Monday, November 17, 2008

2008: Doug Mertz-The Gentleman Ham

K2ITX, W2AEI, W2FDE, N2HX (Formerly WA2JZF), K2AAR, W3SHY, W3GWZ, WB2EIZ, N2GJ, K2ZE (Formerly K2SNK), K2ZSY, W2SVV, W2CCO, -----oh my gosh, I could go on and on! We have just lost one of the finest gentleman it was my privilege to call a friend. Along with the aforementioned call signs, and many more whose call signs elude me at this particular moment, Doug Mertz was one of our regulars on the morning and evening "Commuter Net" which was a very popular morning QSO center back in the mid 1970's. One of the real treasures to be found in the hobby of amateur radio is the acquisition of life long friends. The memories of our DVRA "Commuter Net" will be with me until we hams all join Doug, K2ITX, in that eternal DX-pedition which will come when we receive the final "CQ" from above. RIP, DOUG!

YOU CAN SIGN DOUG'S TRENTON TIMES GUESTBOOK.
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL:

http://obits.nj.com/trenton/GB/GuestbookEntry.aspx?&PersonID=120246757

Monday, November 10, 2008

1977: DVRA RADIO LEGEND "B.B." WENTZEL

Amateur radio also had a proliferation of members of "The Greatest Generation."
Back when I became involved in amateur radio, those of us who constituted the "new breed" were derisively called "appliance operators." In the photo above, B.B. Wentzel is holding a revolutionary "HT," or in technical amateur talk, "Handy-Talky." The demise of the WWII tube type behemoth known as a "Walky-Talky" was replaced by the revolutionary transistorized HT seen in the photo. I would guess that it was a "Wilson," but I am probably incorrect.
I humbly ask that a more knowledgeable ham who is able to properly identify that radio come forward and rescue me.