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Joseph E. 'Joe' Miller Lexington, KY QCWA # 23828 Chapter 214 |
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MILLER Joseph Edward "Joe", 77, went to meet his Heavenly Father Feb. 7, 2018. Joe was born in Cannelton, IN on June 5, 1940, the second child of the late Willard Leo and Mabel Katherine Miller and he is preceded in death by one brother, Ernest Miller. He graduated from Dupont Manual High School, Louisville, KY in 1957 and attended the University of Louisville Speed School and Purdue University. He retired from General Electric as a Senior Electrical Engineer and also worked for Anaconda Aluminum and Durkee Famous Foods. Additionally, Joe operated the scoreboard for the Louisville Colonels AAA Baseball team, wrote articles for the Associated Press and was a part time Western Union telegrapher. He was a licensed Amateur Radio Operator (HAM) for 63 years, first licensed in 1955. He held the FCC call sign K4DZM and was a member of the Amateur Radio Relay League, was a Section Communications Manager for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and an Assistant Director of the ARRL Great Lakes Division. He was a highly proficient high speed Morse Code Operator, receiving over 200 awards for communications and emergency operations over the years. Joe travelled extensively visiting many countries and most U.S. States. He was a Master Mason in the Masonic Order and a member of Bullitt Lodge #155 and a 32 Degree Mason in the Scottish Rite. Since 2005 he was a member of the Oleika Shriners Temple in Lexington where he volunteered extensively transporting patients for the Shriners Children's Hospital. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Carol (Duvall) Miller; two children, Ann Katherine (Steve) Stone of Lexington and Anthony Edward (Jane) Miller of Tampa, FL. Other survivors include five grandchildren, Christine Miller, Zachary Miller, Jared Miller, Kelsey (Lee) Tiller and Wesley Stone; and one great grandchild, Lee Guy Tiller, Jr. Joe was a member of the First Christian Church in Lexington. Visitation will be 4-7 pm Fri., Feb. 9 at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home, Harrodsburg Rd. with funeral services being held 12:30 pm Sat.,
Feb. 10 at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home, Harrodsburg Rd. Burial will be at the Peaks Mill Christian Church Cemetery in Peaks Mill, KY, Franklin County.
Published in Lexington Herald-Leader on Feb. 8, 2018
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K4DZM first licensed as KN4DZM in 1955 (that was 45 years ago) took the novice test when I was 14, and when ticket came I was 15... I have over 125 awards and certificates from operation over the years, and mostly I have been very active on all bands and most modes. Now my operating is approx. 95% CW and the other 5% on Phone on 75 meters, I only operate phone on 75. Served as SCM for the KY section back in 1979-80 for a two year term, and have been an assistant director of the Great Lakes Division for 25 years.
My history on the CW nets goes back to 1962 when I was NCS on KYN and also NCS on 9RN and on CAN, I was also a member of the TCC corps with a schedule with the PAN TCC twice a week. This was during the Vietnam War and the radiograms we passed back then were very important to our people in that country. Guess I was very active on the CW nets until 1982, that is when I was put on 2nd shift, which took me out of everything except early morning phone on 75 and DX. Came back to the day shift about 5 or 6 years ago and started showing up on some of the old hangouts.
I have been retired now for 10 months (and its great!), from the G.E. Appliances. When I retired I was the Senior Electrical Engineer in the Refrigeration Facilities Department. I worked for G.E. for 16 years and before that I worked for Anaconda Aluminum, as an Electrician and before that as Maintenance Electrician for Durkee Famous Foods div. of SCM Corp.
Started in 1968 traveling on vacations by driving to Alaska (road was all gravel back then), and the traveling bug has never left, I have been in almost all the 50 states, most of Mexico, all of Canada. In the past 12 years we have been to just about every Island in the Caribbean and some parts of South America and Central America. This past summer we visited the Dominican Republic ten years after we visited Haiti, so now we have been all over the island of Hispaniola. In September we are leaving for New Zealand and Australia, I will be in Sydney about one week after the 2000 Olympics has finished. We will be traveling to every Region of Australia even out to Perth in western part of the continent.
What's next? Probably China next year for the big trip and the year after to Africa. Our plans are to travel as long as health lets us to try and see everything that we can on Earth. Each year we plan on one large trip and 2 or 3 small trips such as a cruise or tour of Ireland, things like that... Also still work lots of DX, and plan on visiting Ham friends everywhere I go...
Now for the brag tape of the equipment that is in the picture. Starting from the right of the PIX:
An Icom R-70 receiver with two HT's behind it, both dual banders an Icom Z1A and a Standard C500, Pwr supply and then Icom SP-21 speaker then the IC-2KL Amplifier then the Icom IC-756 Transceiver with the screen. Next to that is the AT-500 automatic antenna tuner, then the little Icom 706MKII. Behind my head is the Ten-Tec Hercules II Amp. that I use with the 706. To the left then is an Icom 701 and Pwr supply, and out of sight is a Heathkit HA-14Amp. For the 701 station, and another AT-500 used with the 706 station.
