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Author Topic: Famous DXers  (Read 839 times)

G0HVQ

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2022, 01:57:17 AM »

This is a list of famous hams who may or may not be DXers...  https://www.qsl.net/w5www/famous.html

It was nice to see Jimmy Treybig W6JKV in that list: as a 6m DXer, Jimmy gave me many new DXCCs with his travels around the Caribbean in the 80s and 90s. He used to host a big 6m BBQ too with 6m DXers from all around the world attending, sadly I never made it over. It was only later I realised the Tandem connection: I used to work on their systems many years ago. Anyone know where he is now, haven't seen his call for a long time?
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NI0C

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2022, 03:46:51 AM »

When the only ham who ever worked every entity isn’t generally included on these lists, it makes the definition of “famous” rather silly.

I intentionally omit his call and wonder how many might know it/him.
I believe you are referring to W1GKK.
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W5EC

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2022, 05:20:12 AM »

Wow! Those are impressive lists. The CQ DX Hall of Fame is more like what I was looking for.
I worked many of those for ATNOs. I remember working some fraudsters too.
Good memories.
Bill W5EC  #1 Honor Roll
Chasing DX for 68 years
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K1VSK

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2022, 07:03:58 AM »

When the only ham who ever worked every entity isn’t generally included on these lists, it makes the definition of “famous” rather silly.

I intentionally omit his call and wonder how many might know it/him.
I believe you are referring to W1GKK.
Dan W1GKK was on top of the list for some time but not the one to whom I referred who has the distinction of th only DXer who worked  them all. Hint - he withdrew from the DXCC because Don Miller tried to manipulate the top of the Honor Roll listing by refusing to work him and the ARRL didn’t discredit Miller’s activities until years later.
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K4HB

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2022, 07:31:20 AM »

  The second photo none other than Samuel Morse...........I bet if the second photo was of Kim Kardashian or that guy who sells pillows on TV EVERYONE would know who it is.  :)

That one really got me. As with Marconi, I remembered Morse by his younger pics. Don't really know why, maybe those were the pics in my early science books. One reason I thought it was de Champs was the military medals. Couldn't figure out why Morse, an American, would be wearing old European military medals. Wikipedia explains it, and lists the names of the medals. They are apparently civilian medals that were awarded to him by several European countries. I'm grateful to all the pioneers who paved the way for what we enjoy today and take for granted.
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K4HB

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2022, 08:04:40 AM »

It was nice to see Jimmy Treybig W6JKV in that list: as a 6m DXer, Jimmy gave me many new DXCCs with his travels around the Caribbean in the 80s and 90s. He used to host a big 6m BBQ too with 6m DXers from all around the world attending, sadly I never made it over. It was only later I realised the Tandem connection: I used to work on their systems many years ago. Anyone know where he is now, haven't seen his call for a long time?

That name and call sign looked very familiar. I worked him on 6M on 4 Caribbean islands from 2004-2011. There's more about him on Wikipedia. This bigass 6M Yagi was built for him and named after him. 6M11JKV All I can say is WOW! Imagine two of those babes stacked, a 6M op's dream. He is still listed on the Zed as being in Texas, with the last update in 2015.
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K1JX

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2022, 09:24:39 AM »

I believe you are referring to W1GKK.
Nah.  It was the great Charlie Mellen.  Really nice guy.
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K1JX

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2022, 09:36:10 AM »

I'll add some nominations for famous DX'er:

W6AM
W1FH (see above)
AC4YN
W1BIH
K7ZZ
K3ZO
K4GKD
W2PV
W3CRA
W4QM
W2QHH
W1TS

There's a dozen.  Some were stateside DX'ers, some were the DX, and a couple were not only the DX, but operated under some hair raising conditions.
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K1VSK

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2022, 10:10:39 AM »

I believe you are referring to W1GKK.
Nah.  It was the great Charlie Mellen.  Really nice guy.

Correct!

Any list which omits him is fundamentally flawed.
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K5YDD

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2022, 10:30:44 AM »

Let's not forget W9WNV, Don Miller.  No matter how you feel about him -- famous.

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K4HB

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #25 on: December 28, 2022, 11:54:01 AM »

Let's not forget W9WNV, Don Miller.  No matter how you feel about him -- famous.

Love him or hate him, he is a pioneer DXpeditioner and famous. He was interviewed by Martti Laine in Helsinki and answered a lot of questions. These videos are in 5 parts...  Martti Laine interviews Don Miller
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VA3VF

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #26 on: December 28, 2022, 12:12:35 PM »

Quote
Love him or hate him, he is a pioneer DXpeditioner and famous. He was interviewed by Martti Laine in Helsinki and answered a lot of questions. These videos are in 5 parts...

I watched those when they were first released.

I purchased CQ Magazine's 50th Anniversary Reproduction of Don Miller's The Amateur Radio DX Handbook. It must have been a tremendous hit way back when, only for nostalgia moments now.

I'm always on the lookout for these kinds of books. There is one by a pioneer on Topband that I had been looking for a long time. It was expensive as heck the few times they were available for sale on the used books sites. Unfortunately I cannot remember either the author or the books title. Looking for reminders, so I can start monitoring the sites again. :)
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KJ4Z

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #27 on: December 28, 2022, 12:20:04 PM »

Love him or hate him, he is a pioneer DXpeditioner and famous. He was interviewed by Martti Laine in Helsinki and answered a lot of questions. These videos are in 5 parts...  Martti Laine interviews Don Miller

Thanks for sharing these.  I look forward to watching.  My introduction to W9WNV was back in college, circa 2000, when I read a pair of republished WA6AUD articles (https://www.ve1dx.net/Stories/WA6AUD001.html and https://www.ve1dx.net/Stories/WA6AUD002.html).  I was at the age when impressionability and the influence of romantic ideas were at their peak, and I enjoyed imagining what it must have been like to chase Don around the radio in those days.  I was also inspired to look up the book "Lost Islands" by Henry Stommel, referenced in the second article, which was then rare but my university library had a copy.  Fantastic and now back in print, and available on Kindle.  Highly recommended.

I had the pleasure of meeting Don for a minute at Visalia in 2015 (I think).  Whatever his failings, he apparently created a lot of our modern DX traditions.
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K4HB

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #28 on: December 28, 2022, 12:41:58 PM »

I'm always on the lookout for these kinds of books. There is one by a pioneer on Topband that I had been looking for a long time. It was expensive as heck the few times they were available for sale on the used books sites. Unfortunately I cannot remember either the author or the books title. Looking for reminders, so I can start monitoring the sites again. :)

Not sure what you're looking for, I have DXing on the Edge by K1ZM/VY2ZM, the 1997 edition and 2017 edition.
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VA3VF

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Re: Famous DXers
« Reply #29 on: December 28, 2022, 12:49:19 PM »

Not sure what you're looking for, I have DXing on the Edge by K1ZM/VY2ZM, the 1997 edition and 2017 edition.

I have that, great read. The one I'm referring to is from the 60 or 70's. Hardcover and less than 200 pages, if my memory serves.
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