oward S Pyle -7HP - W7ASL - W7OE - *1898-1972* Known as “YB” to his fellow radio ops.
Born to James & Addie Pyle in Chicago. Howard’s technical interests started when he was a lad in
1908. Earned 7HP in 1914. Married in 1920 and serving a hitch in the U.S. Navy at Ketchikan, Alaska
as a wireless operator. He would eventually become an assistant radio inspector and electronic engineer
with the U.S. Govt. Writer, FCC Engineer, experimenter - Last home of record Mercer Island WA. In
1921 Howard was living in Bremerton WA and later out east at The Detroit FCC central office, alreadya veteran radio operator. Held W7ASL in 1931 at Seattle as a Ltjg U.S. Navy reserve. Author of books
and publications in his name, especially license guides assisting those in the amateur ranks. A book in
1936 called “Practical amateur radio Transmitter Designs” His many affiliations, OOTC, AWA etc.

HHoward believed in the statement “Power no substitute for skill” take the high road. Howard is considered
the QRP Father of the eather. W7OE wrote a extensive article inElectronics Illustrated that showed how anovice can build an inexpensive pi-net
tuner. A tapped coil, two ex bc set variablecapacitors and to make it fancy, a pilot
bulb wired to a single turn link around thecoil. Cheap and dirty but it worked. The Pi
circuit was far better than the T circuit
tuner. In 1924 Howard wrote a huge article
called “Shake Hands with the R.I.”
Those starting out will not easily forget
Howard’s “ABC Guide to Novice,” aHoward Sams publication. He was a longtime manager of the Washington State Traffic Net. Check out his station, the old with the new, the BC342
receivers with the vaunted Davco DR-30 that was short lived in 1965-66, well before its time weighing
only 7 lbs. (Elecraft, a full svc transceiver today weighs 3.3 lb.)
One of my many recent interests has been the Radio/TV
trade schools and their in-house and courses bycorrespondence. Those places once dotted all over thefruited plain. A once very proud industry. Howard Pyle
W7OE far ahead of us to that subject as he has had along series of articles covering that subject closely in CQ
magazine and Ham Radio magazine, November 1967.
They were extensive articles and enjoyable reading.
Do old timers remember W7OE Howard and the PacificAmateur Radio Group? He was a quite famous QRP’erand writer back then now deceased for many years andhe eventually formed PARG as a splinter group from theQRP ARCI. Its focus to what we now know as true QRP (5 watt and under level) and Howard formeda group out on the west coast aimed at true QRP. It was one of the very earliest true QRP clubs inexistence. Partially scripted from unibordsystem.org Continued page two.

Mr. Pyle (YB) has written about subjects that are near and dear to my heart. Here again in CQ Magazine
August 1966 a Pyle article “Evolution of the Ham Shack.” Howard goes in great detail the old remote ham
radio shacks outside of our homes, with call signs affixed to the entry ways and the whole 9 yards. My
style of an article. My fondest dream as a boy about the mysterious world of radio, having that back yard
shack full of wonderful iron.
I’ve written to the current holder of W7OE, as of yet no response. I hope we will receive additional to fileoff the rough edges of this entry.
Howard was a senior member if the IEEE and past vice-director of the Northwestern Division of theAmerican Radio relay League.

As appeared in the Seattle Times December
First, 1972

Howard and I both have something in common, both stationed in Alaska (Ketchikan) before being
accepted as a state into the U.S.A. Radio operations out of the Ketchikan SE Alaska area are quite poor
due to a mountainous ridge to the east and to the southeast. Communications were good into Alaska andthe Pacific regions but difficult to the mid west and east coast.

1920 Census Howard was age 22 had enlisted in the Navy and had married Susan. I’ve viewed commentsand questions still in 2008 about W7OE on the internet and he is remembered to this day. His books andradio technical materials are available on the Internet. Added 2010 a tribute to Howard was given by Tad
K7RA in his propagation column commerating Howard’s 112 birthday in 2010.
W8SU 2008 added 2011