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
