Fred Laun era radioamador americano no Estado de Maryland, com indicativo de chamada K3ZO, um dos mais conhecidos e mais atuantes operadores de radiocompetição ao redor do mundo.
Fred faleceu em 03 de janeiro de 2023 e deixará uma lacuna enorme no meio radioamadorístico. Seu cartão QSL (de confirmação de contatos) é dos mais simples e ao mesmo tempo, um dos mais reconhecidos ao redor do mundo.
Devo ter contatos com Fred desde priscas eras, provavelmente a partir de 1982 (comecei no radioamadorismo em 1981), e chegamos a nos encontrar duas ou três vezes na década de 1990 em Dayton (OH) durante a famosa HamVention, que reúne radioamadores do mundo todo uma vez ao ano.
Fará falta, sentiremos falta em nossos logbooks.
Algumas manifestações da lista "CQ-Contest":
This is very sad news indeed. We have lost a great ham and contester.
I have many fond memories of Fred, dating back decades. I worked with one of his buddies from Thailand, HS1BS, at a company in San Jose. Fred would come to visit HS1BS when en route to Visalia. I was lucky enough to be invited to dinners with them (at a Thai restaurant), and then drive with Fred from San Jose to Visalia with other hams (VA6VEF and others).
Fred was very engaging and helpful, with opinions and stories that kept the conversation interesting. I learned a lot about the world and about contesting from many hours in conversation with Fred.
Fred made contact with HK0BKX on San Andres Island, and got me an invite to operate at his station. It was my very first SOAB Contest-expedition, and it was a great experience. Then he made contact with a buddy of his in Peru, and I was invited to operate at the Radio Club Peruano station (4T4O) along with WA6VEF and N6BT.
When my daughter, Raquel, was appointed to the Naval Academy in Maryland, we had the chance to dine and talk with Fred a few times. They were good times.
RIP my friend.
73, Rich, N6KT
It is with immense sadness that I share with you the passing of our dear friend Fred Laun K3ZO. Fred passed away this evening.
It was Fred's desire to not have any formal funeral or ceremony. Certainly we will all find a way to celebrate our friend and a ham radio icon.
We knew this day would eventually come. It doesn't make it any easier. There was just something about tuning the bands during a contest and hearing K3ZO. You knew everything was right with the ham radio world. RIP OM. You were one of a kind!
73 Ken K4ZW
I never heard K3ZO frantically running stations at 40 wpm but was always amazed and impressed with the end result. I just expressed that exact sentiment with N5DX within the last month or so.
I think the first time I worked Fred (LU5HFI) was in about 1971 or 1972 on 160m. At the time and it was quite exciting to work LU on 160m. He took the time to mail a letter to me about 20 years ago, with high praise for a strategy I had used to work Europe from Arkansas on 20m SSB. How special to receive that letter which would never be forgotten. More recently on two different occasions he sent QSL cards requesting cards from his contacts with ZF9CW. I was thrilled that he wanted a card from me.
He will be missed.
Stan, K5GO
The PVRC February newsletter will have a tribute to Fred, if you have any memories or photos of you with Fred send them to jpescatore at aol dot com and I'd be glad to include them.
If you didn't know Fred, John K1AR's excellent 2015 NCJ interview captured him well - https://ncjweb.com/features/sepoct15feat.pdf
Finally, a quote from a post to CQ-CONTEST by Fred back in 1999 when there was one of the recurring debates on changing the definition of Single Op as digital forms of assistance and wins by guest ops increased:
"If anyone wants to invent a new category that will fit me, I will gladlychange to that category and continue to have fun in the contests. Untilthen, I will continue to operate SOHP. 73, Fred"
73 John K3TN
