my buddy Tripp N4nto SK

[dave collins]

*In Memory of Tripp, N4NTO CWOps #2821*

We lost a great man, a passionate ham operator, an avid contester, and a
truly cherished friend on July 4th in a tragic accident. Tripp, N4NTO—as I
always told my friends—was my “bromance.” We texted all the time, several
times a day. We just *clicked*, especially when it came to ham radio. There
was an instant connection—something unspoken that just worked.

If a couple of days passed without hearing from him, I’d start to worry.
Sure enough, he’d usually be out of town or called into work. Something
always came up—but he’d always get back to me.

Oddly enough, we only met once in person, and that was at Mike’s (N4GU)
station, “The Corn Crib” (AG4TT). But that didn’t matter—our friendship was
real.

Tripp was a *POTA junkie*—and I say that with a smile. He loved activating
parks, gamelands, or really anywhere listed on the Parks on the Air site.
His excitement was infectious. He once told me, “It’s like making your own
contest.” And honestly, it *is*. You get spotted, and then the pileup
begins.

As he got more into POTA, it became more than just a quick contest for
him—it became a mission. He was always chasing new activations, and he
loved every minute of it. Looking at his stats on the POTA.app site, Tripp
had activated *84 different parks* and logged *over 19,000 QSOs*.
Incredible.

I had Tripp set up on my HamAlert app. If he was heard by a W3, I knew I
could work him. His usual CW spot was 7.041 MHz. He was also interested in
WWFF (World Wide Flora and Fauna). I believe they use the .041 frequencies
in each band’s CW subbands, which made sense given his activity.

As for *PVRC*, Tripp was a *contest nut*—and I say that with the deepest
admiration. If there was a contest, no matter how obscure, Tripp was in. I
remember the first time I heard his catchphrase. I asked him, “You gonna
operate in this contest?” and he said, “Do you know Hugh?”

I replied, “No, who’s Hugh?”

He said, “Hugh damned right I’m entering it!”

That was Tripp in a nutshell. His enthusiasm was unmatched. Regardless of
band conditions or results, every contest to him was “grand fun,” as Mike
(N4GU) reminded me recently.

On July 4th, Tripp told me he was headed out with a group from Fayetteville
for “Potageddon”—his words. He said he was going for an “education,”
meeting up with the crew and planning to activate early.

At 6:22 AM, I texted him to ask when the first activation would be. He told
me around 7:30. I said I’d be around. I had a grocery pickup at 8, and as
usual, he’d text me when he was on frequency—7.041.

The RBN spotted him at 8:12 AM. I messaged that I’d be home soon and would
work him then. But when I got back around 8:30, I didn’t hear anything. I
checked the POTA page—no new spots. I figured maybe they were switching
operators or frequencies. I didn’t think much of it and went on with my day.

Then, a little after 1 PM, I got a call from Mike. There had been an
accident down east, and they feared it might be Tripp.

It couldn’t be—I didn’t want to believe it.

I got in touch with Mark (N4MQU), a close friend of Tripp’s and someone I
knew he was meeting that day. Later that afternoon, Mark confirmed the
terrible news: Tripp had been in the accident and had been electrocuted.

We lost a lot yesterday.

My heart breaks for his family, his friends, and for everyone whose life he
touched. He truly was one of a kind.

I’m going to miss him something awful. But one day, I’ll see him again.

Until then, “Skippy”—best of 73, OM. Take care.

*Dave, N4CWZ*

-- 
Dave Collins
David Collins GC Inc