,
now VE4BX is now the AM voice of heaven.
 
Ralph VE4AS
1st harmonic
Edgar
2nd harmonic
Harold
3rd harmonic
Colleen
4th harmonic
 
9 Grandchildren
and about 8 great grandchildren (have to ask my wife for a head count because I'm guessing)

I had enjoyed many QSO's with him on 10 meter AM in the late 80's - always a booming signal!
His presence will be missed.
Greg, N1exi

A man that will be missed. I worked him on ten and 20 meters. I often heard him on 40 meters but never worked him on that band. He loved to home brew. One rig used 4X150's as modulators but I forgot what was in the final.

Big 73's Doug.

I last worked Doug on 160 last winter.
A 1,000 mile trip from here.
Doug was a Real Radioman.
He will be missed.

From QRZ:

I have worked Doug countless times  each on 160, 75, 40, 20 and 10m.

I like to believe I was partly responsible for his getting on the air back in the early 70's.  I first worked him on 20m when he was running about 100w, either to a DX-100 or a homebrew rig.  He said he was interested in getting something with more power on the air, but wasn't sure what tubes or what circuit to use.  After a considerable amount of discussion on the topic, he mentioned having some 813's on hand, and I suggested that he tie the screens and control grids together and run the 813's as class-B zero-bias triodes.  A few weeks later I worked him and he had a more strapping signal.  He indicated that was what he was running, and he thanked me for the suggestion.  Don't remember what he was using in the final.  But his success with that rig really got him fired up about AM.

We pretty well kept in regular contact all those years.  I worked him a couple of times this past winter on 75.  The last time we talked he told me he was more or less permanently hooked up on oxygen.

He and Ashtabula Bill used stay in contact.  Wonder if Bill knows about his passing.  This most certainly leaves a void in the AM community.

I’m sorry to see him go. I remember hearing him and Ashtabula Bill in QSO on 75 meters in the mid-70s. At that time Doug was the most distant AMer I'd ever heard. He had a huge signal and it was a pleasure to talking him on 75 and 40 meters.

He will be missed. Condolences to his family.

Sad to see another one go. Used to work him afternoons during 1999-2000 on 14.286 where he and Ashtabula Bill were "AM icons". Doug put a big signal into California from Hamiota, Manitoba thanks to his HB rig. Talked a lot about his home brew open wire feeders. I believe I even have his QSL card somewhere.

Man, that's sad!    Used to work him regularly on 20 AM.  Guess I'll be treasuring his QSL card now.

sad to hear of this.

His last words give cause for sober thought.

Indeed.

My sincerest condolences to his family and friends. (http://forum.goregasm.com/images/smilies/rose.gif)†(http://forum.goregasm.com/images/smilies/rose.gif)

What a wonderful guy. I would crack a smile everytime he was on the air. He was full of good amusing stories.
He will certainly be missed.  My sincere condolences go out to his family.

Had some great QSO's with him on 10M AM when I lived in Los Angeles (2000-02).  Always put fantastic signal into So CA.  Will be missed for sure.