W3PYF Melvin A. 'Mel' Snyder Stoneham, MA QCWA # 36522

Ex W2FLO, K3AFW, WB2DLW, 8P6OH, VP2VGE, ON8RZ Email: mel@proclinica.com W3PYF is, as you can see by the photo, the call sign of my father Clarence, who passed away following a hospital error on July 20, 2005. Dad was first licensed just after WWII, and had become active in the War Emergency Radio Service. He was radio officer of Northampton County, PA for more than 50 years, and was awarded numerous citations by the Red Cross (Clara Barton Society), the General Electric Award, and more from local ham radio and Kiwanis clubs than I could cite. He was an active recruiter of new hams, and when he passed away, was honored by dozens of his former "Elmer" beneficiaries. He was one of the founders of the famed 3999 (kHz) group, and active in the 1960s "Sideband Dinner" group that met annually at the IEEE show in NY. He was a life member of the ARRL, and a member of the Radio Club of America. Professionally, he was an advertising photographer for Bethlehem Steel for 40 years, an earned the masters citation from the Professional Photographers of America. Personally, he was a great teacher and father, and is sorely missed by many. His loyal wife of 64 years, and my mother, Sylvia, died in January of 2008. I am honored to carry on Dad's call and name. If you can recognize your QSL card on the wall of his shack in the early-mid 1950s, or have a personal recollection of him. I'd love to hear from you!

I was first licensed in March of 1957 as KN3AFW, having taken the Novice code test from Ed Hart, W3NF/W2ZVW, arguably one of the greatest CW operators of all time. Ed infected me with the CW "bug" in more ways than one, and after a short stint into phone, I became a lifelong CW fan, mostly 40CW.

I began DXing with a trip to Peter Island, from which I operated VP2VGE, and then Barbados with 8P6OH. I had a station for about a year at my friend's home in Brussels, where I operated ON8RZ. I also operated from La Plagne, in the French Alps.

I moved in mid-2008 to Stoneham, MA, and am finally back on CW with a Butternut vertical, a Ranger II and an SB-301 - and most recently, an Elecraft KX3 - which I love!

December 04, 2015