Video Tribute Honours New Zealand CW Op

The YouTube tribute by Nick ZL2NEB to his friend Gerard ZL2GVA, is a video QSL card of sorts, the final courtesy for a contact that changed his life and brought him into the amateur radio community.

Gerard, who was originally licenced in 1992 as PE1ONB, opened the door to ham radio for Nick and became his Elmer and later, fellow operator, on his POTA adventures.

Gerard, who was an enthusiastic CW operator and a net control operator for the NZ Net, died of cancer at age 59 in November of 2024. On the 1st of February, a celebration of his life was held in New Zealand. Nick's video, posted on YouTube a day later, is an appreciation on a personal level, a reflection on what friendship can mean, especially in a tight-knit community of radio operators.

Nick urges Hams to continue being communicator and always say what needs to be said - on and off the air.