Glen Gates Gang field day picture

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The Glen Gates Gang field day pictures and other stuff

Please contact me, Chuck Olson, with your comments by email at:

Click any picture for a larger version.

January 25, 2024
Posted a scan of a 1976 Field Day log sheet on my blog at:

https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2024/01/1976-glen-gates-gang-field-day-log-sheet.html

June 21, 2023
I put a post on the Super Whoopee (The Orb) on my blog at:

https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/06/trying-out-orb-aka-super-whoopee.html

June 25, 2022
I put a post on the Glen Gates Gang on my blog at:

https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2022/06/field-day.html

January 2019 - Heard from Mary Hamel after the holidays, she and brother Bob reported that they enjoyed seeing the Field Day pictures, great to hear from you, Mary.

04/09/2018 - Recently I was looking through the Heathkit items on ebay and saw an interesting rig: the HW-99. Didn't remember too much about this one so went looking for the manual. A search found this

INTERESTING LINK

a published review by Errol Naimon and Patty Krahn ! Very cool, was not aware that anyone from the Glen Gates Gang had ever published any ham radio related articles. BTW, didn't bid on the HW-99, they are rare and fairly expensive.

05/07/2017 - FYI, the American Radio History site has a full scan of the magazine with the Super Whoopee (The Orb) article: Winter 1971 Electronic Experimenter's Handbook about 22 megabytes

10/01/2016 - Forgot to report on trying out "the Orb" - the unijunctions and mercury switches were found on ebay - took some old Germanium transistors from the junkbox and tried the circuit on a solderless breadboard - the results were disappointing - remember it being more fun so didn't bother to put it on a circuit board

04/04/2016 - Finally found the magazine with the Super Whoopee article: titled "the Orb"
It was in the Winter 1971 issue of Electronic Experimenter's Handbook from Popular Electronics.

[WB9KZY QSL card - click for larger version]

Here is a quick pdf copy of THE ORB about 5 megabytes
Unfortunately, it's constructed with some hard to findium:
mercury switches, unijunction transistors and one germanium transistor, fortunately
there is always ebay - stay tuned ! I'll try getting the parts together and build one.

12/21/2014 - Got an email from Jeff Weiss, now K9UTC - wonderful to hear from you, Jeff.

my photo QSL card featuring Jeff

8/8/2013 - I scanned some black and white negatives that were copies of color slides

Most are guys operating/checking, click on the thumbnails for larger/better quality pictures.

[Jerry Lieberthal - click for larger version]

Jerry Lieberthal running Bob Hamel's Swan 350

[Larry Evans - click for larger version]

Larry Evans working the old crush-to-talk
Shooting though a mesh tent window takes the harsh out of a picture

[Scott Tilton - click for larger version]

Scott Tilton takes a turn at the mic with Bob Hamel looking on and Sam Sansone check logging

[Lifting the tower pipes - click for larger version]

Sam, Rick and Bruce hoisting the pipe extentions within the tower

[Bruce Bursten - click for larger version]

Bruce Bursten listening

[Jerry Lieberthal and Bob Strong - click for larger version]

Bob Strong checks while Jerry Lieberthal operates at the "running start" of the contest

Bob Hamel

8/5/2013 - I found a bunch of 8x10 black and white photos and one duplicate color slide

Many are dupes of previously posted pictures, reposted here as thumbnails, click on them for larger/better quality pictures.

[QST color cover picture 6/79 - click for larger version]

This picture was on the cover of QST for June 1979 !
There's a hard to see lens flare "halo" around the tribander's center.

[group picture previously posted - click for larger version]

A slightly better quality scan of the group picture.
I *think* it's correctly oriented from right to left this time.

[Rick on the windmill tower - click for larger version]

Rick Evans climbing that big Windmill tower.

[another group picture - click for larger version]

Another rescanned group picture.
Since it was 8x10 it was easier to scan than the first one I did.

Yet another rescanned group picture.

[the mouse picture - click for larger version]

As I recall, Terri is holding a mouse that had been inside one of the tower pipes ?

