Studying Hard at Michigan State University by K8MFO

Studying Hard at Michigan State University

K8MFO

Dear Friends:
While researching other things, a few memories came to mind.
First of all, I think it's important for all of you to know that Jim - W8TU (then K8VQP) and I were among the most serous of students at Michigan State, while we were dormitory roommates. I guess it was my idea for us to have a "clandestine" ham station in our dorm room, even though it absolutely violated University guidelines. In order to be as UNOBTRUSIVE as possible, it was decided that a Johnson Ranger II and National NC-300 would fill the bill. In today's world of the K3 and even smaller radios, that seems a bit strange, but it's the best we could do. Being bold often works! Antenna planning was a bit more difficult. Our large dormitory was facing south, so for the 1964 CW sweepstakes, we tried 80 and 40 meter dipoles, right against the brick building. This required considerable cooperation from other dorm residents. Quite honestly those antennas didn't work worth a damn, although a 40 meter QSO with legendary SS operator W9IOP while at KZ5OP in the Canal Zone was the highlight. We also had a higher score than many of the local long time SS operators. Later Jim and I decided that a random wire away from the building would be a better choice, so we ran about 70 feet of wire in a sloping downward fashion to a light pole. AHA ... much better results, and we worked operators such as the FAMOUS (?) Tony Rogozinksi at VP5AR on 80, plus LEGENDARY STALWARTS Fred Laun - W9SZR/K3ZO at HI8XAL also on 160, as well as Peter Windle - G3HVG/G8VG as 6Y5XG on Top Band. Perhaps the highlight of this clandestine activity occurred when Dale - W4QM, Jake - W8FGX and others put on the first San Felix operation as CE0XA. For some reason we had a 15 meter pipeline with that wire, and virtually every serious ham at Michigan State came to our dorm room and cut classes to work that one! I also managed a QSO on 80 with them.

One QSO I did not make from that dorm room was with W9WNV/FO8M on Maria Theresa Reef. Never mind that nobody could ever find the reef after Miller's operation, I witnessed the finest DXpedition operating that I have ever heard, listening on the borrowed 75A-4 of K8UDJ (now K8CH). I no longer have my paper records, but I was clocking Miller at OVER 275 per hour on CW - he was in OVERDRIVE. What he was doing was coming back to perhaps 7 stations at the same time, giving one RST, and sending "K". Now if he had misread one or more of those calls, he would come back, correct them, confirm the others, and come back to as many as 6 tail enders. It was a very special event to witness! One caveat -- you had to know the code! He truly was SPECIAL ... in my opinion again, that was the finest operating I've ever heard. I know what I heard and calculated, and I stick by my story! Whatever else you may think about Miller, the guy knew how to operate! The most important thing to remember is that Jim and I were VERY SERIOUS students! OH we did start a fire one night in the room, when our wax-lined Coca Cola "insulator cup" burst into flames! We also received more than one (dozen?) RF burns from our setup!

73
Don K8MFO