Topic: Gordon Pugh, W2NH

[W1RC]

Gordon built the first amateur repeater in Mount Beacon NY in the 1950s.

Bill, NE1B sent me this sad news:

Gordon built the first Ham FM repeater on Mt. Beacon, NY.  Then created a network in the late 1950's to Mt. Snow, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, etc.

https://wr2abb.org/home/the-story-of-wr2abb-and-mt-beacon/

He loved attending NEAR-Fest.  If you remember him, he walked around hunched over with back trouble.  He was a Veteran.
The word I got from KB1VP was that his service will be in Waltham on Saturday.  I am trying to find his obit. to confirm.

73,
Bill, NE1B

[W4KSR]

Must have been sudden, he was on the VT Statewide net Tuesday night. Always liked to hear his kitten reports.

[W4KSR]

Via N1JGB:
From the CVFMA website:

I have to sadly announce the passing of Gordon Pugh W2NH last Oct 12th. I understand he passed away in his sleep overnight. He was a legend in amateur radio FM starting in the very early 50's putting up repeaters on mountain tops. I understand he was one of two amateur instrumental in putting up the first repeater on Mt Ascutney in the early 70's. Over time in the 60's he built a FM repeater network that stretch from New York into Vermont. In his later years was interested in his cat but was still very active in new technology for amateur radio. He adopted and became proficient in programming his DMR radio and getting a good DMR station for his house with his own skills.

Service to be held at the 1st Congregational Church in Walpole NH this Saturday at 1 PM.

[W1RC]

From: Bill Barber, NE1B

My friend Gordon passed away on Oct. 12. Gordon created the first ham FM repeater in the mid-1950s and put it on Mt. Beacon, NY. In 1962, I was a teenager, just having passed my Novice and General licenses and I was familiar with 2 meter AM, but other than simplex Gooney Boxes used by Civil Defense, I knew nothing about FM two-way radio. I was amazed that mobiles on Long Island could talk to mobiles in Albany through a "repeater". Gordon then went about building a network of repeaters from New York through Vermont to New Hampshire, atop most of the big mountain peaks. All using RF links. A significant inspiration to me and a factor in my EE education and subsequent career in Land Mobile Radio.
 
Fast forward a few years, after I had retired, I ran into Gordon at several NEAR-Fests and Boxboro Hamfests. He told many of the "behind the scene stories" and we became good friends as he still had the enthusiasm for new technologies and wanted to know about DMR. At the Boxboro Hamfest, Rick, K1RJZ, helped him program a DMR walkie. He enjoyed checking in every week to the New England Wide and Vermont State DMR nets.

Gordon was a legend and true Pioneer of Amateur FM Radio and Repeaters! He will be missed by many. More info at: https://wr2abb.org/home/the-story-of-wr2abb-and-mt-beacon/
 
Rest In Peace my friend!
 
73 es SK,
 
Bill, NE1B