Ralph Emerson, W7WE has been a friend of mine since the 1970's when we were first introduced. At that time he was an avid DX'er, but now prefers to have interesting cw conversations.
Once we set up a travel trailer in remote central Nevada and provided some excitement to the county hunters, as there were no amateur radio operators in that county in the late 1970's.
He also assisted me with my application to Stanford University. We took a trip to the Bay Area to see the Stanford University Engineering Department. That is where I met Dr. Oswald G. Villard (W6QYT SK 1/7/2004), a pioneer in long-distance radio communication. Dr. Villard was working for Standford Research Institute on "over-the-horizon" radar as well as stealth techniques to prevent detection of our aircraft and submarines. He also developed techniques for preventing Soviet jammers from blocking Voice of America transmission to Soviet-dominated countries. During my four years at Stanford where I become the president of W6YX, I had many opportunities to socialize with Dr. Villard (or Mike as he preferred to be called).
I continue to frequently chat with Ralph on the phone or in person regarding various amateur radio projects. Now and then, when I am well rested, I let him give me a "cw workout" on the air.
Once we set up a travel trailer in remote central Nevada and provided some excitement to the county hunters, as there were no amateur radio operators in that county in the late 1970's.
He also assisted me with my application to Stanford University. We took a trip to the Bay Area to see the Stanford University Engineering Department. That is where I met Dr. Oswald G. Villard (W6QYT SK 1/7/2004), a pioneer in long-distance radio communication. Dr. Villard was working for Standford Research Institute on "over-the-horizon" radar as well as stealth techniques to prevent detection of our aircraft and submarines. He also developed techniques for preventing Soviet jammers from blocking Voice of America transmission to Soviet-dominated countries. During my four years at Stanford where I become the president of W6YX, I had many opportunities to socialize with Dr. Villard (or Mike as he preferred to be called).
I continue to frequently chat with Ralph on the phone or in person regarding various amateur radio projects. Now and then, when I am well rested, I let him give me a "cw workout" on the air.
Ralph Emerson, W7WE
Oswald Garrison "Mike" Villard, W6QYT/SK
Tom Barnes, N7OVC, has been a good friend for years. I have many fond memories of camping trips and 4-wheeling adventures during our teens which almost always involved radios. We usually chat several times a week, either by telephone or by VHF/UHF simplex frequencies. Tom is a jack of all trades and has the ability to work out mechanical problems in his head and come up with novel solutions (e.g. the tower dolly in my antenna section). He and I now share the same frustration of getting older and realizing that our minds are willing, but our bodies aren't quite up to the task!
Dave Metts, K7UI, introduced me to the world of mountain top repeater systems and VHF/UHF contesting. We met shortly after I returned to Reno, around 1990. He was the ring leader of what we called the "Spectrum Inefficient Radio Club", since the repeater to "member" ratio was about 1:1. Of course, they were all repeaters he placed at his various communication sites.
For many years we made the sojourn to Fox Mountain for the June VHF Contest, usually using the callsign N7LQ (Shawn Tayler). However, everyone seemed to get busier over time and the annual event was sacrificed.
Dave now keeps quite busy building and maintaining microwave communication sites throughout the state: http://www.highsierracomm.com/. He is seen in this photograph in a rare state of relaxation!
For many years we made the sojourn to Fox Mountain for the June VHF Contest, usually using the callsign N7LQ (Shawn Tayler). However, everyone seemed to get busier over time and the annual event was sacrificed.
Dave now keeps quite busy building and maintaining microwave communication sites throughout the state: http://www.highsierracomm.com/. He is seen in this photograph in a rare state of relaxation!
Shawn Tayler, N7LQ is another member of the "Spectrum Inefficient Radio Club" of the 1990's. He and Dave originally worked together for Washoe County Telecommunications. Shawn is now the Radio Network Administrator for the Washoe County Regional Communications System. He is a communications brainiac who like Dave quickly gets my mind twisted when talking about his work. I need to find a picture of Shawn for inclusion on my site.
Tom Barnes, N7OVC
Dave Metts, K7UI
