Former Japan Amateur Radio League President Shozo Hara, JA1AN, SK

Past Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) President Shozo Hara, JA1AN, died on 9th June 2018, aged 91.

A native of Nagasaki prefecture, he graduated from Waseda University in 1954 with a degree in electrical engineering and joined Eastern Japan Heavy Industries (now Mitsubishi Heavy Industries). Working extremely long hours, Hara once wrote that he’d return home and tinker with Amateur Radio, not getting to sleep until 2 or 3 AM.

Hara became a JARL Director in 1972 and went on to serve as JARL President for 41 years. He also was the first president of the Japan Amateur Radio Development Association.

Hara’s other life interest was horseback riding, which he took up as a youngster. He engaged in competitive events, rode in the Imperial Palace Riding Club, and served as president of the Japan Equestrian Federation.

Hara stepped down as JARL president in 2011. “Mr Hara led the JARL with great distinction for more than 35 years, including a period of phenomenal growth,” then-ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said at the time. “It has been a great privilege to collaborate with him in protecting and promoting Amateur Radio worldwide.”

Hara was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in 2003.

Northern California DX Foundation Elects Two New Directors

The Northern California DX Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of two new Directors to fill vacancies created by retiring board members.

Ross Forbes, K6GFJ has been licensed since 1964. He has traveled and operated extensively throughout the South Pacific. A long-time advisor to the Northern California DX Foundation, Ross is a past president of the Northern California DX Club, a previous Vice-Director of the ARRL Pacific Division, and former manager of the Incoming W6 QSL Bureau.

Currently retired, Ross has held various IT positions in the financial and legal industry, ran his own import/export company in the 1980s, and has held various positions in commercial broadcasting. Ross lives in San Jose, CA.

George Wallner, AA7JV was born in Hungary in 1951. After studying electrical engineering he joined the military in 1970, and served in a number of overseas postings as a radio operator and communications specialist before moving to Australia and the US, where he founded
several payment processing companies. An active amateur radio operator since 1966, George's main interests are low band CW operation and DXpeditions to very difficult entities located on small islands and reefs. George lives in Miami, FL.

The full list of Officers for 2018-2019 can be found on the NCDXF website - http://www.ncdxf.org/pages/officers.html

DF6NM Wins Inventor Award

Markus Vester, DF6NM has been honoured as one of the 'Inventors of the Year' for 2017.

As a Principal Key Expert at Siemens, he has worked on MRI systems since the pioneering days.

“I have to say that such an award shouldn’t be regarded as a solitary achievement, but rather also as an appreciation of the fine people and bright minds I am allowed to work with. Like many engineers who are also radio amateurs, work and play have never been completely separate aspects of my life. Inspiration tends to flow both ways between the two”

— Markus Vester - DF6NM