Monday, February 6, 2017

Milestones: Longest-Licensed US Ham Becomes SK


Charlie Hellman, W2RP, became a Silent Key in late January. At age 106, he was believed to be the oldest living US amateur, as well as the longest-licensed, having been consecutively licensed since 1925, a span of 92 years! Hellman's first license would have been issued by the Federal Radio Commission, the predecessor of the FCC.
 
The first woman in Maine to become a licensed amateur has also died. According to the ARRL, Mary Wallace Cousins, ex-W1GSC, passed away January 28 at age 108. She was first licensed by the Federal Radio Commission in 1933. She told a Bangor TV station last fall that at that time, ham radio "was something that the girls did not do, and the boys were doing it all the time, and I said, 'I can do it, too.' And I did."

Former New York Marathon Race Director Allan Steinfeld, W2TN (formerly KL7HIR) also became a Silent Key in late January. He was 70. According to the ARRL Letter, Steinfeld is considered one of the fathers of the modern running movement, having developed many of the protocols necessary for successfully conducting a major event.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 12-year-old Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, will be heading to Costa Rica this August to take part in the Youth DX Adventure. Rascoll is this year's winner of the Dave Kalter YDXA essay contest. His winning entry also netted him a transceiver, power supply, antenna and feedline. For more information on YDXA, visit <http://qsl.net/n6jrl/>.