Many Remembrances of
W8BKP
by Jack Bennett – W8WEN
More of W8WEN’s recollections of W8BKP follow:
George gave me the dimensions of his 4 element 10meter Yagi antenna. He also made a 3 element version that he used on 20 meters. I recall seeing it in the backyard of his Washingtonville, Ohio home. It was only about 20 feet above ground. I believe he said it was a pre-world war II antenna designed by The UHF Resonator Co. I built the 10 meter version and it worked tremendously well at my Youngstown QTH.
How good was this antenna, well let me tell you. I recall one day about 5 p.m. when I came home from my classes at Youngstown College I turned my rig on and there was George giving out the beam dimensions of this 4 element close spaced reflector antenna to stations in Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, South Africa etc. I listened for about 15 minutes, then a Southern Rhodesia ZE1 said: George please repeat the reflector dimension. George didn’t respond. So I came on and gave this dimension. He said your not George. I said this is W8WEN about 15 miles north of George. He apparently lost propagation to Africa. The ZE1 said George and I were the only stations he could hear from the U.S.A. I proceeded to give out beam dimensions for another 10 minutes. The fact that the U.S. stations couldn’t operate below 28500 khz and congregated at 28500 to 28550 khz makes George and I unique since we were the only stations heard from the U.S. at this time.
One Sunday afternoon in 1946 or 47 my friend Harry Gachesa and I found the ten meter band to be completely dead. We went to visit W8BKP in Washingtonville. George welcomed us and took us in his shack and showed us his equipment. He worked an FO8 station in Tahiti while we were there. You may wonder who Harry is? He designed my SWL regenerative receiver back about 1938. He never got a license but His younger brother Jack was W8BUC and used a stacked version of the 4 element close spaced reflector 10 meter beam. The same beam that George gave me the dimensions of.
I visited George many times especially after he moved to New Philadelphia. I always regret that I didn’t have a tape recorder with me to record the many conversations we had. Like the time he went to the telegraph office in Salem, Ohio to send a collect telegram to Washington or New York for Rear Admiral Richard Byrd. George had contacted the Byrd Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole with his amateur radio station. I can just hear the guy at the telegraph Office, repeating George’s request to send the telegram collect for Admiral Byrd. You say you talked to him by radio—Sure you did--- George had to prepay the cost of the telegram. He was later reimbursed for his expenses.
I can remember George talking about the German Spy that was caught in Columbiana County Ohio during WWII. He had a vertical antenna in a silo.
He also told me about the time the Government had him come down to Washington D.C. They interviewed him and told him to see a guy on a street corner. Apparently they were testing George’s ability to defend himself. He beat the crap out of the guy and never wanted to work for the government after that.
I remember George had a long wire antenna up to the water tower in Washingtonville. He said the 40 meter band opened up to Europe about 11:30 a.m. He had a bushel basket of QSL’s from ZL-VK that he worked on 80 meters with this long wire antenna.
In 1930 a W8BKP QSL to W8CJK on 3.5 mcs showed his transmitter to be a Hartley circuit, one 852 at normal input. His receiver was a screen grid detector and one peaked audio.
The card showed he had worked all continents and 76 countries. His station was equipped with wave-meter and other experimental material. World Wide Communication.
In QST magazine Dated August 1928 page 32 it lists the 852 vacuum tube along with 210’s, 203-A’s, 204-A’s as tubes used by pioneers trying out 28.mhz oscillators.
On a W8BKP QSL from Washingtonville to W8WEN April 20, 1947 confirming our qso on 28 mhz. phone, his transmitter XEC-V70D- PP250th 500 watts. Post war dx worked 149 countries. WAC-DXCC-WAS with 110 COUNTRIES ON 28 MHZ FONE.
W8BKP’s QSL from New Philadelphia, Ohio showed "TOP OF THE HONOR ROLL 372-328---72 YEARS IN AMATEUR RADIO LICENSED IN 1921. Another of his QSL cards from New Philadelphia, Ohio showed in the background International DX Association and a circle with WORLD RADIO AMATEURS DX GOODWILL DX FELLOWSHIP a globe with hands shaking amid radio lightning symbols. The QSL also had a quote "The Old Goat".
There are pictures of his home in New Philadelphia, Ohio showing the two story wood frame house on a very small lot and his tri-band antenna on a tower mounted on his back porch roof. The antenna was about 30 feet above ground. There is also a picture of George seated in his operating chair with framed awards on the wall behind him.
I can remember him telling me of how he planned to meet VK8AV "(Alan") from Alice Springs, Australia at the Dayton Hamvention. They both had T-shirts made with their respective call letters on them, so that they could recognize each other.
VK8AV came to visit George after the Hamvention. He said to George: "Do you mind if I take some pictures of your home. No one over in VK-ZL land would believe that your tremendous signal came from the tri-band antenna on this small lot that wasn’t large enough to contain his antenna when it was rotated."
George had shoe boxes of DX qsl’s stored beneath his bed. He had many stories about his QSL’s . One in particular was when he sent a South African QSL to the widow of a ZS. He showed me the letter. She would be eternally greatful to him for sending this card back to her.
The Sultanate of Oman sent George an award. It was triangular in shape trimmed in gold fringe. He was very proud of this award. I have this in my collection.
One night on 20 meter phone a rare DX station called CQ I called him and he came back toW8 boy I was sure it was going to be me, but it turned out he came back to W8BKP. I told George that I felt like taking my hacksaw out and sawing my tower down. A few nights later VK9WI called CQ and this time it was W8WEN he answered. The next time I worked W8BKP George said he knew how I felt about sawing my tower down because he had called VK9WI the same time I did. Then he said he was glad that he didn’t saw his tower down, because he checked with VK9NS and I had worked a PIRATE. He laughed.
George also knew about the bi-square antenna I used this antenna mounted on a 30 foot metal pole. George’s son Lee W8WFB answered a question about this antenna on a website and mentioned a featured article in the September 1946 issue of CQ magazine written by his father W8BKP.
Letters from W8BKP to W8WEN
Postmarked May 10, 1993
George enclosed a copy of a letter he received from "Murphy" W4WMQ President of INDEXA---The letter reads as follows: re:Honorarium
Mr. George, Sir
On behalf of the amateurs of the world, we at INDEXA request you accept our small gift to you. This can in no way repay you for the service you have given to so many. But it is evident you are held in high esteem not only at INDEXA but by all amateurs. We wish you continued good health knowing the problems you have had in the past months. This is but a small tribute to you but always remember everyone does say Thanks to the "Old Goat" for everything. Have a good day, everyday---73s Murphy W4WMQ President / INDEXA
A note enclosed
Jack this is letter I wanted to show you, could not find, The gift was 500 of the "Old Goat" cards- 73 George---
-Also on the same copy was a photo W8BKP Mr. George photo by KA3HXO. This was a copy from News letter Nov. 1992 ( Oldest member both age and years licensed—The text : As you well know, the NAVY team has a mascot which is a large RAM. We never had a mascot. Mr. George W8BKP has admitted he is an "old goat" and will be our mascot. Hi Hi. Mr. George has a wealth of DX info and obtains it by sleeping only 4 hours per day and staying 20 hours on the radio. He is still a Dxer at 84 years age. Also in the letter was a QSL card from / HA5BUS around the world in a bus- A Hungarian bus & DXpedition that all 3 participants signed and given to George after an eyeball qso in Dayton 1993. He also included in the letter to me a membership application to INDEXA.
W8BKP was an honorary member of The Alliance Amateur Radio Club and is listed on their Silent Key Plaque. George became a Silent Key July 7, 1994.