Gus W4BPD And Frank W3CRA

Gus W4BPD and Frank W3CRA

I was down at my shop working one morning and a fellow stopped by to see me. He introduced himself as Frank Lucas and said his call sign was W3CRA. Frank even got married in Orangeburg and I was Best Man at his wedding! Then Frank and Vicky stayed with us for about 2 or 3 months helping me at the shop and working DX every night and morning. I remember one morning I came into the shack and Frank said he was working YI2CA. I picked up the second pair of phones and all I could hear was mostly background noise and static with a very weak signal in under the noise. I could never even make out the call sign but here was Frank copying the fellows name and address and he told me that YI2CA said that this was his first USA QSO. When Frank signed off I said, "Ah come on Frank don't pull my leg! You did not have a QSO with anyone. You are trying to kid me!" Frank said “Gus you wait and see because this fellow said he would send you an air mail QSL direct and immediately." SURE ENOUGH in about 4 or 5 days a QSL came and on it were the words Direct USA QSO! I thought I was pretty good at copying the weak ones but Frank had me beat a long ways. Evidently Frank must have built in noise and QRN filters in his ears! Oh yes, does anyone know of any other ham in the world who has 3.5 inch rigid copper with gas under pressure for their feed line? That's what W3CRA is using--I have seen it--maybe that's what helps that signal of his. . .Gus W4BPD

I knew both these fine gentlemen. Had many QSOs with Frank & with Gus. I met Gus in person in Calcutta in 1963. I introduced him to the then King of Sikkim old Namgyal who had a flat above mine in Calcutta. One day Gus took a lot of photographs at the Calcutta Zoo. They all came out blank because he forgot to remove the lens cover! On another day we HAD to come back to the hotel room from 3 miles away because Gus had forgotten to brush his teeth after breakfast! Gus was just one fine guy! Zal VU2DK

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