Bill Gunshannon wrote:
I think you mean PIxVRZ (PI1VRZ/PI8VRZ etc).
They have remained active very long but I think they are off the air.

Or you mean PA0VRC, a local amateur that has moved to another part
of the country but is still alive and kicking.
He built the local 2M repeater PI3PYR in 1977 or 1978 with some friends.

Nope, PA0VRZ from Apeldoorn. Bulletin station for "vereniging van
radio-zend-amateurs". I used to copy the bulletins on RTTY and
even talk with them once in a while.

Ok the VRZA clubstation. It is now called PI4VRZ. They are active
weekly on saturdays (after the holiday break) 0900 UTC.
The main operator Ron PB0ANL was also active in the packet group that
ran PI1VRZ/PI8VRZ.
I listen to their bulletins weekly on 2M. You can also listen on
Internet at www.pi4vrz.nl

UUCP is exactly what I was talking about. I was doing UUCP long before
the Internet opened up to the public. I once ran UUCP between a couple
TNC's to see how it would work and it wasn't bad. Basicly it already
had email and Netnews so I had a hard time seeing what was accomplished
by writing yet another BBS system (we had dozens of them on the phone
as well, but they were never as well connected as UUCP.)

The problem was that UUCP ran on Unix, and Unix was an expensive system
requiring a high-end machine that only some lucky people had.
The average HAM had at most a 286 PC, and that was already in the
later years (1990), before that it was an 8088 system.
In those days I had an Atari ST (68000 system) and many packet users
had a Commodore 64.
In december 1992 I assembled a 386 system with 16MB memory, 800MB disk,
1024x768 graphics card and 17" monitor, paying about $3500 for it.
I installed Linux on it. Then I could run UUCP from home!

When I saw your call I had to run and take a quick look at my logbook.
But it was PE1CHS that I worked. But, you never know!!!

He lived very close to here but I think he is no longer active.

PE1 calls are "technicians license" (no morse code) and originally
that meant "VHF-UHF only". PE1CHS was a DX-er, maybe you worked him
while in Europe.
However, after 2002 or so (don't remember exactly) the morse code
requirement was dropped and all PE1 calls are now allowed to use
HF as well.
I have never been active on HF, but I have used amateur satellites
before I moved in 1995 and had to take down the yagi antennas.
Both SSB and packet satellites.