[Moon] EA3DXU SK

[SM2BYA, Gudmund]

Josep's passing is sad news indeed.

As somebody else put it, "if everybody was only listening, there would 
be no QSOs". Josep understood this and consistently did his best to 
breathe life into quiet bands by always calling CQ. Like so many of us, 
I've enjoyed his distinctive CW fist and the remarkably strong signals 
he put in with his two Yagis, both on two meters and on 432. But even 
more, I've marvelled at his persistence in trying to dig out a weak 
replying signal and his ability to eventually piece it all together. Our 
first 144 MHz EME QSO in January 1999 was followed by many, many more, 
and we also later worked several times on 432.

I was fortunate to meet Josep in person twice, in Prague in 2002 and in 
Würzburg last year. What I remember best about him was his cheerfulness. 
Even though he did not look quite himself in Würzburg - he must have 
known then that his health was fragile - he still had a smile on his 
face and a kind word. I'm so happy for his sake that he managed to 
complete his WAS before passing away. By never giving up, he has set an 
example for all of us.

My thoughts are with Pau and the family.  Josep was an outstanding radio 
amateur and a gentleman. He will be long remembered.

Gudmund SM2BYA / SM3BYA