Out of sight to the right is where the 2 Meter junk is located, a Kenwood TR-7400A and a KLM 140 watt amplifier, and then the Ten-Tec Mode B Satellite station with the Mirage 100 watt amp. For 440. In the drawer beneath the desktop is my CW keyboard and a set of paddles. On top of the desk is 4 different sets of home made paddles of my design and behind me on the desk is another 6 sets of paddles (I have lots more in display case) along with lots of bugs and collector keys.
The rest of the shack is just Computers, to the Right is my old 486 terminal and TV connected to the local cable. To the left of the operating position is the secondary position and an old TRS-80 (my original computer from the 70's) that I still use for RTTY. Then down the left wall is a HP plotter and another computer desk with a 386 notebook then a HP Deskjet-1000 color printer. Then another computer desk which is behind the main op position where I usually hang out at when using the terminals... on this desk I have my Pentium 3 notebook and a 500 MHz Dell main terminal. All the computers have either 17" monitors or are using the 15" flat digital screens.
As you can see this is more like a RTTY brag tape but that is just the main stuff. Sitting on the floor is a Drake R4 receiver and a TenTec SP-325 Rx and more stuff, I think after doing this I will sell about 2/3 of all the equipment and will still have a lot... P.S. in the garage I have 2 386 terminals and four PLC's that I have programmed to run some programs...
Haven't even got to the outside yet... so will make it quick. A dipole Inverted V for 80 meters. A TA-36 six element tribander and a Hygain High Tower (full size vertical for 80 through 10) looks like a tower but is a 57' tall vertical antenna with 2000 sq. ft. of radials. On 2 and 440 I have two systems one 12 element 2 meter yagi at 50' and my Satellite antenna system 2 & 440 on top of a 24' tower for azimuth and elevation rotations. Do you want to buy any ham radio junk? This is just too much! Take care and see ya later.
Joe Miller K4DZM
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K 4 D Z M - First licensed in 1955 as KN4DZM.
Previously served as the SCM of Kentucky in 1979 thru 1981.
Currently active on CW Traffic Nets and low band DX on 160 and 80 Meters.
Active on all bands and all mode capability, but mainly on CW.
Over 150 awards, which include the following:
CW 5B-DXCC - WAS 48, 49, & 50 - A1 OP - WAC - CARF - CFO - NCDXF - ORS
Masonic Lodge #155 - Scottish Rite 32A - Oleika Shrine Temple
Secretary of "39" Club at Oleika Shrine Temple, Lexington KY
Hospital Van Driver for Shriners Childrens Hospital, Lexington KY
QCWA - Lifetime Member #23828 - Bluegrass Chapter #214
Currently Assistant Director of Great Lakes Division of ARRL.
Moved to Lexington, KY September 2003, after living in Louisville, KY for over 59 years. Retired from General Electric Appliances in 2000 as the Senior Electrical Engineer in the Refrigeration Facilites Dept. and before that I was an Electrician for over 25 years, working for Durkee Famous Foods and Anaconda Aluminum Co. Also worked part time for the Louisville Colonels AAA Baseball Club, Associated Press, and Western Union. We have always traveled quite a bit all over the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2000 we went to New Zeland and Australia for a couple of months and in 2001 visited China, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Played on a Senior Softball team based in Louisville KY that traveled around the country competing in Softball tournaments until having Heart surgery which has kept me from playing Softball anymore.
Present Equipment consists of the following: ICOM-781 and the Icom PW-1 1KW Solid State Amplifier. Backup rig IC-718 and Ten Tec Hercules II Amplifier. Antenna's in service - Dipole/Inverted V for 80 Meters, Hygain 18HT full size vertical for 80, 40, and 30 Meters also use this Vertical on 160, At the barn I have the Titan DX Vertical and Cushcraft R-7 Vertical. The big tower is now up with various antenna's. We will install a Cushcraft ASL-2010 Log Periodic beam Antenna later this year. Now in the process of getting an old Ten-Tec PM3A QRP transceiver on the air.
K4DZM - Joe Miller Nostalgia station consists of Drake 2B Receiver with Drake 2BQ and the Johnson Ranger II, which I use daily.
Now working to restore my first station, A National NC-98 Receiver and the Heathkit AT-1 Transmitter. (My first transmitter from 1955) also will use the Heathkit VF-1 VFO. Next on the restore list will be a Globe Chief 90 Transmitter and another antique receiver, Hammerlund HQ-129X, Realistic DX-160 Receiver, Heathkit AR-3, or GR-91. All antique receivers.
The tubes keep me warm in the winter months.
Presently operate on CW mostly with some SSB on 75 Meters.
Very Active on the NTS at CW level, been handling traffic since 1956.
73's and hope to see you on the Bands - Joe Miller K4DZM
