Red Wright W4MEG, Don Eichenberger W4MEH and Stew Haag W4MOP at a Boy Scout event in 1948

Bill Hilyerd K4LRX was licensed in1956 and is shown here in 1958 at age 17. Bill was one of my idols when I got my novice license as he, K4SBL, K4ZML and others were hamming it up on 80 meter AM. Bill and his wife live in Henderson Ky. where he is in the broadcasting business. Bill is retiring in October 2006.

Bill Hilyerd, K4LRX has this audio studio in his basement along with a 1-watt FM radio station. He has collected over 10,000 oldies from the 50's, 60's, and 70's and burns commercial grade CD's. He sent me one complete with rock & roll radio station sound effects and hits from the past. His neighbors are sure to enjoy his On Air DJ entertainment.

My first rig was a Heathkit DX-40 and a Hallicrafters S-38D. The receiver was my 8th grade graduation present and the transmitter was a Christmas present.

Al Hall K4CSH was a friend to many on 80 meters in the early 60's. The Kentuckiana Radio Club established a memorial station with his call sign in his honor. Joe Leitsch K4DMU married Al's daughter Alberta.

Jerry Daughtery W4RXU was one of my very first ham buddies.He lived in Shively about a mile away from my QTH and we often chatted on 6 meters. Jerry is still active on 6 as well as other bands but he still loves 6 meters best.

Here's Jerry Daughtery today. He now hold the callsign W9FS and lives in South Bend Indiana. He has a very informative website at: w9fs.com/ham/

Helen Grieb K4CGW(SK) shared her shack in Shively, Ky. with Bill W4BEJ in 1961. Helen spent years as training officer for Navy Mars and helped KY Navy Mars win several operating and traffic awards. Helen passed away July 2006.

By 1961 I had graduated up to a Knight Kit R100 receiver and a Heathkit VF-1 VFO for my DX40

Fontaine Warren K4KWQ in his 1962 shack.

In 1963 I had a Hallicrafters SX-100 receiver, a Viking Valient transmitter and a Heathkit SB-10 for SSB. A Heathkit Sixer sits on top of the SX-100.

KRC Field Day in Shawnee Park in 1963. Joe Jenkins W4WZI(SK), John Spoo K4EQZ, Roland Wallace WA4UDK, Ted Melinisky K2?, Gene Norris WA4CQE, Denny Schnurr K4GOU, Nancy Griggs, Guy Partridge K4KZH, John Morton WA4UMR, Me, Sterling Pendleton K4FLP and Marita Miller.

Here's Guy Partridge K4KZH in 1965

Me in my 1966 shack. Drake TR-4 and a Clegg 99'er for 2-meter AM.

The KRC booth at the 1969 Hobby & Gift Show. Hans Hunn ??, Bill Wright K4YZU(SK), Dave Cocks K4KGE, Joe Leitsch K4DMU, and Joe Jenkins W4WZI(SK)

KRC Field Day 1969. Back row Ron Baker WB4HFN, Denny Schnurr K4GOU, me, ??, Bob Burkle ??, Bill Wright K4YZU(SK), Joe Leitsch K4DMU, Dan Downard K4FXN. Front row ??K4BAM, ??, Guy Partridge K4KZH, ??, Dave Cocks K4KGE.

Manning the 1970 Hobby & Gift show KRC booth were Bob Sparrow WA4DOT(SK), Dave Cocks K4KGE, Guy Partridge K4KZH, and Ron Baker WB4HFN.

I met Kevin Ehringer K9SVD on 40 meter CW while we were both novices in 1959. He was K4BMW in this photo but now is W9LXR and lives in Ft. Myers Fl.

Here is the shack of Bill Frohlich, K4BVT in the early 70's. Bill worked for Louisville 2-Way Radio along with Bill Grieb W4BEJ and Redd Wright W4MEG. Bill is still active and is heard frequently on NAVY MARS. Bill is the ONLY ham I have ever known that won the first place prize at a hamfest and never opened the box!! Bill runs a lot of power. See that '807'?

Me and Dan Downard K4FXN contesting in my 1971 shack.

Joe Leitsch K4DMU showing off his RTTY gear at a KRC meeting in 1978. Joe is still very active and is a friend of many.

George Hopkins W4WPI sparked my interest in SSTV.

I won first place in the Homebrew Contest with this P7 SSTV monitor. Louisville Hamfest 1979

Me, Helen Grieb K4CGW(SK), Bill Grieb W4BEJ and Bob McAlpin W4JSB at The Louisville Hamfest about 1979.