[Rick by the hand cranked generator - click for larger version]

Rick Evans next to the hand cranked generator used for the natural power contact.
This was used the year when Bob Hamel made the nature power contact in the barn (see picture below). I think it must have been the year after the lashup with the same drill press and the wagon (see picture below).

[Glen Gates around the campfire - click for larger version]

The group namesake (Mr. Glen Gates) around the campfire.
I don't know if there's Swiss Miss in that cup or not. :)

[The Evans farm on a Field Day - click for larger version]

Finally, a view of most of the Field Day site at the Evans farm.

6/20/2013 - With another Field Day coming up I thought I'd check the record of the Glen Gates Gang.

While the Nicolet High School Radio Club went on Field Day for years before, according to QST, the first year that results were posted by the Glen Gates Gang was 1972 and the last was 1982.

1972: WA9UVE was 29th in class 2A with 1161 QSOs, 17 participants
1973: WA9UMU was 37th in class 2A with 1139 QSOs, 18 participants
1974: WA9UVE was 11th in class 2A with 1654 QSOs, 20 participants
1975: WA9UMU was 18th in class 2A with 1506 QSOs, 21 participants - the top call area 9 station
1976: WA9UVE was 15th in class 2A with 1675 QSOs, 21 participants - the top call area 9 station
1977: W9MO was 10th in class 2A with 1773 QSOs, 14 participants - the top call area 9 station
1978: W9MO was 18th in class 1A with 941 QSOs, 14 participants
1979: W9MO was 17th in class 1A with 1063 QSOs, 15 participants
1980: W9MO was 12th in class 1A with 896 QSOs, 12 participants
1981: W9MO was 27th in class 1A with 680 QSOs, 6 participants
1982: W9MO was 19th in class 1A battery with 268 QSOs, 4 participants

4/25/2013 - from Field Day 1978 - I found a voluminous printout generated by Bruce Bursten and scanned a single page, we must have been 1A that year and only 3 ops !

[FD 1978 printout - click for larger version]

1978
MO is Bob Hamel, W9MO
UVE is Bruce Bursten, WA9UVE
KZY is me, Chuck Olson, WB9KZY

2/21/2013 - Bob Steingart, WB9OEC, emailed and identified himself and Paul Schwartz on the 6/18/2012 picture, great to hear from you Bob.

6/19/2012 - a few more pictures scanned from b&w negatives, a little better quality

[Sam & Morrie - click for larger version]

Field Day is a serious business ! 1975
Sam Sansone and Morrie Hornik

Field Day is a serious business ! 19??
Patty Naimon and Sam Sansone

Field Day is a serious business ! 19?? (Bob Hamel operating the HW-8 for a natural power contact in the Evans Barn - no I don't know who that gal was, sorry for the decapitation)

Can you say: Annunciator ? 1975

The natural power setup in 1975
this picture was published in the ARRL publication: Tune in the World with Ham Radio
from the top: Mike Millar, Rick Evans, Mike McGillen and Joe Loftus on the HW-8 (I think)
Yes, it's an old hand crank drill press friction driving a trailer tire which drives the crank generator in an old telephone.

6/18/2012 - With another Field quickly approaching, I thought I'd try to find some more pictures

Yes, I realize it's a picture with poor technical quality, but at least most everyone is smiling !

In the front row from left to right: Bob Strong, Morrie Hornik and Sam Sansone
next row: Jeff Weiss, Jerry Lieberthal, Larry Evans, Mary Hamel, Bruce Bursten, Bob Hamel, Terri Hornik, Joe Loftus, John Loftus, Bob Steingart, Paul Schwartz and another fellow I don't remember
next row: Mike Millar in the cowboy hat and Todd Bolton in the hard hat
going up the tower: Rick Evans, Scott Tilton and another fellow I don't remember with the knife !

I scanned this picture from a 35mm b&w negative, so the resolution is limited by that 1 x 1.5 inch @2400 dpi
but also, the negative is a picture of a b&w print, it's not the original, I have no idea where the originals are

3/25/2012 - does anyone remember that the Nicolet radio club was going to sell a "fun" noise maker, housed in a Legg's egg ? I would like to know the source for that design, it used mecury switches, a round circuit board and a handful of transistors, resistors and caps to drive a small round speaker glued into a Legg's container and powered by a 9V battery. As you rolled the egg, the different mecury switches would close and change the sound coming out of the speaker. I seem to remember that it was going to be called Super Whoopee, but that Mr. Gates liked the name Scrambled Eggs ? I think it was from a magazine article but without the name of the magazine or the author or the project name, it's been impossible for me to find.

