SILENT KEY: JAMES GOLDEN KD0AES
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A popular net control operator with the Handiham Program
for disabled amateurs has become a Silent Key. Christian Cudnik, K0STH,
tells us about him.
CHRISTIAN: James Golden, KD0AES, a Life Member of the Handiham Program,
was perhaps best known as net control for the Tuesday Handiham Radio
Club net, a busy gathering place for disabled amateurs like him.
According to his obituary in the Nevada Daily Mail, the Nevada, Missouri
radio operator, who had cerebral palsy, brought such enthusiasm to his
on-air responsibilities that at one point he served as net control for
three nets a week. Grateful for his skill in handling busy traffic in an
always-polite manner, a number of amateurs pooled their money to
purchase a Handiham Life Membership for him.
James continued with his activity until two weeks before his death on
December 9th. James Golden, who was 46, died of COVID-19.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Christian Cudnik, K0STH.
(HANDIHAM, NEVADA DAILY MAIL)
**
SILENT KEY: LOGGING SOFTWARE DEVELOPER DAVE PRUETT K8CC
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: We also report the death of NA Contest Logging Software
Developer Dave Pruett, K8CC. Dave became a Silent Key on the 29th of
December. A chairman of the Michigan QSO Party and a log-checker for the ARRL's
10-meter and 160-meter contests, Dave's most widely known
contributions were perhaps in the area of contest log development. Early
on, he was the developer of a program for RadioShack computers that
checked logs for duplicate contacts. He also created the NA contest
logging software which is capable of handling a number of contests. He
was also a former editor of the National Contest Journal.
Dave was 66.
(ARRL)
**
SILENT KEY: FORMER RAC PRESIDENT FARRELL (HOPPY) HOPWOOD VE7RD
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: An influential member of the Canadian Amateur Radio
Community has become a Silent Key. John Williams, VK4JJW, tells us about
his long career.
JOHN: Farrell Hopwood, VE7RD, who had been president of RAC, and a
member of the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, has become a Silent
Key. Known as Hoppy, he died on December 8th. The son of a telegrapher
father and a Teletype-operator mother, Hoppy began his long career in
telecommunications in his native British Columbia in 1948. In 1955,
Hoppy became an amateur radio operator with the call sign VE7AHB. Those
who attended Expo 86 in Vancouver saw the amateur radio station and
exhibit there that was created by Hoppy and his team. An avid DXer, he
was also involved in VHF/UHF linking and packet.
Hoppy became an early member of the Canadian Radio Relay League and the
Canadian Amateur Radio Federation, rising through its ranks into
leadership. He also became involved in key discussions to merge the two
organisations into the RAC. Hoppy later became president of the RAC,
retiring from the post in 1998 after serving three terms.
He was inducted into the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in 2015.
Hoppy was 91.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm John Williams, VK4JJW.
(RAC)
**
NOVA SCOTIA CONTEST WEATHERS THE STORM
STEPHEN/ANCHOR: A recent winter contest hosted by one Canadian amateur
radio club turned out to be a disaster -- and the members couldn't have
been happier. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has those details.
KEVIN: The Halifax Amateur Radio Club called their contest the "2-Meter
Get on the Air Winter Event," and it was designed to challenge the hams'
ability to stay connected in the face of an emergency. For four hours on
January 2nd, it was a dry run for disaster for John Bignell, VE1JMB, the club's
director-at-large, and 50 or so other club members. It also
turned out to be a frozen run: the contest went forward despite a heavy
snowfall that covered much of Nova Scotia. John, who is also an EHS
Advance Care Paramedic, said the contest underscored the need for hams
to have a reliable communications network when disaster strikes, as it
did in 2017 when Bell Aliant suffered a connection outage of landlines
and cellphones in Eastern Canada.
John told the Saltwire Network website that the contest was also about
having fun but it's important to remember too that when the Red Cross,
rescue teams or ground-search personnel need communications backup, hams should
be there and ready. That makes everyone a winner in every
contest.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
(JOHN BIGNELL VE1JMB)
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