Good afternoon, everyone.
Today, I have an exciting interview to share with author Dominic (Nick) Tusa.
Nick wrote the biography, Wes Schum: Amateur Radio's Unsung Hero. He earned his first amateur radio license at age 11 and has been continuously active in the hobby for 57 years. He is a principal radio communications consultant and founder of Tusa Consulting Services. For over 42 years, Tusa has provided technical services involving the design, implementation, and maintenance of land mobile radio and microwave communication systems for both public safety and private industry.
In Nick's biography, Wes Schum: Amateur Radio's Unsung Hero, you can learn all about Wes's incredible story. On Thanksgiving Day 1961, Wes Schum was unstoppable. His Central Electronics Company had produced the world's most advanced single-sideband transmitter, setting the Amateur Radio World ablaze. Three months later, it was all over. 60 years later, learn why and what could have been.
While this book chronicles the life and times of a man who brought Single Sideband technology to amateur radio enthusiasts in a form that made one's communications more effective and viable, Nick Tusa's hope is that Wes Schum's zeal for problem-solving and helping others through his work will inspire young people facing uncertainty while charting their course in Life. If a person believes in an idea or is drawn toward a goal, of course, obstacles and temporary setbacks are likely to present unwelcome but important challenges. Learn from those challenges and keep pushing ahead.
You can purchase Nick's book here.
Now, please enjoy the following interview!
BOOKMARKED: What inspired you to write your book, Wes Schum: Amateur Radio's Unsung Hero?
NICK TUSA: This has been a book in the making since I first met Wes in his home "factory" on a very cold January night in 1983. Going back to 1967 as a young ham radio enthusiast eager to learn more about an all but forgotten phasing method of single sideband generation, I was enthralled that such a young entrepreneur could develop an important set of radio products, spearhead their manufacture from a true garage operation, and gain the attention of Zenith Electronics – a behemoth in television, audio, and military electronics.
If he can do it, why not me?
Of course, I tried to get Wes to write his own story, but that wasn’t in the cards. He was too focused on designing the next product or investigating a new process to go down the road of self-reflection. So, I did it for him… as a tribute to his unselfish contributions toward the art and science of electronics, and for instilling in me the ambition to follow my own dreams and build a successful manufacturing operation of my own.
How did you first get into the world of radio?
Growing up in New Orleans in the late '50s and '60s, it was easy to become fixated on music. So, while listening to my Grandma’s Westinghouse AM kitchen radio tuned to her favorite Rhythm and Blues station, I got to wondering how that radio made those great piano riffs. Now, I was very young – 8 at the most. And being curious, I peeked in the back and saw a number of orange-glowing glass bulbs (also known as electron tubes) and figured that was the source. So, what else could I do but pull them out for closer inspection?
Not finding any sign of a piano note and a pile of now dark and cold bulbs – err tubes – I knew I was in big trouble.
Rather than getting punished, my Dad knew our across-the-street neighbor had a small-time radio/TV repair business going in the space above his garage. So, across the street we went, and Mr. Evans not only repaired that little radio set in short order but also said I could come over anytime to learn more about radios and TV sets.
That was his mistake – every time I spied that light on in Mr. Evans' sideline shop, I’d make a beeline across the street to see what he was doing! Getting into shortwave took a bit longer. My cousin, being a couple of years older, was given a Hallicrafters shortwave radio for his birthday. Within a couple of hours, I was hooked, completely! It was amazing to hear Morse code, frantic buzzing noises (multi-channel Teletype), numbers (spy) stations, and foreign broadcasters speaking in strange languages… thousands of miles away, without any wires! What mere mortal could resist wanting to learn more?
What advice would you give to aspiring authors hoping to publish a novel?
For me, the hardest part was taking that first fledgling step. Being an engineer, I was used to asking the opinion of others having far more experience and accomplishments than me. So, that’s what I did. Fortunately, Wes lived in Jonesborough, Tennessee, which has a well-known storytelling festival each year. That lead me to networking with published authors, editors, and an introduction to a whole new world.
In my case, writing about Wes's life was easy as we had been fast friends for 40+ years. Many of the stories in my book were the result of late night conversations while helping him build his high voltage test gear or prototyping some new idea. It was like I had traveled in his shoes, so writing was easy.
