Tribute To Our Fathers...
Earl in his shack in the mid 1970's in apartment in Medford, WI Earl's shack mid the1960's at 650 W. Maple St. Medford, WI
Earl was a pistol. We lived in an old three story house that had been built years ago by one of the lumber barons in Medford Wisconsin. There was a three car garage, set back and to one side of the house. Dad built an addition onto the garage and thus his ham shack. The shack was about 15' X 15' as best I can remember. As you entered the shack, all his equipment was to the left under the windows. The shack was well appointed, with a sofa, chairs, end tables, pictures on the wall and so on. Above the windows on the outside of the shack was a large sign that read, Amateur Radio Station WA9KMB. There was a 40 or 50 Ft. tower with a huge beam as I recall. But that wasn't good enough. Dad had two telephone poles set on either side of the garage for his inverted V. Well, when you came home at night you couldn't miss the sign, and if he was transmitting on the inverted V, you knew immediatley. When he installed the inverted V, he put a 4 Ft. flourecent light bulb on each leg of the antenna. So when he was transmitting they would light up. Now how cool is that. As I said, he was a pistol. Kurt and I sure miss him.
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K9RCE & N0DNR's father Rudy. Photo of Rudy holding Ted K9RCE
Dad was a fun loving great guy. We never met a person that didn't like him. We were born and raised in Baraboo Wisconsin. Dad got the bug in 1957, earning his novice license call sign KN9RCE. Six months later he upgraded to general with his new call Sign K9RCE. We would spend hours with dad in his shack, listening to him on the radio. Boy was it fun. He would talk to people all over the world on CW. We thought that sound was about the neatest thing we had ever heard. Of course he would also do voice. Needless to say, that's where our interest in amateur radio started. Ah to live those days again. We miss you dad.