[ADXA] Ex ADXA Member Eyeball

[Howard Patterson]

I attended the ARVARF Hamfest in Russellville on Saturday and had a nice
visit with a couple of DX'ers who were ADXA members back in the '80s.  I was
touring the outdoor flea market and started visiting with a fellow who had a
TIC Ring rotor for sale.  It was Ray, KB5DO, who lives in Booneville and has
Force 12 80M and 40M beams.  Ray lives on a place with 2 acres now and says
he is finding it difficult to take care of it all and needs to "downsize".
While we were talking, Jim, K5JUC, joined us.  Jim is from Fort Smith and
told me his story of working DXCC on 160M with a "wet noodle"!  He had a
short, loaded, sloper hanging off this tower for 160M.  He said when he
finally achieved DXCC on 160M he never used the band again.."been there-done
that" listened to all the static I ever want to hear.  Ray and Jim talked
about the "ringer list/network" used by ADXA for passing DX spots before VHF
packet clusters and the Internet came along.  They both made the comment
that ADXA was a great club if you lived in Little Rock.  I told them that
issues had been discussed for years and there just doesn't appear to be a
solution.  I mentioned that clubs like LSDXA manage to attract member from
all over Texas and surrounding states so the Arkansas geography shouldn't be
an issue.  They told a few stories on folks like W5SJ, K5UR, K5OVC, K9GKN
(W5GO), W5TIZ, etc..it was all good guys.

 

There was a good contingent of ADXA folks at the hamfest.  I bumped into
Dennis, W5RZ; Frank, N7FF ( who has achieved DXCC status!); David, K5UZ;
Glenn, N5RN;  Earl, N5ZM (Glenn and I witnessed Earl spending
money.something as rare as a P5); and Daryl, N5VLZ.  

 

The ARVARF hamfest is one my favorites..they really do a good job.  If you
haven't been you should put it on your list for next year.

 

73,

Pat, W5VY