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Bob Heil K9EID SK

General Information 03/01/2024

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Posted By: Robert Nickels (ranickels)
Posted on 03/01/2024

Posted 3/1/24 at Heil Sound Facebook page:

Our beloved founder, Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, is now a Silent Key. Bob fought a valiant, year-long battle with cancer, and passed peacefully surrounded by his family. Bob’s lifelong passion for amateur radio was clear to everyone involved in the hobby. Everything Bob did for the betterment and growth of amateur radio – from his instructional handbooks and countless presentations to his support of the ARRL and youth programs – was based on the foundation and spirit of service. Bob was an Elmer to all of us. While Bob’s presence will dearly be missed, his impact on the hobby and everyone in it will forever be felt. On behalf of Bob to all ham radio operators worldwide, 73.

This is very sad news, as Bob has been a good friend to me personally and the best friend ham radio ever had. There will never be another like him.

Rest in good sound, my friend...

I got to know Bob through the vintage radio - Central Electronics get-togethers organized by Nick Tusa K5EF at Wes Schum's home in Jonesborough TN. Bob often shared his knowledge of audio, including a demonstration of the power of - you guessed it - "phasing", which he learned first from Wes's phasing SSB exciters and later applied throughout his career in professional audio.

Bob recognized that the St. Louis Suburban Radio Club's "Winterfest" would make the ideal venue for what became known as the W9DYV Technical Symposium and helped to sponsor this one-day event that reflects Wes's innovative spirit. I was honored when Bob and Nick asked me to coordinate the 2024 Symposium and was happy to have a chat with im at Winterfest the next day, when the above photo was taken.

Here are Nick's comments on Bob's passing:

Every week without fail I'd get a call from Bob (K9EID) to discuss some aspect of amateur radio, the AM window, homebrewing rigs, or the Winterfest/W9DYV Symposium. The last time we visited at the St. Louis WInterfest -- just a few weeks ago -- he handed me his MM2 monitor scope to repair.

With the repair completed, I had been calling him a few times over the past two weeks to ask if he wanted it sent back or to hold it for the upcoming Dayton Hamvention..but heard nothing back...which was concerning since he would return calls usually within a day - emails within hours. I merely figured he was busy or just tired out with his radiation treatments.

In Bob's normal way, he understated the severity of those treatments and never a hint he was doing poorly. In fact, at Winterfest he was the age-old Bob...looking for a good deal in the flea market and thrilled to visit with old friends and on-air acquaintances.

Bob and I first met in 1978 when I recruited him and Jerry Pettinger (a ARRL published linear amplifier homebrewer) to conduct seminars at the New Orleans Hamfest & Computerfest on audio articulation for SSB transmitters (Bob) and how to properly design and homebrew high powered HF linear amplifiers (Jerry). We kept in touch over the many years and, of course, he was deeply involved in all things SSB via the phasing method, Wes Schum (W9DYV), and Central Electronics.

We've lost a great friend...both personally and for this wonderful hobby of ours. He was an amateur radio rock star and audio engineering genius.

73 Nick K5EF

This photo of Nick and Bob was taken at Winterfest 2024:


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