Paul Schlipp KØRWU
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I was born, and live, in the St.Louis, Missouri area, and I have continued to reside here, except for six years in the Army.
In the fifties, I went to high school at Normandy, Missouri, and in the late sixties I spent 3 years attending the University of Missouri, at Normandy.
In 1958, I started into ham radio as a technician class operator.
In the late fifties, right before I went into the Army, I purchase a used six meter Gonset Communicator from the Walter Ashe Radio Co. of St.Louis. I lugged the old Gonset around with me for six years. I made many friends with that radio, as I traveled around the country.
I spent six and a half years, in the U.S. Army, between 1958 and 1965, working as a nuclear weapons specialist.
In 1965 I resigned from the Army, I upgraded to a general class amateur radio operator, and purchased a new Swan Cygnet 26Ø from the Ham Radio Center of St. Louis.
I sure wish I would have kept those old Gonset and Swan radios, but I have recently found replacement radios in great condition.
In 1966, I obtained my second class commercial radio telephone license, and went to work as a two-way radio technician for
A&E Electronics, Inc. as a service technician in the commercial 2-way radio business.
In 1966, I built my first repeater system from some used GE Progressline tube radios, and had it on the air on six meters FM before the first 146.94 2 meter repeater was in service. The six meter repeater was used by only a few friends and my wife.
In 197Ø, I organized, and started the St. Louis Six Meter Repeater Club. Over the years the repeater equipment was upgraded and moved around several times. The repeater club and the repeater was disconnected in 1986 due to lack of interest, and for a need for a new 2 meter repeater for our new "Pilot's Radio club". The reason for the 2 meter instead of the 6 meter repeater was because we wanted radio capability with the Civil Air Patrol, and aircraft antennas.
In 197Ø I upgraded to a commercial first class radiotelephone license, and in 1973, I opened my own sales and service, radio communications company called, "Viking Electronics, Inc".
In 1980 I obtained my present Advanced class license. One in which I plan to keep. I feel like getting a Extra class would be de-grading with the newer reduced license and no CW requirements.
In 1983 I built a 16Ø foot Rohn Self-Supporting tower in High Ridge, Missouri. Of which, I installed many commercial, and Amateur, radios and antennas.
In 1988 I organized and started the St. Louis Pilots Radio Club. Also, in 1988 I built my first 2 meter repeater using some old GE master-Pro radios. The frequency I got assigned was on 144.65-145.25. The repeater worked OK, but we did have some problems with mobile interference from cable TV bleed over. The club was disbanned in 1992 due to our local airport (Wiese 3WE) closing.
At that time we kept the repeater active, and KA0RFO wanted to set-up the repeater to link with his Lake repeater, so control was turned over to him, although the repeater remained on my High Rdge tower. Some time around 1993, or so, KAØRFO changed the frequency of the repeater to 146.325-146.925.
In 2ØØ4 I organized and started "The Ancient Modulators Club". The purpose of this new club is to promote interest in the operation, and restoration of old AM radio gear from the mid-century.
Over the years, I have constructed numerous amateur radio, and commercial repeater systems, and at the present time, I am the owner, and station trustee, of "The Ancient Modulators Club" radio systems.
I am currently active on all the ham bands below 44Ø mhz, and I can operate all modes, from the car and home.
Besides amateur radio, I have always been interested in airplanes. I started building and flying model aircraft at the age of 13.
In 1987, I obtained my private pilots license, and purchased a full scale Cessna 15ØK, A two passenger airplane, tail number "N5913G". After restoring the Cessna in 1989, and equipping it with IFR instruments, I became instrument rated.
The FAA check ride officer said it was the first time he ever did a IFR check ride in a Cessna 15Ø.
While taking many cross country trips, I had lot's of fun talking on ham radio. I have sold my airplane, but I had some of my most enjoyable years back in the late 198Ø's, and early 199Ø's with my Cessna. I still do, and enjoy flying RC model aircraft.
Presently I am, restoring numerous old Gonset Communicators, and other radios from the fifties and sixties. All of this equipment was purchased for nostalgia reasons, and for re-sale, as well as loaner radios for our club members.
My first radio was a military TBY-7, and I spent my early years talking on six meters AM, back then a Technicial could only use six meters for voice.
There is more information about this old 6 meter club on this web site.
The Six Meter repeater receiver really started to hear from that tower, and the transmitter was moved to a simular tower in Overland, Missouri, but I guess interest on six meters was dwendling away at that time, so the improvments didn't help to improve the club much.
I hope to have some more information about this old club posted on my web site soon.
In 2ØØ7 I built a 6 meter AM repeater for the club. This is a great place for us old timers to operate our old tube radios on "AM". As well, as a place for the younger hams to get a taste of what it was like to use the old radios.
Shortly after completion of the AM repeater, I constructed a multi-mode, multi band, simplex, remote base system. This is a UHF repeater from which you can cross talk to simplex and repeater stations on some of the HF bands, 6 meters, and 2 meters.
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