Lynn Bilyeu KØODF

I rember being interested in Ham Radio when I got out of the USCoast Guard in Nov. 1945, I worked in various towns on the BlackHills Division of the C&NW Railroad but never came in contact with any Ham Radio operators until I moved to Chadron in 1949, and then not until 1958 did I actually get started.

My friend, Bill Campbell and I knew Mel Boggs (-------)a switchman on the railroad who was a Ham, and found out through him that there was a radio club in Chadron, the Dawes County Amateur Radio Club. which I believe was started in 1955. We then met Chuck Hugunin WØZYJ who was a technician working at the Chadron Airport . Those 2 and Bill Schlickbernd WØVAD a TV Technician and one other airport employee were the members of the club. Chuck and Mel started classes for Novice class licenses, and Bill Campbell, Tony Cashon, Bonnie Davis and Bob Zeman took the class and took the test from those instructors and got licensed in 1958, Bill was KNØODH, Tony was KNØOAL, Bob was KNØODG and I was KNØODF, I don't recall Bonnie's call sign.

We all got some old army radio equipment , and some cheap commercial radios and strung up our antennae and got on the air on CW right away. We worked among outselves mostly for a bit, then branched out contacting other stations. Bob Zeman lost interest quickly as he could barely copy 5WPM, but the rest of us were very active, I remember I worked all states on my 50 watt Globe Scout within the first year. Bonnie Davis never got on the air either.

After one year our Novice tickets expired and we 3 took the General Test from Leo Henen WØFLO who was a retired railroad engineer living in Whitney, Bonnie Davis did not upgrade. Our radio calls were the same as before without the “N” novice designation.

We then upgraded a bit with better equipment and then got some of our kids interested and that’s when Ron Cashon KNØPTK, Roxie Campbell (????) and Frances Bilyeu KNØQOL got Novice tickets. Only Ron kept going in Ham Radio.

We started getting more and more members and our club started having Field Days which were lots of fun, maybe we didn’t set any records with contacts but really went all out, setting up our stations out in the woods etc, and the club always bought the beer. The very first Field Day I remember was Bill Campbell and I and maybe one or two others went to the state park with a Ham named VanSkiver, he had an old generator that made so much radio interference, we couldn’t hear any signals on our radios….but he (wearing head phones) seemed to be making lots of contacts, we always figured he was bluffing.

Later Field days were the good ones, we set up out on Bill Campbell’s farm on Bordeaux Creek, and once over near Whitney, and I remember one right in my own backyard here in Chadron.

One night we were having a bull session in Tony’ shack which was a special room built on the side of his double garage, I think there was a bottle of Vodka present, and Frank Allen WØGGP and Tony came up with a brilliant idea and the Smoke Signal Senders a special elite club was formed. By-laws were drawn up with a secret way of becoming a member. At the radio club’s annual picnics we held a special meetings away from the rest of the group, where we initiated new members with our Indian type ceremonies. Some initiates were subjected to walking a plank blindfolded etc etc. The Smoke Signal Senders actually had a lot of members at the end, not only in Chadron but other Hams who attended the Chadron picnic, even some celebrities like Barry Goldwater a Congressman from Arizona. There were no dues, but fines were levied for various violations.

Our club acquired an old Army ambulance and we had mobile equipment in it for emergency use, but the only thing I remember using it for was driving to Crawford and letting little kids get on the air and talk to “Santa Claus”….then returning to Chadron and doing the same thing down in front of the Theater.

Sometime later the club name was changed to the Pine Ridge Amateur Radio Club and has been functioning well ever since.