20 Sept 2017 - Silent Key - George Burt GM3OXX

Details
Hits: 5204

In prep - please send any additional content to Alan GM3PSP

George Burt GM3OXX became a Silent Key at the age of 81 on 20th September 2017 in Aberdeen.

Click for Edinburgh Evening News obituary. 

This photograph and the one following were taken by Alan GM3PSP in September 2010 during a visit to George's retirement QTH near Turriff in Aberdeenshire.

George was the Chief Electronics Technician in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Edinburgh, based  in the tower block at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Brian GM4DIJ recalls George's long-wire antenna from the top of the tower block used to attract static electricity, causing large sparks in the lab. The LRS operated and won a Top-Band contest from that QTH with George.

Amateur Radio occupied his leisure time, with QRP portable operations on HF, VHF and microwaves, using all home-brew equipment. He operated 2m portable from Munros (3000ft mountains).  

George's shack in 1997.

 

George's QRP station was almost entirely home-brew, with a central transceiver unit and individual transverters for all the individual bands. A very active operator, his QRZ.com entry shows no less than 12,363 look-ups! Photo by Alan GM3PSP during a visit in 2010.

 

 

 George's QSL card from the 1960s

 

QSL from one of George's many portable expeditions.

 

Circuit of George's OXO 1-watt all-bands VXO QRP transmitter.

Diagram courtesy of G-QRP Club Sprat magazine.

 

Calibrated tuned-line quarter-wave wavemeter made by George.

Now owned by an LRS member, it covers 130MHz to 996MHz.

 

 George was an active microwaver operating portable on 3cm as GM3OXX/P and gaining the world record DX (at the time) of 521km from Portpatrick (Dumfries & Galloway) with G4BRS/P in Cornwall in 1976.

 

 

 3cm portable.

 

 George's home-brew 3cm transverter using a Gunn diode PA.

 

 QSL for world-record 3cm QSO - front.

 

QSL - rear. 

 

 

George GM3OXX and Tom Holbert GM3DXJ operating 3cm portable from Auchanmalg on Luce Bay near Newton Stewart in Dumfries & Galloway. This photo and the next courtesy of G8BKE.

See: http://g8bke.co.uk/portable.html 

 

3cm portable - Dave GM4JJJ, George GM3OXX & Tom GM3DXJ

 

 George (centre) at presentation of his RSGB Jock Kyle award at a VHF Convention.

L-R: Sandy Smith GM3AEL, Frank Hall GM8BZX, George Burt GM3OXX, Tom Holbert GM3DXJ,

Dave Anderson GM4JJJ (GM8HEY). Also present: Chris Townes GM8BKE. (Photo via Brian GM4DIJ).

 

At least 9 amateurs attended George's funeral at Warriston Crematorium in Edinburgh on 6 October 2017.

L-R: Alan Masson GM3PSP, Dave Anderson GM4JJJ, Colin Wright GM4HWO, Jack McVicar GM8GEC,

Brian Flynn GM8BJF, Pete Bates GM4BYF, Brian Howie GM4DIJ.

Also present: Drew Givens GM3YOR & Chris Grierson GM4YLN.

 

 

 At George's funeral, his daughter Lynda (centre) gave an extensive and moving account of her memories of him, including his reply to the question of the most important things in his life: No.1 - Amateur Radio; No.2 His Family! 

Reception photo L-R: XYL-GM4JJJ, Dave Anderson GM4JJJ, Pete Bates GM4BYF, Lynda,

Jack McVicar GM8GEC, Brian Flynn GM8BJF. 

===========================================

GM3OXX not forgotten: in the RSGB RadCom QRP column in the March 2019 issue, p.69, Steve Hartley G0FUW wrote: "But one of our great QRP operators really showed us what could be done. Before he passed away, George Burt, GM3OXX bagged over 300 countries with his homebrew transmitters, wire antennas and a self-imposed power limit of one watt out. So, yes, it may be challenging but you can work DX using QRP."

Steve later added the following on 10th March 2019:

"One of my most treasured memories was the reply I received from George when, as a newly licenced amateur, I asked him what kind of antenna he had in order to work so many countries with 1W. He replied with a great letter explaining his tower block location and offering the advice – get as much wire in the sky, as high as you can, and feed it in the centre with open wire feeder. I did and it worked well. However, since moving from that QTH I have never had a shack suitably positioned to replicate the arrangement.
 
Vic Winton, GW4JUN, is running the memorial challenge up to the end of this month and he may have some new material to share. My efforts have involved providing 10 OXO kits to my radio class students and rebuilding my own Oner for 60m. I am determined to make a George-like QSO before the end of the month!
 
George continues to be an inspiration to us all – god bless him".