Gus Browning, W4BPD, SK, made a name for himself in 1967 when he received the honor of being the first inductee to the DX Hall of Fame. A former TV technician and later the editor of DXers magazine, Browning craved adventure and would travel anywhere to start a pileup. He made over 200,000 contacts during his lifetime to locales so remote many aren’t even evidenced on maps.
Nicknamed “Mr. Radio,” Browning was born on November 25, 1904, and passed away on August 21, 1990, at the age of 82. He is remembered for his affinity for creating unusual call signs, his love of Coca Cola, and teaching himself to write left-handed so he could operate his CW with both hands.
During his early DXpeditions his equipment included the Collins S-Line, 32S-3 Transmitter, 75S-3 Receiver, 30L-1 Linear Amplifier, and MP-1 power supplies.
As one of the first DXpeditioners, he blazed the trail for future Hams, giving the hobby traction and visibility. For that and his other Amateur Radio contributions, we thank him.
The list of countries he operated from is extensive: Below is a partial list:
• Bouvet Island, LH4C
• Bhutan, AC5A
• Malagasy Republic, 5R8CM
• Swaziland, ZS6IF/7
• Assumption Island, VQ9A/AN
• Aldabra Island, VQ9A/7
• Afghanistan, YA1A
• Reunion Island, FR7ZC,
• Yemen, MP4QAR/4W1
• Kuria Muria, VS9HAA
• Burundi, 9U5ZZ
• Tristan Da Cunha, ZD9AM
• French Somaliland, FL5A
• Kenya, VQ4ERR
