[AMRadio] AM Icon Joe Cro N3IBX

[John Dilks]

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   Joe Cro, N3IBX, after a long night on 75 with his HT-4 model H.


Profile: Joe Cro, N3IBX


Known best as “Vortex Joe,” N3IBX says, “Anything within a
500-mile radius of my house, that has a vacuum tube in it, gets sucked into my
basement shack—never to see the light of day again!”


Joe lives near Philadelphia; and enjoys collecting, working on, modifying,
restoring, and using vintage Amateur Radio equipment and old broadcast
transmitters. He loves to bring something back to life that has remained forgotten
or neglected, and use it on the air again. He says he runs a “Boatanchor
Hospice.”


Joe operates mostly on AM in the following bands:
160 (1885 kHz), 75 (3875-3885) and 40 (7290-7295). He has 15 operating
positions in his cellar, each with its own separate transmitter and receiver.
Each is linked to a variety of antenna tuners for every band. His antenna
lineup is a 260-foot 160-meter flattop at
85 feet, a 61-foot 1/4-wave ground plane at 85 feet for 75 meters, a 61.5-foot
1/2-wave sloper for 40 meters, a homebrew G5RV, a 20 meter dipole, a 17.5
foot vertical for 10 meters, a 4 element quad for 6 meters and a 7 element
quad for 2 meters.


His big antenna is a military inverted V, 110 feet total length, center fed
through a 9:1 balun. Each leg is terminated into a 150 Ω resistor driven into
the ground. It is resonant from 1500 kHz to 46 MHz.
Joe’s motto is: The bigger it is, and the more it weighs, the better it will work!


73, John Dilks, K2TQN

Web Site - www.k2tqn.com
__ Retired - Now writing for Electric Radio Magazine
_____ Former Editor Vintage Radio Column, QST Magazine 2000-2014
________ Having fun smelling hot rosin and solder again

Obit: Joseph M. Cro, age 60, of Washington Crossing, PA, passed away suddenly on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, PA.  Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Cro lived in Yardley before moving to Washington Crossing 21 years ago.

Prior to his retirement, he had been employed as a resource controller for SEPTA for 27 years.  Joseph was a ham radio enthusiast, and enjoyed collecting, building, and operating ham radios.  He was a member of the Antique Wireless Association and the American Radio Relay League.  Mr. Cro was a Mason, belonging to the Athelton/Lamberton Lodge F. & A.M.  He liked older cars, but really loved his six cats.

Son of the late Louis J. Cro, he is survived by his wife Jocelyn B. (Fritsch) Cro, his mother Antoinette (Cairone) Cro, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws.

Relatives and friends are invited to Celebrate his Memorial Mass at 11 AM on Friday, April 26, 2019 at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, 201 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Morrisville, PA.  Interment of his cremated remains will follow in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call Friday morning from 9:30 - 10:30 AM at the J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, 41 W. Trenton Ave., Morrisville, PA  19067.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to St. Mary Medical Center, http://www.stmaryhealthcare.org/

 

> On April 20, 2019 at 9:55 AM Mike Sawyer via AMRadio <amradio at mailman.qth.net mailto:amradio at mailman.qth.net > wrote:
> 
> 
>     It is with the saddest of heart that I must announce the passing of
>     'Vortex' Joe Cro, N3IBX. He passed away while down in the basement with his
>     radios. Joe has to have been one of the most friendliest man on AM radio.
>     His pleasant voice and willingness to help someone is beyond comprehension.
>     I will pass along service information when I receive them.
> 
>     Mod-U-Lator,
>     Mike(y)/W3SLK
> 
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