Tribute to Al Hix W8AH

Tribute to Albert H. Hix W8BT, W8PQQ, W8AH
1917 - June 25, 2003

| Read the tribute to Al Hix W8AH by Bob Ballantine W8SU |

Al Hix W8PQQ, W2MWY 1958
W8OCT photo from Don Chesser W4KVX DX Bulletin #63, Feb.17, 1959

From Left: Al Hix W8PQQ (W8AH), Harold Striker W8WZ, Danny Weil VP2VB. Photo taken at Dayton Hamvention 1958. Courtesy of K8MFO

Al W8PQQ from Don Chesser DX Magazine #73, June 9, 1959
Photo by W8OCT

W8AH, VK3EW at the Dayton Hamvention 2000
K8CX Photo

W2FT, W8HYX, W8AH at the Dayton Hamvention 2000
K8CX Photo

W3GH, W8AH, W3AZD at the Dayton Hamvention 2002
K8CX Photo

Al Hix W8PQQ 1946 Charleston, WV
W8PQQ QSL from the estate of W3EPR

The #1 QSO for Al Hix, W8PQQ was logged on November 9, 1935 at 10:58 AM, a 12-minute QSO with W8OIH. Yes, QSO start and end times were required as were ANY other time you keyed the transmitter. Al's first logbook includes many, many CQ entries without establishing a QSO. Al's very first logged contact was naturally a CW (A1) QSO on "approximate" 3750 KC. W8OIH was given a 337 RST and W8PQQ received a 449 report. In the comment column in Al's log he recorded, "FIRST QSO POMEROY OHIO". The very last QSO logged by Al Hix, W8AH was a CW QSO at 0343 UTC on June 10, 2003. It was with UU8JG on 14 Mhz and both stations gave each other 599 reports. The only comment for this QSO by Al was, "Nick." Who would even attempt to guess how many QSOs were logged between that first QSO with W8OIH on November 9, 1935 and Al's final QSO with UU8JG on June 10, 2003? Information courtesy of Hal Turley W8HC

7B4QF Andorra operation was from June 23 to June 26, 1951
QSL courtesy of W8HC

3A2AC 1951 Monaco by Al Hix W8PQQ and ON4QF
3A2AC from June 27 to July 5, 1951
QSL courtesy of W5ODD, from the estate of W5JC

PX1AR 1951 Andorra by Al Hix W8PQQ and Warren Snyder W0HZA
First authorized operation in Andorra
QSL courtesy of W5ODD, from the estate of W5JC

F7AR 1951 France by Captain Albert H. Hix W8PQQ
F7 callsigns were issued to ham operators belonging to NATO forces that operated in France between the end of WWII and middle 1964.
QSL courtesy of W5KNE, from the estate of W5KC

Al Hix W8BT 1972 Charleston, West Virginia
QSL courtesy of W8JYZ & W8SU

AC8BT/AJ4 1976 Puerto Rico
Al using the United States Bicentennial callsign prefix
QSL from the estate of W3EVW

W8AH 1978 Charleston, West Virginia
QSL courtesy of W8SU

W8AH QSL courtesy of W8HC

Al had 10 footlockers filled with close to 135,000 cards. The cards went to the Museum of Radio and Technology in Huntington, West Virginia.
Then was sold to Erik Andersen K9EU

Al was also a member of the West Virginia DX Association (WVDXA).

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