Rogue Valley Amateur Radio Club

Don Montgomery Memorial

There will be a memorial serivce for Don Montgomery, WB7Q on Saturday, January 11th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. at the Jacksonville Community Center, 160 E Main Street, Jacksonville Oregon.

Don as heavily involved with Jackson County ARES and Emergency Communications.

Don worked at JPL (Jet Propulsion Labs in Pasadena, CA). He became engineering group supervisor in the lunar and planetary instruments section, Space Science Division. He was lead developer of the cameras for the Surveyor spacecraft program, which mapped the lunar surface in preparation for the Apollo missions. He also developed cameras for the Mariner Mars fly-by program before heading to NASA headquarters in Washington D.C. to work on the SeaSat Oceanographic Satellite program.

He later became Director of Ocean Services at NOAA, and he authored several articles and co-authored a book about the Surveyor spacecraft. His work took him around the world, from Kenya, Australia and the South Pacific, to the arctic regions of Iceland, Greenland and Norway.

Amateur Radio, also known as Ham Radio, is a popular pursuit and service in which licensed participants operate (and often build) radio equipment with a deep appreciation of the radio art.

Amateur Radio is a mix of fun, public service, and convenience. Although “Hams” get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and they pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the “Amateur Bands.”

Because amateur radio is a social and service activity, Hams usually join one or more clubs and associations–such as the American Radio Relay League (ARRL)–as well as locals groups. In the Medford/Jackson County region of Southern Oregon, one local group is the Rogue Valley Amateur Radio Club (RVARC). We are a local affiliate of the ARRL.

Come join us! We love newcomers–old-time Hams, Newbies, or anyone interested in pursuing Amateur radio–licensed yet or not.