Re: [IRCA] Importance of IF skirts + B FOXWORTH

["Bob Foxworth" <rfoxwor1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Bryant wrote,

> Bob,
> 
> Thank you very much for that superb note on the ITT Trans-Atlantic 
> operation....  I'll join you in mourning the passing of about 95% of 
> the SP-600s... gosh what a radio!

Thank you.

I wound up with a couple of them which had small various
problems, some of which I could fix without too much effort,
when that place closed. Sold them in 1990 when I moved and had
no place to put them. They sure did sound good. They came out of a
pile of SP-600's which had all crapped out in some way and were
just stored in a back room as the circuits went away and they
were no longer needed.

> Bob Foxworth, I've seen your name around the hobbies pretty much 
> since I got back in (1980) but this is the first time that we have 
> had e-contact.... I've been wanting to ask you a question.... As a 
> not-too-innocent 17 year-old, I went to the 1957 or '58 NRC 
> Convention in Findlay, Ohio (by train all the way from 
> Oklahoma).

My first convention was Omaha 1959, I had family pass mileage
on EAL and flew to STL, then a 12 hour train trip across MO
to Omaha.

Some younger folks on this list are likely asking "what's
a train ??" hi


>         There, I met two kindred spirits, freshmen or sophomores 
> in college, DXers from out on Long Island... Manhassett, as I 
> remember.  Anyway, we got along well (most everyone else was really 
> old, say in their 40s or even 50s) and we committed quite a few 
> misdemeanors together.  Anyway, they kept talking admiringly about 
> this really outstanding DXer from up the Hudson a little ways (as I 
> remember) and his name (as I remember) was Bob Foxworth.  Soon after 
> that convention, I got too involved with college, then marriage and 
> career and dropped out for 20 years.... THE QUESTIONS:  Was that you 
> they were talking about???  If so, what were their names and what 
> ever happened to them???? Prison, possibly???


If it was this early, and your reference is to the Hudson river,
this must surely be "the Croton Boys". One of them was Pete
Hansen, I think, and I can't recall the other, except that I think
his name was also Bob. They were accomplished DXers,
and had discovered things like sunset Brazilians in winter
on freqs like 1040, 1200 that were (then) otherwise totally
empty at sunset. 1958 was the era they would have been
active. I'd bet these are the two fellows you did meet there.

I don't think it could be me in any event. I joined the NRC in
1957, I was in about 9th grade then. I learned of NRC through
the column in the Newark (NJ) Sunday News every week
written by Irving R. Potts of the NNRC, which I had already
joined. This is the paper that broke upon the world the
news of the "DX test"  from Radio Nibi-Nibi  (long discussion
about David F Thomas will be omitted here) - along with
the news that Nibi-Nibi actually "was" on 615 kc/s.

Back then I lived in northern NJ. I've never lived in the Hudson
Valley, Those two fellows lived near Peekskill, I think.

Anyway my early productive DX years were, I suppose 1958
through 1960. Then I left high school and it was not until
the early seventies when I lived on LI that I got really active
again. I like to think that I did fairly well, I heard 49 states
and QSL'ed 48 (missing AK and ND though I've heard
KFNW-1200 in maybe 1987 from LI) and hrd about 85
countries and QSL'ed maybe a bit under half of that.
But I haven't aggressively DXed MW for the past 20 years.
After all the exciting stuff of so long ago, like a dozen-plus
Californians every Monday at 3 AM, it's a bit mundane
today, I guess.

I am not sure who it could have been in Manhasset that
you remember. I think there are two different events that
have been crosslinked somehow. I think Qal could
add something to this. (time for a /bin/fsck on the grey
matter).

I did Tropical band SW pretty heavily in the late 70's,
and belonged to TDXN Fine Tuning and for a while NU.
I was at several NUventions then,(77-80)  perhaps you
recall me from then as well. I still have a copy of
FT Proceedings (wish I had them all) which I believe
I had ordered from you in OK.

I also did a lot of ham radio in the late 50's. I got DXCC
in 1959. It's a miracle I ever finished high school. I
lost part of my hearing from all the loud CW I listened
to as a teenager, another reason I don't DX MW very
effectively any more. (The kids with Walkmans today
with the loud headsets will all understand this in about
the year 2020).

Speaking of prison, there have been several such cases.
The most notorious was Bill Prater of Tennessee, an
accomplished DXer, who went to prison for his involvement
in the Yablonski murder involving the United Mine Workers.

Another was Big George Kelley of Boston who had worked
at WHDH-850. He and his wife had such a disagreement
that she literally "went to pieces" (as was determined when
they dug up his cellar floor). This is what DXing does to
some people. It is recommended to drop out for long
stretches, as you and I have wisely done.

See,  this is why HD is (really) good for DXers. It will lead
to the long periods away from stressful AM DXing that 7
out of 10 doctors are now recommending. All part of the
HD rollout, as decreed by the Bund.

> Now I really better get back to work or that marriage I mentioned 
> might not survive!
> 
> John B.

Ha! My wife is camping at Myakka River state park this weekend
while I am safely indoors at home (I'll go with her next trip)

- Bob                         sent 0937 edt



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