Amateur Radi@
COMMUNICATIONS -& Ly LL
' Q Noucivicin 2002
s yi
Neceaetert nn)
Te tee este
ry
* CQ Interviews: Rock Star
Joe Walsh, WBGACU, p. 11
¢« The DXLab Software Suite, p. 20
\The W1ZY 4-3-2 Array, p. 28
Lado
* CQ Reviews:
E Cones “
Kenwood TH-F6A Handheld, p. 34 i a
Elecraft K 2/100 Transceiver, p44 at home with his
Prete
Eve
. a iad . Posen
: 3 dio City,
Cea eats
U.S. $4.99 / Canada $3.99
rece ts
|
||
} i F a:
lM | SEW eee GeOne of the great things about ham radio, we always tell non-hams, is
that you never know who might answer when you call CQ. It might be o
teacher in New York, a farmer in Russia, or a rock star in California ...
such as Joe Walsh of The Eagles, also known as WB6ACU.
CQ Interviews:
Ti
fe stations in his
California home. This ane
features a Johnson 500
transmitter (partally ‘i
obscured) anda Hallicratters |
‘SX-88 purchased on eBay
that sparked internet rurors
of “a tock star chiving up
radio prices." (All photos by
the author) i
Joe Walsh, WB6ACU
Ordinary, Average Ham (and Rock Legend)
lash back to 1977: Jimmy Carter
‘was President, Close Encounters
ofthe Third Kind wes topping the
box office, and transcsivers trom Ker
Wood and Yaesu had finally begun to
cast a shadovr upon aging giants Drake,
Collins, and Heathkit in the world of
amateur radio. Hobby computers wore,
becoming commonplace) CMOS key-
‘ers were all the rage, and the then-tiny
‘software company Microsoft wason the
verge of earning its first milion dollars
in a single yoar.
Bythe summer of natyear, the mus|-
calinfluence of guitarist Joe Walsh had
helped propel the album Hote! Cait
‘omnia, by rock music super-band The
Eagles, iothetopof the Billboard charts,
and into the history books as one of the
"3728 70th Ave. Cl. West, University
Place, WA 98466
‘e-mail:
BY DAVID E. ELLISON,* WB7AWK
‘most successful rocord albums of all
time. Walsh, alreacy a guitar legend
from his own solo carser and from his
days fronting another iniluential rock
band, The James Gang, roplaced
Eagles guitarist Berrie Leadonin 1976,
in @ move the band hoped would bring
‘more of a rock edge toits scund. By the
end of 1977 there was litle doubt the
‘change was for the good,
Few, however, are aware of Walsh's
fong-time interestin amateurradio. First
licensed as a Novice in 1980 with the
calisign WV2KAC, Joe now holds an
Exira class ticket as WB8ACU and is
active, when his busy schedule permits,
‘on al bands from 160 to 2 motors, run
hing al modes from AMM, CW, and SSB
to FM and cigital. His prelerence is for
the great old tube rigs of the past.
For the las! two years rumors have
Circulated on the internet that “some
Tock star” was amassing a large collec
tion of Collins, Hallicrafters, and other
vintage tube-era rigs through the auc-
tion site oBay. A few months back sold
‘saveral pieces of old gear to the famed
guitar player in Stucio City, Caliiornia,
and decided io put the rumor together
with the facts. It was through these
deals, and over the course of many e-
mails, that | was able to persuade Joe
to consen’ to an interview for CO mag:
azine about his music, his collection,
and his interests in amateur radio. Wo
also spoke with a couple of Joe’s ham
radio friends and his “Elmer.”
CQ: How did you get started in ama-
teur radio?
Joe Walsh: In 1960 my family moved
from Columbus, Ohio fo Flushing, Now
York (Queens, New York City). | was
12.lwent from a verysmalltownin Ohio
to all of a sudden being in New York
Gity, from a big house with a yard to 2
USI nrrnreenmemeenennnee SSS
\ww.eq-amatour-radio.com
November 2002 + o@ + 11third-floor apariment. We maved in the
suinmer, so there was no school, and
there Iwas, 12, all along in.a huge city
with no friends and nathing to de. That
was a very long summer. We lived in
Fresh Meadows; it's an apariment-
based community In a rather nice part
‘of Now York. Thora was a Mosley TA-
331. on the roof of our building. Some-
times t would tum. In the course of the
summer I got on the roof and...traced
the wires down to a first-floor window,
{got up enough courage to wait for the
antenna to turn, and then knocked on
the door, My Elmer, Jim Walden,
W2IEY, now WEESJ, answered. He in-
Vited me in anditook me under his wing,
He gave me my Novice exam that fall.
‘The lirstracio | aver sawwas nis Colins
KWM-1. My Novice call was WV2KAC.
CQ: Tel usabit about vim. Whatwas
ho like at that time?
JW: He was the coolest guy an the
bleck; the coolast guy | had mat sinca
leaving Ohio andl stil think that, He was
a hell of a quy to put up with me. I don't
know where he got his patience to put
upwmith all of my questions. | was vary
insistent about ham radio.
CQ: How did you master the code for,
your Novice exam?
‘JW: taught io myself, [guess from,
being musical. | didn't know | was mus
cal at the time, though, My mom actu-
ally helped with ‘lasheards. but I really
wanied tolearnitso | taught itto myse.
CQ: After you got your [i
ticket, what was your fst
station line-up?
Ws Thad @ Heathkit DX-
20 and a {military surplus]
BC-2480 receiver. | had a
paper route and saved up
the money tobuy it Butthe
DX-20 didn't work the fist
time | plugged tin Thad to
g0 back and rewire the
seilator section. That
toars the laddor out from
underneath you—when
you spend houre and hours,
‘on akt and itdoesnt wor
Iwantedto trowitoutinthe
‘snow, butinsiead Ijust bar
rolad into it. | guess that's
how you learn,
€Q: When did you up-
‘grade your license?