Two amateurs well-known in the VHF/UHF community became Silent Keys within days of each other in late March, the ARRL Letter reported.
Don Hilliard, W0PW, was a founding member of the Central
States VHF Society and of the Microwave Update conference. He developed the
first ham gear for the 902-MHz band in the 1980s and designed a VHF Yagi
antenna that is still popular today. Hilliard died on March 25 following a long
illness. He was 81.
Greg Jones, WD5IVD, was only 54 when he became a Silent
Key on March 30. A professor at the University
of North Texas, Jones
served as president of TAPR – Tucson Amateur Packet Radio – from 1993 to 1999.
Under his leadership, the organization expanded from its regional base to
national leadership in packet radio during its period of peak popularity.