IN HONOR AND MEMORIAM
K6DS - Harley Gabrielson
OSCAR-1 Pioneer Harley Gabrielson, K6DS Silent Key - January 14, 2007.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Harley, but when his call-sign came available, my name being Dennis Stahr, I just had to try to obtain it. I was fortunate in that I was awarded the call and am very happy, proud and honored to have it.
After applying for his call, and wanting to know if there was anything unusual or outstanding about this Ham, I searched him on the internet. What I found amazed me. Harley was, in reading his history (below), a very dedicated man. He was obviously dedicated to his family, his country and his beloved hobby.
I can only say once again that I am humbled and honored to have, as a vanity call, the call sign of such a man.
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Here below are some of the articles I found about Mr. Gabrielson, please read them.
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AMSAT received the news this week that Harley Gabrielson, K6DS passed away Sunday, January 14, 2007. He was 83.
After serving in WWII at Los Alamos on the Atomic Bomb Project, he worked for the Philco Corp. as an electrical engineer.
Harley was very active in Amateur Radio. He was licensed in 1939 and was an Elmer to many Hams over the years. He played a key role in the Oscar Satellite program, and was responsible for the keyer in Oscar I.
He was a key participant setting up and running the Volunteer Examination Coordinator program in the San Diego area for many years. He was an active participant in ARES and EMS and also the San Diego Microwave Group and its predecessor in the earlier years.
Harley will really be missed.
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Founding member of the Amateur Radio Club of El Cajon�.. WAMO #21
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K6DS
Reprint August 2004
Was our Very First Ham Spot Light
Harley Gabrielson, a native from Minnesota, who is not a fisherman, spends his free time as HAM Radio Operator K6DS.
A HAM since 1939, Harley is a current Trustee of W6GGC and past Trustee of WA6BGS. Over the years, he�s been known as W9DER, WOTER, W5MLE, W4SQF and W6HEK. Since 1968, Harley has been a loyal member of the El Cajon Club and is now a life member. Throughout his time as a HAM, Harley has been a founding member of SANDRA, started VEC and ran it for ten years. He served on the Board of Directors of Project Oscar. He favors all bands and CW is his first pick for mode of
operations. After reaching the 160 DX mark, he quit counting his world wide contacts.
Harley married in November of 1953 and left a year later for Japan. He served in the Army as Rank T3, which is the equivalent to Staff Sergeant. He remembers using phone patches from Japan to San Diego to talk to his wife.
Previously, he served during WWII. He also worked on the Manhattan Project, which involved atom bombs. He was an electrical engineer and has now been retired for 42 years. Harley now spends his time with HAM Radios and photography. His next project is to transfer 1000 slides into digital form. Good luck with that! He advises younger HAMS to do CW. He believes operating CW can make better operators. If you can learn it, become accustom to it, you can grow more comfortable with it. Harley also hopes to see more HAMS register with the ARCEC. No longer just a voice on the radio, the spotlight shines on Harley, K6DS.
73�s
Tassy Rios,
KI6FIH Staff Writer
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From ARRL:
Space&Beyond: The First Repeater in
the Sky
By Anthony R.
Curtis, K3RXK
Contributing Editor
March 6, 2002
The radio electronics pioneer Orrin "Hank" Brown, W6HB (SK), recipient of the ARRL Merit Award, also was a founding member of Project OSCAR and a project leader for OSCAR 3. Nick Marshall, W6OLO (SK), was responsible for the design, development, testing and checkout of the first three OSCARS--assisted by Chuck Townes, K6LFH, and Lance Ginner, K6GSJ. Other hams involved in the first OSCARs included Gene Root, WB6OOO (SK), Chuck Smallhouse, WA6MGZ (now W7CS), Harley Gabrielson, K6DS, and EIMAC's Bill Eitel, W6UF (SK).
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From: San Bernardo Microwave Society
Hello Microwavers,
I must sadly report the passing, on Sunday, of Harley Gabrielson - K6DS, of La Mesa. Harley has been active with our local SD Microwave Group and its earlier organization, led by Red Truax.
Harley got his first amateur license in 1939, and was an electrical engineer. He worked for Philco Corporation, and in WWII he was in the Army working at Los Alamos on the Atomic Bomb Project.
After the war he was active in many amateur radio areas, including a key role in the early OSCAR Satellites. When the FCC stopped giving the amateur license exams in 1984, Harley headed up the local exams as the Volunteer Examiner Coordinator, and continued in that role for many years.
He was responsible to the FCC for verifying the credentials and the scheduling of the San Diego volunteer examiner teams, and therefore impacted the licensing of thousands who became amateur radio operators in this area. He has long been active with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, especially with the Hospital Emergency Communications system, participating as a responder to Alvarado Hospital during communications drills.
Harley was 83 years old, and will be missed by all of us. Services will be held tomorrow, Wednesday January 17th, at 4:00 PM at Funeraria Aztlan Mortuary,7856 La Mesa Blvd, in La Mesa. K6DS --- Silent Key.
73s from Ed Munn, W6OYJ and Bob, WA6VHS
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Thank you.....