W5ADZ 1975 Houston, Texas

Operator: Bradfield A. Beard, West Gulf DX Club

Here is a photo of famous DXpeditioner Danny Weil VP2VB visiting the shack of Brad Beard W5ADZ

A Danny Weil photo for Brad signed Danny VP2VB

Brad & Danny

Brad and Gus Browning W4BPD taken at the old Madison Electronics store in Houston.
Madison Electronics was owned by Max Busick, W5EZE, later W5GJ, before becoming a SK.

“Memorandum 2” of the West Gulf DX Club. Don’t know if you are aware, but the West Gulf DX Club was one of the first, if not the first, DX Club that produced a DX bulletin. As you see, this Memorandum 2 is dated 23 August 1951, which tells you when the WGDXC came into being. The note at the top added by Frank, W5IGJ, says apparently Memorandum 1 was only a request to members to send in DX news; therefore Memorandum 2 is very likely the first WGDXC bulletin. As you’d expect, the quality of the typed text is poor due to the age of this document. I’m also attaching my old WGDXC membership certificate. If you look back at one of the W5ADZ QSLs I sent you last month, you’ll see the WGDXC “cowboy and his horse” graphic were used on the WGDXC QSLs. Sadly, there aren’t too many still alive today who’d remember that QSL.

I’m sure many of the calls on the list who received the Memorandum 2 will ring familiar bells with guys who are still lurking today. They sure do with me….Calls such as W5BGP, W5ASG, W5FXN, W5KC, W5GEL….Man oh man, I remember butting heads with these guys when I was a young, dedicated DXer and those almost always won the battle! I ate a lot of dust in those days! ;-))

The West Gulf DX Club membership for Rod Holtz K5BGB signed by President Brad Beard W5ADZ

The article was first published in the FOC Focus magazine as a tribute to Brad Beard W5ADZ and the Quenby Street Library Memorial Radio Club of which I am trustee!

Brad’s first QSO was with W5BTH on 17 October 1931.

Left: Soupy W5NW receiving Presentation model of the Vibroplex from Vince W5KC, retiring president of the West Gulf DX Club. Center, looking on: Brad W5ADZ, ARRL QSL manager for the 5 call area.

QSL, Article, Logpage courtesy of K5BGB
Hamshack photo courtesy of W8SU
Other photos courtesy of K5BGB
Vibroplex photo from Don Chesser W4KVX DX Magazine #76, June 30, 1959