[CQ-Contest] Bill Fisher - W4AN - SK

[Jim Breakall <jimb@psu.edu>]

It was again (K4OJ recently, also) an extremely deep shock to hear of the 
passing of
another friend in Ham Radio and Contesting, Bill, W4AN.  This is really a 
hard one to
take since it was so recently, that another friend, Jim, K4OJ, left us 
unexpectedly as well.

Anyone in contesting surely knew Bill, and his contributions to Ham Radio 
have touched us all
in some way with his Internet services and other things.

I was one of the lucky ones who made the unique and interesting journey up 
to his mountain
contest QTH, crossing the stream and working my way up dirt roads, etc.  It 
was a trip
I will never forget, and the memory of his hospitality and unbelievable 
energy he displayed
on my visit will never be forgotten.  We talked a lot about antennas and 
new ideas that he
had for contesting, etc.  He was one of the great ones and I will never 
forget him and that
trip to the mountain top.

Bill was also one of the first if not the first to use the OWA Yagi concept 
on a band other than
40M (first designs I did at K3LR, other stations, for 4 el 40M OWA Yagi) 
when he built it for 15M using a spacing
of just 4 inches between the driven element and the 1st director.  I 
remember him calling me
and telling me how flat the VSWR was and about the performance of this 
antenna across the band.
He wrote about it on his website and was very complimentary about it.  I 
will never forget
that.

He also was a real believer in using Geometrical Theory of Diffraction 
(GTD) terrain analysis and the use
of low antennas on top of the mountain, something that Dave Leeson, W6NL, 
contributed much about
and which I pushed to be used in computer modeling with Brian Beezley and 
Dean Straw.  Bill always
was at the forefront of the latest technology whether the latest computer 
antenna modeling or the latest
2 radio switching.  His contest results show his intensity and his desire 
to be the best at what he did.
I really have to admire him for all of this hard work.

I asked him how he could live so far away from the contest station and 
still maintain his family life.
Bill was quick to point out that his family always came first and his Ham 
Radio was his hobby.  I believe
he meant that, and I am sure he was a devoted family person.

Bill will really be missed and words cannot describe the deep shock that I 
have on this news and the great
loss his passing will have to the Contest and Ham Radio community.

My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Jim Breakall, WA3FET (K3CR, WP3R)

Prof. Jim Breakall
Department of Electrical Engineering
Penn State University
225 EE East
University Park, PA 16802

Tel: 814-865-2228 (Office)
814-865-6339 (224 EE East Lab)
814-692-7779 (Antenna Test Range)
814-863-8457 (FAX)
814-692-4261 (Home)

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