Art, W6EA (SK) in the "Shack" June 17, 2003

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In June 2003 Larry, K6YUI and I spent a couple of interesting hours at the QTH of Art Enockson, W6EA (SK). Art was a charter member of the SCDXC and was present at the very first meeting in 1947, he was the only three time past president of the SCDXC. Art and his wife Virginia lived in Buena Park, CA. Their home is pleasing to both the ham and non-ham alike, with a large beautifully landscaped yard and an 89ft tower with a fully equipped shack to boot.  The shack is located in a separate air-conditioned room that is off the garage and is equipped with everything a DXer would need, including a TV for when the bands are dead. The first thing your notice as your enter is the "standby" amplifier. Standing about 6ft tall, the homebrew amp with a single 4-1000 can be driven by the Kenwood TL-922 if required to get that "new one". Now with that said one must remember there were no "new ones" for Art and for that mater there were only four old ones. Art had all 335 current and a total of 389 DXCC entities confirmed.  The radios are a FT-1000D, TS-850, FT-100, and a 2m radio for packet. Antennas include a log periodic, 20m Yagi, 30m rotatable dipole, 3 element 40m Yagi, and slopers for 80m and 160m all on an 89ft tower. The shack also includes the usual array of computers, rotor controls, antenna switches etc.  The next thing that will catch your eye is the wall of QSL cards and what a collection it is. Most of the cards are from places I have only seen on the deleted list. You know the kind of places members talk about having worked way back when while sipping refreshments at Visalia.  Art first got interested in radio back in the thirties when he heard these strange noises coming from a neighbor's garage and investigated to find... you guessed it a Ham. Art's dad (pictured here with Art circa 1935) was not real pleased with the neighbor or Art's new found interest. You see in those days TVI was not a problem, but interference with the Enockson family radio in the evenings was. But Art's dad soon warmed to this new interest of Art's. After mentioning the interference to the Ham next door, he in true Elmer fashion helped Art build a filter to tune out the offending noise on the family radio. So the next time that buzz came over the radio Art was able to fiddle with something in the back of the radio and viola the noise was gone. After that Art's dad figured maybe the neighbor and ham radio were not such a bad thing after all.  Art was first licensed in 1934 as W6MUB, he also held W6QC and was a regular at club meetings and Visalia. Art was retired after spending 42 years in the employ of "Ma Bell". He spent his leisure time tuning the bands and if your listened carefully you might have caught Art having a QSO in Swedish.  Art became a Silent Key in February 2004 and will be missed by everyone who knew him.  73 DE Jim, N6DHZ

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