[PaQSO] Ray

Sat Jan 9 15:15:27 EST 2016

I was living in Bucks County from 1994 to 2001 and was invited at some
point or another during that time, probably closer to 1996, to operate at
Grumpy Acres for Field Day.  I didn't know Ray at that time but Don Curtis,
W3LR, invited me.  Of course I got to know Ray along the way over the
nearly 20 years since, and was invited back to Grumpy Acres for many more
FD efforts.

Yes, my first time there, after quickly finishing off the 100 QSOs in the
GOTA station, I was then told to operate VHF on 6m and 2m from the horse
trailer.  Really?  Well, having grown up on a farm in Michigan I guess I
didn't notice the smell so much, but I did notice that the other
accommodations were much better!  I kept busy on other HF bands in future
years and didn't venture into the horse trailer again.  I also found that
operating the midnight to 8 AM shift was like "virtual air conditioning"
and was my preferred shift while The Grump was able to get some sleep.
Since moving to State College six years ago I sure have missed doing FD at
Grumpy Acres.

I was pleased to speak with Ray on the phone quite often over the past
couple of years since I moved from that area.  I am also quite pleased to
have taken a vacation day in August to drive out there to visit with him in
person one last time.  I've mostly modeled my own PA QSO Party operations
after what Ray has done for so many years, operating from a relatively rare
county to provide QSOs for those other participants, and often missing a
clean sweep myself (the county I operated from), but glad to be in a "rare
one" (especially Cameron, that was particularly popular!).  I hope to
continue the tradition for many years to come.  I was also glad to be a
participant and co-chairman (with Pete, NL7XM) of the 2014 PA QSO Party
Bonus Station effort for the multi-county W3TDF/xxx effort.  I was so glad
that event turned out as well as it did.

Like many others, my last QSO in the logbook with him was for the PA QSO
Party this past year.  Certainly the singular highlight of the 2015 PAQP
for me!  I was glad to hear so many folks calling Ray as well.  I'm sure he
really enjoyed his limited time on the air for that.

I'll sure miss Ray, but I wouldn't be as active in PAQP had I not gotten to
know him!  Thanks Ray!

73 and BCNU!

Mark, NK8Q

On Sat, Jan 9, 2016 at 2:01 PM, Steven Stepansky <sstepa at verizon.net> wrote:

> I did FD duty in that horse trailer years ago and I'm not sure rank
> describes it all that well,,,it was beyond rank. K3ANS introduced me to
> Ray. It took some time for me kind of figure Ray out and afterwards, he was
> quite the character to be around and I mean that with full respect.  Last
> spoke to Ray in early October and he told me he knew the end was near but
> still geared up for PA QSO and a few other radio interests he wanted to do.
> I think ham radio kept him going.
> Rest in Peace Ray.
> 73,
> SteveKC3WX
>
>
>       From: "k3cc at verizon.net" <k3cc at verizon.net>
>  To: paqso at mailman.qth.net
>  Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2016 1:25 PM
>  Subject: Re: [PaQSO] Ray
>
> I knew Ray for many years...  Almost 50 if counting numbers...He was a
> fantastic husband, loved his wife dearly...  Ham radio, CW was his thing.
> I never could use his bug...I have a lot of stories but many can't be
> printed....  He visited us one day when our red and black plums were just
> ripe.
> Ray was going to make plum preserves... So he started in the orchard among
> the yellow jackets and bees....They never bothered him...But  he
> ate as many very ripe plums as he picked....We lived in Kempton, PA about
> 50
> miles from Ray.....I'll leave it to imagination as to what happened
> on the way home...One Thanksgiving, my wife and I had made a turkey and ham
> for Thanksgiving...We had a very large home and a table that
> seated 12....and a kitchen table....Someone started on the 2 meter repeater
> and the next ting there was 8 hams and their partners...Ray and a woman
> from South America, Bob Wf3h and wife, N3IYX, K3ANS and Hope, and a few I
> don't remember....that came to dinner....What a fun day that was..
> If you can imagine abt 10 hams in one place and their wives in with Jean my
> wife...Field Days,  20 meters that was Ray's...  The QCWA worked FD
> at Ray's place in Springtown, PA and I remember  my station was in a very
> HOT bread truck...I don't know who got stuck in the
> Horse trailer but in was rank.  FD at night  W3LR's wife would bring us hot
> Hobo stew  great food....For some reason a lot of our time was spent
> eating.
> QCWA picnic's,  W3OK Picnic's , saturday's picnic just for fun....
> In some cases Ray was like a father to me.....and I was that thorn in his
> shoe !
>
> de Skip  K3CC
>
>
> ---
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