My Fellow Hams
It is with a profound sense of grief that I must pass on the news of
the passing of a friend and fellow-ham Stephen Thompson - 8P6CV.
Stephen was a student of the St. Michael's School and a member of the
Scout Troop of that school. That is how we met when he was a student
there, and I was helping with the running of the troop.
Stephen confirmed that an early exposure to this hobby of ham radio
will result in sustained interest. I remember the activity at 8P6BBS -
the Barbados Boy Scout Station when several times Stephen would be the
only Scout who would turn up for Jamboree On The Air and other
activities.
That early interest resulted in Stephen's firm commitment to amateur
radio. He was licensed as 8P6CV in 1992 at the age of 16 - one of the
youngest in recent years.
Stephen immediately set about stamping his enthusiasm for life on his
ham radio activities. He delved into amateur radio contesting, and for
several years was the only 8P who was QRV for many of the major
International Contests.
I owe my re-birth in this hobby to Stephen's enthusiasm. I had only
just returned from St. Lucia and for several reasons was quite cold on
ham radio. Stephen would have none of it. Several calls and VHF qso's
later - he had achieved his objective and I was again active in the
hobby.
One of the things which both of us always wanted to do was operate as
a multi-single entry either from the ARSB club or from 8P9Z. We
reckoned that together we could have achieved a very good score in a
major contest. Last year we had planned to do this for the IARU
contest and for the European DX Contest. For IARU Stephen chose
instead to be QRV from home QTH so he could also be QRV on 6m. to pass
out multipliers in the CQ VHF contest! Wow workin two events in the
same week-end. By coincidence, the dates for the European contest fell
on the same date as Stephen's flight back to England.
Stephen completed a first degree in Physics at the UWI - Cave Hill and
after a stint at the Barbados Light & Power company at the Spring
Garden Depot - Stephen was off to the University of Plymouth to pursue
a Higher National Diploma in electronic communication systems.
Confirmation that radio and telecommunications were in his blood.
Stephen joined the Ham Radio Club at the University and still found
time for contests. In fact he operated from the shack of a friend of
his G0IVZ in the 1998 CQ WW SSB contest. He placed first in England
and second in the UK in that contest with a score of 1.72 million
points from 1987 contacts, 103 zone and 337 country multipliers. I
remember working Stephen during the contest and afterwards he sent an
e-mailed photo of himself at the controls of the station. I was
jealous. For months afterwards, he spoke of operating from that
station - running stacked force-12 tribanders and a full 1500w from an
Alpha 87A, plus beverages for the low bands!! That was one of his best
ham radio experiences. In that contest his closest rival in England
was M8X who scored 0.96 million points. Such was his competitive
nature that this ham from Barbados could travel to England and place
first in that contest.
And even though he was one of the best of contesters - he always
wanted to do better - to more fully understand the propagation, to
build a new gadget for computer-control, and always after every
contest we'd exchange logs. He always wanted to see if there were any
band openings or stations he missed. He wanted to evaluate any
tactical errors he may have made; to analyse them and to mitigate
against them in the next year's contest. Always reading on new tactics
and strategies - that was 8P6CV.
He also had the opportunity in England to attend RSGB conventions
where he had an opportunity to expand his knowledge on DX and 6m
operations and to meet the legends of the DX community. One of his
favorite ham radio books was "Where Shall we go next?" by Martti Laine
OH2BH who has probably activated more new DXCC countries than anyone
else.
Stephen was a great ambassador - if you worked an 8P - you've probably
worked 8P6CV who in his short stint in ham radio has probably worked
more stations and made more friends around the world than the average
ham in Babados or the Caribbean will, in an entire lifetime.
I will always remember Stephen for the fellowship we shared through
our passion for contesting. For the mutual respect which we shared for
each other - always competing against each other yes - but always
sharing. Sharing strategy, new information, interesting experiences,
whatever - so that next time both of us would have improved our scores
by drawing on the other's experience. In recent times this had been
limited to e-mail since he was overseas.
On the weekend of his accident, Stephen and I had set up a sked to
exchange notes in a similar fashion after the IARU contest. Stephen
uncharacteristically never showed.
>From this great young man taken perhaps even before his prime, I think
we must learn three important things:
+ The importance of a competitive yet compassionate attitude to life
and a belief in self. A belief that says that you can succeed, but
not without help along the way.
+ The importance of never putting off those things which you can do
today until another day. For only God above can truly know where we
will be and in what state we will be to face the future.
+ The importance of being spiritually ready for the future. Whatever
that future is.
These are the three lessons which I have learnt from someone who was
like a brother: a true friend - Stephen Thompson - 8P6CV SK SK.
May he forever rest in peace.
Dean St. Hill - 8P6SH
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/3830
Submissions: 3830@contesting.com
Administrative requests: 3830-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-3830@contesting.com
|