My mentor, elmer and most of all my friend passed away this morning 4/27 @ 01:00 EDT from an extended illness. We will miss you Dave. I thank you for all you have taught me about Amateur Radio. Prayers go out for the Family and all who knew him. Tim Wright KD4OVM Former Kentucky Section Manager Dave Vest, KZ4G (SK) (May 12, 2009) -- Former Kentucky Section Manager Dave Vest, KZ4G, of Ashland, passed away April 27, 2009. He was 75. Vest served as Section Communications Manager/Section Manager from April 1981-March 1983. He also served as the first ARRL Section Traffic Manager in Kentucky prior to serving as Section Manager. According to current Kentucky Section Manager Jim Brooks, KY4Z, Vest supported numerous Amateur Radio groups in the Kentucky-Virginia-West Virginia area. He was a past president of the River Cities Amateur Radio Association and the Tri-State Amateur Radio Association and a founding member of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Quarter Century Wireless Association. "Dave promoted Amateur Radio throughout his life and elmered countless newcomers into the hobby," Brooks said. I am Dave KZ4G, I live in northeastern Kentucky near Ashland and many of you have known me for several years, this is my story of how I came into Ham Radio. Back in Jr high school I become interested in radio only listening to short wave, then I started to build things and low and behold I built a short wave radio and I landed on 75 Meters and there it took hold.
In May 1951 I became WN5TXV and some time later, less than a year I became W8LMF this was my call until 1959 when it expired as I had gotten married and started a family leaving little time for ham radio. Then in 1962 I went and took the exam again and got my call back as W8LMF and remained active until moving from West Virginia to Kentucky in 1967. I then held WB4JDR (just darn rotten) as a secondary station license, once I officially moved and renewed the FCC gave me K4HRF. The next time I renewed they ask if I ever had a call I wanted back and I said W8LMF and at this time I become KZ4G, which is the only original call I ever had. This picture is a Harvey Wells TBS-50 which was the first commercial built transmitter I ever owned along with the National NC-57 they both still work but not as good as the Triton.
Through out my ham radio career I have been active in the ARRL field organization I was the first Section Traffic Manager (STM) for the state of Kentucky and also the last Section Communication Manager (SCM) and the first Section Manager (SM) all taking place during the restructuring of the ARRL field organization. I also served in West Virginia as route manager and was one of the founders of the Tri-State Hamfest in Huntington. That was held at Camden Park and also served as president of Tri-State Amatuer Radio Association in Huntington and later served as president of the River Cities Amateur Radio Club in Ashland, Kentucky. There I taught classes in amateur radio at the community college. I'm sure some of the guys who will be reading this possibly attended some of those classes.
Well it is hard for me to believe but at the Dayton Hamvention 2000 I celebrated my 50th year in ham radio. It is hard to believe I have been active on the bands for that period of time, seems like only yesterday I was just getting started. ![]() |