Tribute to Paul Bittner

Tribute to Paul E. Bittner W0AIH
December 25, 1933 - October 31, 2018

1962 ARRL DX Contest from Canada

Sunset at "The Farm"

If you want to add comments to this tribute, send them to me!

From Paul's QRZ.com page:
I have been on the air since 1949, all with the call W0AIH. My main operating activity is multi-multi contesting from my QTH in west-central Wisconsin, known around the Upper Midwest as "The Farm". My wife Mary, WB0PXM, and I moved to our 120 acre farm in the country in 2000. Finally - NO TVI - no neighbor closer than 1/2 mile!

I am a retired Lutheran Minister having served my first four years in Ontario; then in Virgina, MN; then Grand Island, NE; and finally Fall Creek, WI. I retired on Pentecost 2000.

Towers & antennas started growing at the Farm in 1982. Almost all the towers are retired from broadcast service and then taken down by me and moved to the Farm. My favorite band is 160M; W1BB got me started when I was living in Ontario, and he found out that I had 160M capability with my Johnson Ranger and Collins 75A4. From 1958-1962 I operated as W0AIH/VE3, and 160M has been "my band" ever since. My favorite contest is CQ WorldWide CW!

11/01/2018 - from ARRL News:
The Reverend Paul Bittner, W0AIH, of Fall Creek, Wisconsin, died doing what he loved on October 31, 2018 when a tower-climbing mishap claimed his life at his well-known antenna farm.

The ARRL Life Member and Maxim Society member was 84. A member of the CQ Contesting Hall of Fame and retired Lutheran pastor, Bittner was a well-known and respected figure within the Amateur Radio community and a prolific contester and DXer. His call sign was nearly always present in most major operating events, and even in a few lesser-known contests, and news of his tragic death and condolences and accolades quickly spread among those who knew him best.

No one was more generous, loving, and encouraging to others than the Reverend Paul Bittner,” said Mike Lonneke, W4AAW, in a post to the Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC). “He called me last week to chat about what he and Mary were up to, like getting material together for their always long and hilarious Christmas newsletter. He also knocked me out with the latest of his funny experiences in his ‘Rent-a-Rev’ sideline.” Bittner officiated at the June 2 wedding of two well-known midwestern contesters.

Bittner was licensed in 1949 and held the same call sign ever since. He and his wife, Mary, WB0PXM, moved in 2000 to “The Farm,” a 120-acre spread in west-central Wisconsin. The first of the more than 50 towers began sprouting there before their arrival in 1982. As a ham, he enjoyed multi-multi contesting and DXing. His favorite band was 160 meters, and his favorite contest was the CQ World Wide DX CW Contest. Bittner’s son-in-law — Paul Husby, W0UC — operated VHF contests from The Farm and was a multi-multi regular as well.

His station stands as a great monument to a selfless man of great grace and remarkable achievements,” Lonneke said. “Paul once told me that AIH stands for ‘Already In Heaven.

Contester and former ARRL staffer Dave Patton, NN1N, described Bittner as “such a good man and truly great ham.” W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, noted that Bittner had volunteered to operate as W1AW/9 as a headquarters station in the 2019 IARU HF Championship to celebrate his decades in ham radio.

NCJ Editor Scott Wright, K0MD, said that Bittner helped to build stations for many midwestern hams. “He was a mentor to hundreds of hams, and his enthusiasm for contesting was infectious,” Wright said. Bittner had said he wanted to be buried with a bible, a telegraph key, and a climbing belt.

Thank you for giving so much of yourself to me and the rest of the ham community,” said contester KA9FOX Scott Neader. We will never forget you.”

Other threads on QRZ appeared first at these links, but I feel that Paul deserves to be on the QRZed front page too.
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/rev-paul-bittner-w0aih-sk.633238 /
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/rip-w0aih-paul-bittner.633244/

It's hard to believe that my friend Paul is now Silent Key from doing what he loved, working on towers. Paul had the ultimate station and antenna farm. It was always great to see Paul at Dayton each year. He would always say the prayer at the Contest Dinner. I remember a conversation I had with Paul at Dayton in 2017. He had just put up his 3 element 80 meter beam and he was telling me all about it. He was so proud of this amazing achievement of this ultimate project. I was very impressed at his ability to do such a project. Looking at photos of his antenna farm of over 50 towers, Paul had lots of experience with towers and antennas. I always heard Paul on in the DX contests, usually running multi-multi. He had the biggest signal from the midwest.
Take a look at the photos I took of Paul at the various Dayton Hamvention gatherings and some photos he sent me a few years ago.
Tom K8CX

Photos Paul sent me:

WB0PXM, W0AIH

W0AIH Office Station

Some of the antenna farm!

3 Element 80 Meter Beam now at 140'.

Info courtesy of ARRL, web story here!
Other info courtesy of W0PV, K8CX, NN1N, K0MD, W4AAW, KA9FOX
Photos, QSL Cards K8CX Collection
Sunset & shack photo from W0AIH Homepage