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William D. 'Bill' Price Blountville, TN QCWA # 20877 Chapter 182 |
Bill Price, 76, Blountville, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, August 25, 2014, at his home.
Born in Norton, VA, he has resided most of his life in Sullivan County. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served in Middleton Island, Alaska. Bill was an architect in the Tri-Cities area for many years. He was an active amateur radio operator for 60 years. Bill was best known as W4CZ. He held memberships in the Bristol Amateur Radio Club, the Quarter Century Wireless Association, and the Kingsport Radio Club. Bill held numerous radio awards.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Josephine Price.
Bill is survived by his wife, Cornie 'Connie' Price; three sons, Adam Price, Patrick Price and wife, Lisa, and Joseph Price; three grandchildren, Jessica Price, Corey Price and wife, Courtney, and Evan Price; one sister, Patricia McCoig and husband, Lynn; two brothers, Randy Price and wife, Toni, and Allen Price and wife, Cathy; and several nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport.
The graveside service will be conducted with Military Honors by the American Legion Posts 3/265 at 10:45 a.m. on Friday at Mountain Home National Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Corey Price, Patrick Price, Joe Price, Adam Price, Don Baker, and Chick Greever.
My steps to Amateur Radio
My father bought a Zenith "Chair Side" short wave radio before WWII. He was not in military service due to defense related work at a local plant. During WWII he called home each day at noon and mom would put the phone to the speaker of the SW band Zenith so he could hear the latest war news.
The Zenith band coverage was from 550 Kc up through 18.5 MHz. A 6 tube superheterodyne with an I.F. of 456 KC. This radio, it turns out, was manufactured within a month of when I was born on 6 May 1938. My father kept this radio all these years, the cabinet in the living room, the non-operating chassis in the basement.
After his passing in Sep.'95, I began rebuilding the radio, which can be seen on my home page @ http://www.qsl.net/w4cz The cabinet is a beautiful wood and has been re-finished to its original luster. My first recollection of this radio is about 1944 when I was six years old. I can still remember some of "WWII news" heard on the old Zenith.
My interest in amateur radio came from listening to the ham AM'ers on the Zenith. I continued to listen to short wave stations for many years, and still do. I learned the Morse code in the Explorer scouts, winning a set of Emico code records in a Boys Life SWL listening contest in the early 50s.
I pursued my radio interests in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) with an FCC Radiotelephone license in 1954.
Served four years in the USAF. Graduated Radar school in Biloxi, MS in Aircraft Control & Warning Radar operations. One of my assignments was in remote Alaska (Middleton Island) in '57-'58, in the Gulf of Alaska, south of Valdez and Cordova about 100 miles.
After Honorable Discharge from the US Air Force, was licensed in 1962 as WN4MCZ and a year later was WA4MCZ.
DXCC Certificates:
Top of the Honor Roll (343 Mixed),
Honor Roll (335 Phone), Challenge Award 1102
5BDXCC, DXCC: RTTY (282), CW (219), 10 (218), 15 (254), 20 (298), 40 (148) & 80 (112).
WAZ: Phone, CW, RTTY (mixed) & RTTY (20 meters).
WAS: Phone, CW, 160 CW, & RTTY.
Transceivers: ICOM IC-781 (W/new LCD display) + IC-756 PRO-II.
Amplifier: Alpha 87A
Backup eq: Kenwood TS-450S & YAESU FT-757GX
For RTTY: PK-900 (digital modification), PK-232 backup.
Mobile: FT-857D with Hustler antenna systems.
Antennas: M Square KT-36-XA on TX-455 tower.
160, 80 & 40 dipoles at 60'.
Site elevation: 1830'ASL, antenna height 1,890'.
Life Member of ARRL, QCWA, AMSAT and a member of OOTC
(Old Old Timers Club - 40+ years of licensed radio operation).
Changed WA4MCZ to W4CZ in Nov.'96. There have been 7 previous holders of the "W4CZ" callsign which originated in 1916 with Robert C. Ashley of St.Petersburg, FL.
Registered Architect in six states;TN, VA, KY, NC, GA, CO. Certified by The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
My office is also my ham shack!