Farewell to a fine amatuer and gentleman Rod, N5HV/W5HVV.
Here is an article Rod wrote called That's Ham Radio!
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From KH6ND, Mike Gibson
Rod (N5HV) got me interested in Amateur Radio when he and his family
moved in across the street from me in Arizona. He gave me my novice
exam when I was 12 years old, and one heckuva role model.
Our respective families left several years later, mine to California,
then Hawaii. And Rod to Thailand, England, Florida, then Tennessee.
We kept in touch only via ham radio throughout those 26 years. In 1993,
I went to Tennessee and spent three weeks with him and his lovely wife
Jerry (K5KRN) at their beautiful home in TN. We spent our time getting
re-aquainted, and working on, and from, his marvelous station.
A finer, more gracious gentleman I have never known. I hate to think
what my life might have been like had I never met him. You will be
sorely missed, old friend.
Vaya con Dios.
Mike
KH6ND
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From K4JRB, Dave Thompson
I was as shocked as Steve K7LXC at the news that Rod N5HV (EX W5HVV)
passed away on Sept 9, 1998.
Rod was active in Arizona in 1966 (as W5HVV/7) when he wrote a popular
QST article on a 4 el tri-band quad. The article was well received and
many built the quad or a close version to it. Rod was acive from
Florida for a few years and the past several years has been active from
Jackson, TN as W5HVV and now N5HV. He was active to the end in antenna
experimentation and contesting. His CQ 160 SSB log is the high score
for Tennessee and one of the top scores for the contest in 1998.
RIP es 74 Rod,
Dave K4JRB
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And from the OM himself, via K1KY, Tom Delker
K1KY wrote:
It is a sad day for DXers and Contesters alike, however I feel it is
now time to share something with the group. It seems like it was just
yesterday that we gathered at Rod's house for a TCG meeting. I recently
exchanged an e-mail with Rod (September 1) and feel this appropriate to
share:
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N5HV Says: (Sept. 1, 1998)
Thank you, Tom.
Please: no tears or sympathy. This cat has had a much better life than
any white man has any reason to expect. It has been very rich and if I
leave tonight, I will leave with only one regret: that of leaving my
lovely wife to fend for herself. Other than that, I never in my wildest
life expected to have such a good life and I honestly feel that I'm
going to have to spend some time in Purgatory to make up for it!!!
When you hear of my going to the Happy DX Hunting Ground, toast my life
with some champagne!! The DX up there is going to be fantastic.
Best 73,
Rod, N5HV
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September 13, 1998
It was a great thing we did for the NA SSB sprint in memorial of our
newly elevated member, N5HV. I only hope that Rod was able to feel
the activity on the bands in celebration of his life.
Many thanks to our team captain, K0EJ for picking up the ball and making
this last-minute addition to our operations, with all team members
substituting "ROD" in place of their name for the exchange. After
reading the soapbox comments of our participants, I am truly touched
that we took the time to expain to contest participants all over North
America the significance of our most unique method of memorializing a
dear departed member.
I hereby suggest that we dedicate this TCG year to Rod, N5HV and that we
may all aspire to be as successful as he was in everything we do.
We will miss you Rod, I hope the DX is everything that you had hoped
for!
73,
Thomas M. Delker - K1KY
TCG Facilitator, 1998
See the The ARRL article on Rod, A Love Affair With Ham Radio
Return to the Tennessee Contest Group Home Page