Early Solar Pioneer Art Bell dead at 72

Dave Angelini

He will be missed very much by me!

 I learned he was an air force medic in Viet Nam and was one of the first to bootleg armed forces radio for rock and roll (before "Good morning Viet Nam) He also did the same in Okinawa before he got out. Art Bell was one of the first to use the 2 meter cell phone that Hams used in the day in the silicon valley, long before cell phones. We heard him out sailing and talked on the Chubasco and Manyana 40 meter Maritime nets in Central America. Art had a nice BIG solar array at his home in the high desert outside of Las Vegas.

My memories were of Art on Ham radio when my wife and I were out cruising
our sailboat about the world. Art Bell was one of the first to use the 2
meter cell phone that Hams used in the day in the Silicon valley, long
before cell phones. We heard him and talked on the Chubasco and Manyana 40
meter Maritime nets in Central America. We talked of Helicopters that
buzzed us that made no rotor noise! He loved that one!

 About 4 hand full's of radio awards from one of the largest syndicated radio shows (Coast To Coast AM) in history. Still going strong. On U-tube many of his famous shows exist for everyone!  We know you are out there!   --Dave

Photowhit

I vaguely remember listening to bits and pieces of his show on Late night radio back in the 70's, On WBT AM radio out of Charlotte, NC when I was a Tallahassee, FL. After Bob Lacey(?) I tried to go to sleep...

He was an interesting guy. Nice to know he was into solar, it doesn't surprise me. I was most impressed with how well he handled the great thinkers to the complete wackos. 

Dave Angelini

I know he was born in Jacksonville from Wiki but they said he went west after Vietnam.

" During the early 1970s, Bell lived in Watsonville, California, and worked for KIDD 630 AM in Monterey, California.[citation needed] He also worked for KMST channel 46.[citation needed]

First a rock music disc jockey before moving into talk radio, Bell's original 1978 late-night Las Vegas program on KDWN was a political call-in show under the name West Coast AM.[1] In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the show Coast to Coast AM and moved its broadcast from the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump.[1]"

One of the funniest shows that is on Utube is about a guy in an ultralight who tried to fly into Area 51 when it was ramped up with security to the max. There is this cell call on the Radio with Bell trying to tell the guy he could be forced down, shot down, or jet washed down. The F16's are with him when he goes off the cell. That part is not funny but the long cell call is a crack-up and show what a master Bell was at communication.

Two of the Solar Wrench guys I know took care of his station and kept it going no matter what the grid was doing.

boB

I used to listen to Art Bell on 75 meters at night talking with a bunch of people about everything.  Was interesting.
Miss his old Coast to Coast radio shows.
boB

BB.

Moved to open forum area...

-Bill "moderator" B.

Dave Angelini

Fine move wherever Bill, If ever there was a Solar Skeptic it was Art which is where I picked that. Sorry?
He later became a very big proponent of it and Offgrid. Remember the early days of people trying to build houses with DC wiring and he did a little of that and got Pro help. He did quite a few shows about solar in 1970s and later on his Coast show in 1988.
It was great getting a signal report in the Hollandaise islands of Panama from Art on 15 meters. Still have that one! He kept us awake on night passages and his bumper rock music was the best then, still is to some of us! Special show to be announced!

BB.

No problem Dave. Just thought that Art Bell was more than just a skeptic and the "open forum" was a better fit.

-Bill

Marc Kurth

Art was a gentleman.

Dave, I did not realize that you were a ham. I'm not, but I grew up in a house that was immersed in RF!  Sure knew my way around a pair of 6146B's as finals. Lots of copper weld, twin lead and some serious rotor work. I remember when IMTS VHF 150MHZ car phones were new because I was already using a 35 MHZ low band phone at the time. (ZM and ZY channels)

My Dad, WB6ALC, went silent key in January at 95 yrs old, but I remember he and Art having conversations on a wide range of topics, especially propagation.

I repeat, Art was a gentlemen.

Marc

Dave Angelini

W6OOB was Art. Sorry about your Dad Mark. I never used tubes for electronics in Radio. I spent most of my solar years trying to get rid of them from peoples solar homes who were also trying to live on batteries at night   Same with hi End audio and vacuum tubes. A bit easier now that home power technology has caught up

There were a few sailing Hams who did run tubes and ran a genset when transmitting....

Great to hear of your Dad talking with the "man"!  

Once we sold the boat I let my license go but my Wife is an extra and occasionally will radiate the mountain here!  In the 90's we ran pactor e-mail at 300 baud to a HAM down in the valley below. He patched us in and read our mail. Early on there was no Pactor encryption and you could read anyone's email.  Living large!  

Are you all moved in?