Kulpsville Reflections (There is Life Beyond 30 MHz. . . Honest!)

MARK'S REFLECTIONS ON THE SWL FEST

© 2007 by Mark Meece N8ICW

Kulpsville? Where’s that? That was my first reaction to my friend Steve Forest when he was telling me of this big gathering of shortwave listeners, pirate DXers, and mediumwave experts. As he told me more about it and with such enthusiasm, I knew it was something I had to experience. Dave Marshall was also hearing the same thing from John McColman. So Dave proposed we ride together and go check it out for ourselves. It was 1992, the Fifth Winter SWL Fest. I was an avid shortwave listener at the time, as well as a pirate DXer. As a matter of fact it had been about 8 months since I myself was busted by the FCC for operating my own pirate station “Fourth of July Radio”. So I now found myself in like company. While I say I was DXer, I had also been involved in the scanning end of the hobby for over 12 years. As we crossed the PA Turnpike we were trying out a new Icom wideband receiver, not to mention Dave had a Bearcat BC-760XLT with the tone finder and he had it programmed for the entire trip. As we drove into the Appalachians, the low band skip started rolling in, so we were DXing across the width of Pennsylvania. We were already having a blast playing radio before we got there.

As we approached the interchange for the Northeast Extension I noticed a strange looking pine tree next to I-76. It was a cell tower disguised as a pine tree, obvious, but cool looking. We got to the hotel, and slowly were introduced to people whose articles and columns I had been reading for years. They were “Celebrities” to me, I was awestruck! Later that evening I was introduced for the first time to John McColman and Bill Cole of the Northeast Scanning News fame (NESN). Later we were joined by Uncle Skip and the “Puckish” Jon Cohen. That evening as we were hanging out in one of the rooms scanning and drinking Yuengling (Official Beer of the Scanner Scum), we were treated to some really good local scanner action. We heard the local area fire department (Towamencin Township) dispatched just right down the road from the hotel for a leaking propane tank at the Amerigas tank farm. For awhile officials on scene were contemplating evacuating the area around the hotel and “we” were the only ones in the hotel with the knowledge of this! At some point that evening Dr. DX passed us in the hallway and asked if we were hearing anything good from the local fast food drive-thru and made the comment that there were now Scanner Scum at the Fest. That was it! The name was perfect and it stuck! From that moment forward we were “THE SCANNER SCUM”. A name we proudly wear to this day. While it was not officially on the schedule that Fest, the six of us led by “The Big Kahuna” John McColman put on an impromptu scanning forum on Sunday morning that was well attended, for the years proceeding that one the Scanner Scum has been hosting one of the more attended forums at the Winter SWL Fest. In proceeding years we added to our ranks, Tom Swisher, Ed Muro, Jon Vodenik and Lee Reynolds.

At the 1992 Banquet, we somehow were the loudest and rowdiest table at the banquet. I had never laughed so hard that night as before in my life, it was a fantastic time. While we have toned it down in recent years, there are still occasional cheers of Eeeennnniiiiddddd, OH-Kla-HomAA! We help Dr. DX hand out the goodies by Oohhing and Aahhing, and occasionally take a few off his hands. Who could ever forget that 1992 Banquet with the live Brazilian band and Gerry Dexter leading the Congo line through the room or proceeding years when George Zeller was wearing the Cheesehead Hat. And for some reason I have yet to figure out George wins that doggone Barto Bag ever freaking year!

In 1995 we honored Dr. DX, Kris Field, Bob Brown and his wife Gail, with their own purple Scanner Scum shirts. At the 1999 Fest I became the proud owner of a Zenith Trans-Oceanic T600, after cleaning the contacts, it hummed to life and what beautiful audio streamed forth from that radio. What a thing of beauty, they sure don’t make them like that anymore! As ANARC Executive Chairman I was able to keep secret and totally shock Marie Lamb who usually presented ANARC’s Don Jensen Distinguished Service Award by having her open the envelope with her name in it as the 2001 recipient of the award. That was one of many “priceless” moments of the Fest.

Over the years I have had many different radios with me at the Fest, the Sony 2010, Grundig YB-400 and countless scanners. As technology has changed over the years and luckily the hobby has followed suite. We now bring our digital scanners to listen to the local agencies, and nearly every Scum has a Pro-96 on their side. Of course the best part of the Fest has been the friendships made, to even be considered a part of a fraternity with Uncle Skip, John McColman, Bill Cole, Bob Crain, Dave Marshall, Jon Cohen ,Tom Swisher, Ed Muro, Mike Eilers, Jon Vodenik, Don Schimmel, Lee Reynolds, and Lynn Burke is an honor beyond compare. My only wish is that I could have been there from the very beginning of the Fest, but listening to everyone’s stories about it and all the unique views of it, I feel like I was. Hanging out with the pirates is a treat too! Scum and pirates are quite similar and sometimes the same!. I greatly enjoy the company of everyone at the fest, each and everyone of us are characters in one way or another. I consider all of us Fest goers as family and look forward to each March with much anticipation. I hope it continues for another 20 years and beyond.

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