Me in my shack in 1980. No wonder my back hurts now. Too many boat anchors.

Fred Gleeson WA4LMD in his beautiful shack in 1980.

This is Bill Scott NM4K in his neat shack in 1981. Bill is still active and enjoys homebrew projects and DX.

I've known Jim Vaughan K4TXJ my whole ham life. Jim is a very active DX'er and Navy Mars member.

Mal Collins WA4CZP(SK) played a vital role providing radio communications between Brandenburg and Louisville during the 1974 tornadoes.

Larry & I in 1996.

A SSTV image of Bill Grieb W4BEJ on 20 meters in 1997.

Sterling Pendleton K4FLP and xyl Sue in 1998. Sterling and I got our licenses about the same time and grew up together in Shively, Ky. in the 1960's.

Me in the shack in June 1998.

Dave Cocks K4KGE and XYL Wanda were active members of the Kentuckiana Radio Club. This picture was taken in 2000.

Mike Tallent W6MXV was K4ZHI when he grew up in Shively. He went to high school with Bill K4LRX & lived just a short distance from me. Mike gained SSTV fame with his 'MXV' scan converter & I was the proud owner of one of these. Mike had a successful career in the TV broadcasting equipment business in California before he retired to Cecila, Ky. He is shown here with just a small fraction of his boat anchor collection.

Bob Lyon K4QCQ, Bob McAlpin W4JSB, & Ed (Fontaine) Warren K8RD at the 2002 Dayton Hamfest. All three are still active and Bob W4JSB is heard frequently on 2 meters as well as many HF frequencies.

Paul Ahlhaus K4RJF in the background lived near me in Shively and we grew up together. That's Herb Rowe W4WQD in the foreground. I discovered ham radio by following Herb's signal on a mistuned battery powered AM radio to his front door in 1958. A year later he gave me my novice exam. He later gave Paul his novice exam.

Nancy K4ZZK and Guy Partridge K4KZH were very active in the KRC in the 60's. They moved back to Louisville in 2008 to retire in their brand new patio home. They are most often heard on VHF frequencies.

Bill Griggs W4RXX(SK) was a mainstay on 2 meter FM in the 70's.Bill moved to Texas to live with his daughter Nancy K4ZZK and son-in-law Guy K4KZH. Bill passed away July 2006.

Here's Ed (Fontaine) Warren K8RD at W1AW controls in 2002.

John Shean N9TV shown here in his Jeffersonville, In. shack May 2003. John is a constant 2 meter companion and has a repeater on 146.34/94 on the local WHAS-TV tower at 650ft. I met John at the 1979 Louisville Hamfest while demonstrating SSTV with Don Miller W9NTP.

Here are John Shean N9TV, Stew Haag W4MO, Bill Austin W9BGW and me at the 2002 Louisville Hamfest

I've known Whayne Wisner K4JDI forever. I remember visiting him when I was just starting into ham radio. Whayne passed away on July 1, 2009. We will sorely miss him.

Here is Paul Schrader N4XM who was W4BCV. Paul lives in Highview, a suburb of Louisville, and has one of the most potent signals in the state. His antenna farm includes towers, beams, rhombics, verticals and over 9000ft of radials. Paul manufactures and sells a state of the art antenna tuner called 'XMatch' seen here over his right ear.

Kevin Ehringer W9LXR shown here in his Ft. Myers Fl. shack Oct.2006. Kevin & XYL Barbara love their warm & sunny QTH & spend a lot of time boating & fishing. Kevin loves CW and has logged many DX contacts using his disguised flagpole antenna, a Hustler 4BTV vertical inside a 4in. x 20ft long PVC pipe.Kevin is shown in a earlier photo several rows up.

It didn't take long for Stew Haag, W4MO to find something to do when the bands are dead. He looks a lot more relaxed here than he does on the first picture in this album.

Ron Ward N4VGJ (SK) got his ticket in 1958. He was a good friend and smart. We chatted frequently on 10 meters. Ron passed away in July 2007.

My special 'DX' glasses bring me luck in pile-ups.

Here's my shack in April, 2007.

Here is Dan Gillespie W4UII and his family. Dan lives nearby in Jeffersontown and is often heard on 2 meters and 70cm. He likes HF too and works a lot on 40 meters.

I met Ronnie Milsap WB4KCG on Nov.16, 2007 in Pigeon Forge TN. He has been a ham for many years but is no longer acrtive due to his busy concert schedule. I can tell you that he is a real Christian gentleman.

Me in the shack in May 2008.