WILLIAM
(BILL) BENSON VE3WB QCWA # 9810 (SK)
1938-1939 Bill
was a radio operator aboard ships on the Atlantic coast, St Lawrence River and
Great Lakes (Both Spark and CW)
1939 - He joined Department of Transport as a radio
operator, but over his 25 year career with DOT became a Technician and finally
Telecom Area Manager for Ottawa International Airport.
1973 - Retired from Dept of Transport.
Amateur Radio History
1932 – First licensed as VE3WB. His transmitter was
a home-brewed pair of 45 tubes in a TPTG circuit. He believes that his WAC
(Worked All Continents) certificate in 1936 was the second in Toronto. At that
time his transmitter was a 50 W pair of 210 tubes 1938-1946 - Inactive, due to
wartime shipboard radio operator service.
1946-1947 - Operated in Northern Ontario using
homebrew 807 transmitter.
1950-1951 - Operated from Manitoulin Island,
Ontario.
1951-1965 - Inactive due to heavy DOT travel
schedule and unsuitable locations
1965-1973 – He began operating again with a
Heathkit DX60 Transmitter, and continued with various CW rigs chasing DX. Bill
earned DXCC in 1968 and WAZ in 1969. Since then he has bought SSB gear and
works 80-10 M, mostly to keep in touch with old acquaintances.
Bill joined QCWA in 1975 and was a member of
Chapter 70 and was active in the 1977 QCWA QSO Party.
He passed away December 9, 1986 at age 71 years.
Biography
prepared by VE3XK 2010-10-23