I am sorry to have to report the passing of André Kesteloot, N4ICK on January 4.
Many on the list knew André better than I but for the benefit of
those who did not know him I will summarize my recollections.
Andre was a founder of AMRAD, Amateur Radio Research and Development
and led many of the efforts in digital modes and more relevantly to
this group led the AMRAD LF effort getting the first U.S. LF
Experimental license WA2XTF back in the 1999. As part of the AMRAD LF
effort a high performance e-probe and LF downconverter and operated a
long wave beacon on 137kHz. André participated in the RSGB LF
Convention in 2000 and presented the Bobek award to David Bowman G0MRF
for his transatlantic contact with Larry Kaiser.
André worked for the CIA as an electrical engineer and retired around
2000 or so but was called back to do consulting after the events of
9/11
I met André only once, I purchased a Decca TX that André had
acquired from Dave Bowman, Dave having brought it over to the Dayton
hamvention. ( I believe that originally Harry Woodhouse of Cornwall
obtained it from the Decca station on the Isles of Scilly.) Deccas
being scarce in this country, I gladly drove the 400+ miles from
Boston to the Washington D.C. area where André lived. André was
quite the gentlemen and we had a short conversation about LF and the
people involved, he was very complimentary to the RSGB LF community
and particularly to Jim Moritz.
The Decca needed some minor repairs and conversion from 71kHz to
137kHz and a driver board etc, it is still my primary large 137kHz
transmitter. My last contact was a couple of years ago after I
acquired one of the AMRAD LF transmitters, a Ropex owned by W4RI,
André supplied me with the schematic and information on various
modifications.
André will be missed by the LF community.
--
73 Warren K2ORS
WD2XGJ
WD2XSH/23
WE2XEB/2
WE2XGR/1
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