[ADXA] Suitland Island - Don Miller - DXCC deliberations, etc

[Dennis Schaefer]

My Don Miller story:  When I was a teenager getting started in ham radio, I wasn’t sure where my interests would take me.  Like everyone else, I cruised for DX just because it was DX.  One day, I heard Don at 5W1AD running a CW pileup.  I was hooked!  Many years later, I saw a short fellow standing off to the side before the DX forum at Dayton.  His name tag said “W9WNV”.  I went over and talked to him for a few minutes and he was very gracious.  I told him his CW operation at 5W1 had inspired me to be a DX chaser.   Pat took a picture of me with Don.   We all know what transpired, and his lapses in character, but I have to give him credit for shaping my ham radio interests.

Dennis

> On Nov 19, 2021, at 10:06 AM, Sandy Hutson <k5yy1 at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>    I might have known YOU would come up with the scenario about Suitland Island, Rick.. LOL
>   It was just a few months before one of my planned DX trips to the Pacific area, and I looked into finding out more and possibly going there on my 1983 trip. My problem at the time was that the “islands” around KH6 were so far from my 9M6, 9V1 and VS5YY stopping points. Then the ‘pirate’ information came out in a few weeks. I was SO happy. 
>   This was about the time I was still DXAC Chairman at the ARRL and had some “inside info” as did committeeman W0SR, Jim..  We had worked hard at the time on DXCC rules governing the 225 mile and 500 mile rules for adding a new DXCC entity and considered separation by another DXCC entity, pertaining mainly to Pacific island groups to add as a separate DXCC counter. Fun days, sorta. Took a lot of our time each week in correspondence by phone, etc. FUV will know about some of these deliberations in his review of older data when he got to his ARRL new job.
>   Everyone have a good weekend and keep looking for a “possible new one” on your maps. Look what W9WNV did to disrupt things!!  The young crowd will not know much about Don Miller and the crazy days of his arguing with the ARRL DXCC program about adding a couple of “new ones” to the DXCC list. Was he there?  Did the places exist?  Permissions?  He was at a “? place” once that was under water by 100 feet, every hour of every day for centuries!! LOL 😊  He was a Collins collector (another story) and stayed in jail for many years for issues with his wife and when he appeared in Visalia a few years ago at a DX forum, the LARGEST DX forum I have ever seen happened. You should have heard the crowd questions of Don and some DXers there still refused to talk to him… What a day that was. Have 2 photos of Miller and me together that day..
> He was a friend of sorts, dating back to two Memphis TN visits to a big-time DXer’s estate in the 1970s.   Sorry for long comments! But minimum DX on now to chase. HI 
>    Rick AI5P, TU again for your input!!!  There an island called “Sweetland” near Hawaii. Wanna try a trip there???   Only problem is its being under water 24 hrs a day!! 😃 👍
> San YY
>  
>  
> Sent from Mail for Windows
>  
> From: Richard Harris
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2021 8:38 AM
> To: adxa
> Cc: Richard Harris
> Subject: [ADXA] Suitland Island - KJ6DO/KH7S
>  
> San, it was Sept 18-19, 1982. I consider this the best "pirate"
> operation ever pulled off - they/he/she? even sent out QSL
> cards via the buro. Loved the remarks on the back of the card!
> One of the great rumors was that it was
> a shipboard operation. Also a CIA operation since Suitland,
> Maryland, was their headquarters (? Not sure about that).
> As far as I know, the ops were never identified - boy, can
> they keep a secret hi.... 73 Rick AI5P
>  
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