Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (C)
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Mar 18 2022 10:57:23

SILENT KEY: SATELLITE ENTHUSIAST RAY SOIFER, W2RS

SKEETER/ANCHOR: A lifelong amateur whose achievements with ham radio 
satellites could be traced to his years as a New York City teenager, has 
become a Silent Key. Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB, tells us about him.

RALPH: Ray Soifer, W2RS, is credited with achieving the first ham radio 
QSO via satellite ionization trail reflection. It was 1960 and Ray, then 
K2QBW, and his friend Perry Klein, then K3JTE, made the contact together 
as high school students who were enthralled by satellites. Ray became a 
Silent Key on March 1. He was living in Arizona at the time of his death. 

After Perry Klein became founding president of AMSAT, Ray took on a number 
of posts with the organization, including executive vice president, acting 
president and member of the board of directors. Ray's consistent devotion 
to satellite operation led him in 1975 to achieve the first reported 
inter-satellite relay communication, making use of AMSAT-OSCAR 7 and 
AMSAT-OSCAR 6 when the two were in close orbit to one another. Ray was 
chairman of the annual IARU Satellite Forum between 1995 and 2005, a 
member of the IARU's Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel; and was 
secretary and later chairman of the IARU Region 2's VHF/UHF Committee.

He also wrote frequently on satellite-related topics for the AMSAT 
Journal, QST and RadCom, the magazine of the Radio Society of Great 
Britain.

Ray was 79.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ralph Squillace, KK6ITB.

(AMSAT)

**

SILENT KEY: SOTA'S JOSE-ANTONIO GURUTZARRI JAUREGI, "GURU," EA2IF

SKEETER/ANCHOR: The close-knit community of SOTA activators is grieving 
the loss of a well-known friend to many, on and off the summits. Ed 
Durrant, DD5LP, has his story.
 
ED: Jose-Antonio Gurutzarri Jauregi was better known as Guru, or by his 
callsign, EA2IF. A ham since his teens in native Spain, he embraced 
participation in Summits on the Air in 2013, combining his love of 
portable activation with his affinity for hiking. Guru became a Silent Key 
on March 11. His death from cancer was announced by Ignacio, EA2BD, on the 
SOTA Reflector.

Radio and friendship were common threads throughout his life. Starting 
with a friend, Esteban EA2BYG, who introduced him to CB radio in 1980 as a 
teenager. Another friend, Jose-Ramon, EA2AD, later brought him into the 
world of amateur radio. Guru became an adept contester and CW operator and 
over the years placed in the top three spots for such competitions as the 
CQ World Wide DX contest and the ARRL International DX CW competition. By 
2018, after a few years in the SOTA programme, he was invited to join the 
SOTA Global Publicity Team.

According to Ignacio, at the time of Guru's death he was 26 points short 
of one last goal he sought despite his terminal diagnosis: He wanted to 
achieve Mountain Goat status in the SOTA awards scheme. Paying tribute to 
his friend, Ignacio wrote on the reflector: [quote] "In our hearts, after 
so many activations - 415 - you are already in the herd, Guru...73 my 
friend." [end quote]

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Ed Durrant, DD5LP, and I am proud to have 
known Guru. Vale Guru, EA2IF .....  you will be sorely missed by the SOTA 
community.

(SOTA REFLECTOR, QRZ.COM)

**

UK BEACON PROJECT GAINS FUNDING FROM RSGB

SKEETER/ANCHOR: In the UK, a beacon project that will help in the study of 
meteors has gained some financial support. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, has the 
details.

JEREMY: A partnership between radio astronomers and the amateur radio 
community has been recognized by the Legacy Committee of the Radio Society 
of Great Britain, which will be providing funds for a 50 MHz beacon to 
assist in the study of meteors above the UK.

According to the RSGB website, the beacon will operate from the Sherwood 
Observatory of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society. It will make 
use of circular polarization and will beam up vertically.

The announcement noted that because meteors entering the Earth's 
atmosphere create an ionized trail reflecting transmissions at 50 MHz, 
that band is extremely useful for the planned range of STEM and citizen 
science projects.

The amount of the Legacy Committee gift was not disclosed.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

(RSGB)

**

WIA WELCOMES YOUTH CORRESPONDENT TO AMATEUR NEWSCAST

SKEETER/ANCHOR: Amateur Radio Newsline would like to congratulate Alec, 
VK2APC, of Sydney, Australia for joining the Wireless Institute of 
Australia's National News team. Alec is 12 years old, got his license last 
year and is the son of Pete, VK2LP. Alec will be reading youth-related 
news for listeners of the weekly WIA report.
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)

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