[PaQSO] W3TDF

[jimk8mr at aol.com]

I had the good fortune to have met Ray, maybe 7 years ago, while out mobiling the PaQP. We had spent the night in New Columbia, and on Sunday morning, knowing that Ray was operating over in Montour county, stopped by to say hello and check out his camper based portable setup.

My last QSO with Ray was in the last PaQP, on 40 SSB. My most memorable QSO with him was the previous one. Last summer I was visiting in Cape Cod over the CQ VHF contest, where I was able to get on the air from the rare FN51 grid square (the very eastern sliver of the Cape). Six never opened, but on two meter CW I heard Ray, and gave him a call. He was very weak, and I'm sure I was even weaker. It took far longer to complete the QSO than normal, but we both hung in there and I finally got him in the log. I'm sure it was a needed multiplier for him!

I admire Ray for having been able to hang in there with our common hobby to the very end.  RIP, OM.



Jim   K8MR