Hi Pete,
W4KFC was also one of my ham radio heroes and I was greatly affected by his
early death, too soon. He was kind to me on the air and we had short ragchews
on a few occasions as well as contest QSOs. Besides my DXCC album, I have
another "notable calls" album and W4KFC has a permanent place there. He's still
an inspiration to me.
73,
Ken, AB1J
On Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 06:54:21 PM EDT, pETE cHAMALIAN
<w1rm@comcast.net> wrote:
Katashi was indeed a character. Late in the second weekend of ARRL DX Phone,
he would often call Help me, help me. Concerned hams called him and inquired
about the problem. Katashi would say he needed a contact! He would then give
the caller the contest exchange.
I had the great pleasure of meeting him on one of his rare trips to
Connecticut. He was an icon, right up there with my hero, W4KFC.
Pete Chamalian, W1RM
W1RM@Comcast.net
WWW.W1RM.COM
-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest <cq-contest-bounces+w1rm=comcast.net@contesting.com> On Behalf
Of ktfrog007--- via CQ-Contest
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 11:29 AM
To: Art Boyars <artboyars@gmail.com>; CQ Contest <cq-contest@contesting.com>;
Zack Widup <w9sz.zack@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] A bit of nostalgia
In 1959 I was a newly minted general, K9LIO, in Goshen, IN. Katashi, KH6IJ,
was in MA during 1958-60 while he was doing graduate work at Harvard. In
1959 I worked him as KH6IJ/m on CW (!) near Goshen, MA (I still have the
QSL). This was our first QSO.
In 1960 he was my first Hawaiian QSO. The date suggests it was in the CQ WW CW,
which would have been my first effort there. I'm surprised I could copy him.
Neither of us ever forgot our Goshen-Goshen QSO and every time we met
thereafter outside of a contest we'd stop for a short ragchew. Then there were
many years of inactivity on my part as I moved about.
Eventually I moved to New England and for a while lived in Belmont, MA and
became AB1J. One 20m evening in 1979 I worked Kastashi and he was surprised to
find out who I was and where I was and told me he had lived very close by
during his two earlier visits, 1958-60 and 1968-69. We both took evening walks
in the same areas. We QSLed and he sent me a nice foldout QSL with a
typewritten note, which is where i got most of the above info. He also sent me
a photo of when he was a teenager in 1932 at his station (his call was K6CGK at
that time). I think this photo was also published in QST at some point.
I have a photo album where I keep a QSL for each DXCC entity I've worked and
his card for our 1960 QSO represents Hawaii. And that's where it will stay.
He was a gentleman and a legend.
73,
Ken, AB1J
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 08:55:26 PM EDT, Zack Widup
<w9sz.zack@gmail.com> wrote:
Katashi had a daughter who was going to school in Joliet, IL. at one time.
I was a member of the Joliet Amateur Radio Society. He came to one of our
meetings and demonstrated some 10 GHz equipment. So I got to meet him.
I worked a lot of DX as a Novice in 1967. Mostly on 15 meters, but some DX hams
came into the 40 meter Novice band once in a while. I worked a couple South
Africans and CO2BB (remember his banana boat swing on CW?) I don't think I
worked any KH6 on 40 as a Novice, but I did after I got my General.
I was a member of the ARRL CD (as an Intruder Watcher). I may even be in your
log. My call then was WA9UOT.
73, Zack W9SZ
On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 8:20 AM Art Boyars <artboyars@gmail.com> wrote:
> Writing up my 3830scores report for Sprint CW, I reminded myself of
> this story.
>
> In the mid-1960s, in a CW CD Party, on 40M I was called by "K5BIJ". I
> sent him my report, but it took Katashe several tries for me to get
> his call correctly. I was astounded. Back then I didn't know it was
> possible to work Hawaii on 40M from Maryland.
>
>
> My antenna was a dipole. Pretty sure rcvr was my RME-4350 (maybe the "A"
> version), and that I had already upgraded the xmtr from the BC-459 to
> a second-hand Viking Ranger.
>
> 73, Art K3KU
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
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