My grandfather, a lifelong Ham enthusiast, passed away the other day. He was an extremely active ham operator for the majority of his life.
Is there any sort of protocol to be followed among Ham users when someone passes away? Is there any way to announce his retirement?
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) magazine “QST” publishes a monthly listing of deceased amateurs in their “Silent Keys” feature.
See “Silent Key” submission guidelines.
Sorry about your grandfather.
My condolences, too. If he was active, other hams in the community will be aware, and if he was involved in a club, word will get out that way as well. News gets passed on pretty quickly over 2M and 70cm repeaters.
KF4VCC
If no one else in the family is a Ham, may I suggest that you consider donating his equipment to a local Ham club (or if he was a member of one, to them)? This will ensure that his equipment gets well cared for and enjoyed by others who share your grandfather’s love of the hobby. My condolences, also, on your loss.
73 de KB2YYR
In ham jargon, a fellow operator who has passed on is known as a “Silent Key”, or SK. (A key being the fancy switch used for sending Morse code) The Morse letters SK run together are also the procedural signal that indicate an operator is shutting down the station and no more contacts will be accepted. It may sound flip to non-hams, but is a term of reverence within the ham community, so do not take offense if you happen to overhear it.
A QST magazine listing would be noticed by the majority of hams. Here is an on-line “ham obituary” page You must register to add a listing, and I’m not sure if that can be done without a callsign, so you may have to ask one of his buddies to do it for you. Post a reply if you want me to do it for you.
On his equipment:
It may well be worth quite a bit of dosh. Having it listed on ebay is a good way to insure it is sold for market value, but this should be done by someone who can check it out and comment as to condition. Don’t assume it is worthless because it is old. Vintage Collins gear is highly prized, as are Drake, Tentec. Even Heathkit rigs often sell for multiples of what they went for when new. (not inflation adjusted though).
Depending on the circumstances of his widow, and her generation, a few hundred, or even a a couple of thousand dollars could seem like a windfall.
If he had an antenna tower, look to the ham community to dismantle and remove it. Consider donating the tower to whoever takes it down, as it is a good amount of work, and quite expensive if you hired a pro. It can be safely done by experienced hobbyists, but don’t attempt it without specialized tools and safety equipment.
Thanks for all the info, guys. I’m going to notify that publication of the obit.
As for his gear, he does have a massive tower, but I’m not sure what my grandmother’s plan is for that. WRT his actual broadcasting equipment, it’ll probably eventually be divided up between my cousin and myself; my cousin was the one that really got into Ham and got licensed and learned all of the stuff, and he’s kept up with it even though he’s young (24) for the hobby. I’ll probably get his reel-to-reel and stuff like that, since I’m more into recording music and that sort of thing.
Offence? It’s downright touching. (sniffs.)
-FrL-