3/3/2012 - I received an email from Ted Barnum (KA9HCZ), Ted tells me that he thinks the picture labeled "a group picture from the 1980s" below is probably from 1980, possibly a year either way. Ted also identified himself and Karl Walters as the guys on the tower, thanks for the info, Ted

8/5/2011 - A scan of my Glen Gates Gang Field Day patch given to us by Terri Hornik (WB9LAA), Thanks Terri !

One of these days I've got to sew this patch onto something !

7/1/2011 - I received an email from Greg Latus (WB9TRO), great to hear from you Greg !

4/23/2011 - I received an email from Scott Tilton (WB9JHX) with this picture attached, thanks Scott:

securing the tower winch on Balding's hill, 1972

This picture is from the 1972 Field Day on Balding's Hill, my first field day !

10/27/2010 - I received an email from Tom Raveret today, good to hear from you Tom ! - I've also heard from Errol Naimon right after putting up the pictures - I'd love to hear from the rest of you, too !

10/21/2009 - a night shot of the tower

This time exposure shows the tower lit up at night, with Morris Hornik (WB9JHW) providing the kinetic interest. Boy, it got cold out at the Evans farm at night !

9/23/2009 - a group picture from the 1980s ?

This picture is from a later Field Day effort in the 1980s ? Pictured from left to right are:
Patty Naimon (KA9EUQ, later KN2F), Chuck Olson (WB9KZY - me again !), Bob Hamel (W9MO), Sam Sansone (WB9LAB), Terri Hornik (WB9LAA), Morrie Hornik (WB9JHW), Tom Raveret (formerly KA9HCY). On the tower are Ted Barnum (KA9HCZ on the left) and Karl Walters (right).
Possibly this was from a mockup (a trial run a couple of weeks before the event) since I don't see enough folks to raise the tower ? Maybe this was a 1a effort ? Can't remember.

9/22/2009 - a picture in the November 1974 QST Field Day results (page 70)

This picture was used in the 1974 issue of QST on page 70. It shows Jeff Weiss (WB9NGD) standing at sunset.

9/20/2009 - the November 1975 QST Cover picture

This picture was used on the cover of the November 1975 issue of QST. It showed the Glen Gates Gang transportable (70 feet tall ?) tower as set up for the June 1975 Field Day event. You can't see the roller skate wheels but they are there !

Click the picture for a larger view. Right click, save target as to save the picture to disk (367k in size).

9/19/2009 - the Glen Gates Gang post field day group picture

This is a group picture of the Glen Gates Gang, our 2a field day group. Mr. Gates (3rd person from the right) was a physics teacher at Nicolet High School in Glendale, WI. Mr. Gates was also the advisor to the Nicolet High school ham radio club.

I'm afraid that I can't remember every name or call now, nearly all of these folks are Nicolet High attendees, this picture was taken probably in the late 1970s or early 1980s at the Evans farm.

first row, left to right: Patty Naimon, Sam Sansone, John Loftus, Morrie Hornik, ?, Bruce Bursten
second row: Greg Latus, Errol Naimon, Chuck Olson (me!), Mike McGillen, Joe Loftus, Terri Hornik, Bob Hamel, Larry Evans, Bob Strong, Scott Tilton
third row: Mike Millar (on the tower), Rick Evans, ?, ?, Glen Gates

Yes, the right side of the picture was grafted on, I scanned in an 11 x 14 print of this picture and the scanner I have just isn't big enough to do it in one piece. I can't find my negative or that many pictures of field day. What happened to all of those awful slides that I took ? I think that Sam Sansone had them but after he passed away I don't know what became of them, maybe that's just as well :)

More to come !

Chuck Olson,

Click the picture for a larger view. Right click, save target as to save the picture to disk (611k in size).

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