Yet, the mechanics of writing takes discipline. I’d carve out two hours a day, every day. Of course, the pace seemed incredibly slow at first and challenging. While I’ve authored countless technical papers, marketing copy, and related materials for my manufacturing and, later, radio consulting businesses, this was far different.
Now, once a decent manuscript was completed (at least, I thought it was complete!) deciding how to get my first book published was the next challenge. I had spoken to several who were recommended by my manuscript editor but felt right at home with the Jan-Carol Publishing team.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of writing and publishing your book?
I knew when I drafted my book, the target audience, Amateur Radio enthusiasts, would be highly supportive. Ham Radio is a rich hobby steeped in important electronic history. While many use the technology Wes spearheaded for the hobby, hardly anyone remembered him. The sudden closure of his company, Central Electronics, in January 1962 by its then parent, Zenith Electronics, was an unanticipated, abrupt shock as its products were highly respected and outselling its competitors.
I wanted to reacquaint Amateurs with his many contributions – and teach them a bit about the work of many others who helped develop not only Single-Sideband, but also other technologies that have played important roles in our Ham Radio enjoyment and in the country's safety and security.
From the comments I’ve received either by email or at Ham Radio conferences, that objective was met. The most rewarding part has come from younger "Hams" pursuing their own interests in both engineering and non-technical fields. I always hoped Wes's story of working through adversity and business setbacks would encourage others to keep plowing ahead with dogged determination. It works.
What's something about the world of radio that many people don't know, but you wish more people knew?
In today’s world of the Internet, cellular telephones, and seemingly instant access, many likely believe the hobby of Amateur Radio (several million, worldwide) is dead or dying. Actually, the hobby continues to grow and evolve with the times. Amateurs are busy developing and integrating software applications and digital signal processing techniques into their communications baskets. While Single Sideband voice, chasing foreign (DX) contacts, and even Morse code are still important aspects of the Ham Radio experience, much experimentation is underway in digital weak-signal communications.
Amateur Radio is a hobby comprised of hundreds of sub-hobbies. And it is comprised of people from all occupations and age groups. It is impossible to become bored or lack some new piece of technology or radio theory to learn. It keeps you young!
With today’s ongoing deployment of 5G cellular (with 6G on the horizon), Internet of Things, satellite connectivity, and the importance of two-way radio communications within federal, state, and local government, you’d think the profession would be flooded with young engineers and engineering technologists. Oddly enough, that’s far from the case. Few colleges and tech schools teach courses geared to radio, as a profession. That needs to change – for a host of reasons, especially as us gray-haired versions age out.
Is there anything you'd like to say to the supporters in your life?
There are countless supporters who, by example or action, help shape a person’s life. Family, of course, plays a key role in the development of one’s abilities, skills, and personality. My parents encouraged curiosity and guided me to what became my passion: electronics and radio engineering. Somehow they didn’t mind all of the wires strung about, the endless drone of Morse code at wee hours, or the countless teenage "radio heads" who invaded our home for every Ham Radio contest.
While I earned my engineering degree from Tulane University, it was Wes Schum who taught me how to be a real electronics engineer – involving skills that adapt theory to tangible practice. I miss him dearly.
As my work later evolved into a public safety radio consulting practice, it was Warren G. Moses, founder of Moses Engineers, Inc., who taught me by example how to present complex technical matters in a way that resonates with non-technical audiences. He pushed me to develop real-world analogies, thereby making the complex far less intimidating and more easily understood. He taught me much about New Orleans’ unique politics – lessons that will remain unsaid!
Finally, how could I ever fully thank George Evans? Had he not fixed Grandma’s AM radio, while encouraging me to learn all I could about radio and even helping get my first shortwave antenna functional, where would I be??
In closing, we each owe debts to those who matter most. Honor those important supporters in your life by sharing knowledge and insight gained with others... especially some young kid with big dreams.
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Thanks again to Nick for a great interview! And be sure to listen on Friday to our podcast for a conversation with the author you won't want to miss.
Allison Chudina
Editorial Assistant
Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
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