AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE CELEBRATES BILL PASTERNAK WA6ITF Excuse us for being a bit self-indulgent here at Newsline, but we want you to know about an event that's very close to our hearts and - in this case - our radios. Happy birthday Bill Pasternak WA6ITF. Bill created the original Amateur Radio Newsline as the Westlink Radio Network long before many of us were hams - although there are just as many who already had their license who may remember listening to his reports. Bill became a Silent Key five years ago. He would have been 72 years old on Friday February 7th. On that day and into the weekend, the Amateur Radio Newsline Amateur Radio Club is planning its first activation of WA6ITF, which has become our club call sign. This is an informal activation. Be listening for any and all of the Newsline staffers on the HF bands as well as DMR, D-STAR, Fusion and EchoLink. We'll be spotting on DXSummit to help you find us. What a great gift of communication for all of us, remembering and celebrating Bill. https://www.qrz.com/db/WA6ITF
James, thank for the remembrance of Bill Pasternak's birthday. Bill (WA6ITF) and I were friends for many years. I was privileged to be part of his Westlink Report and later, Amateur Radio Newsline in the beginning years of those operations. We also worked together on several other film projects concerning amateur radio as only Bill could tirelessly keep writing (news stories and books) and producing films. We would always see him at various hamfests, Dayton Hamvention and each year in Las Vegas at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention ham radio gathering. He was quite an advocate for amateur radio and a good friend. He is missed.
I have great memories of frequently working Bill on 6 and 2 meters, when he lived in Brooklyn, NY and I lived in NNJ, and back then he was WA2HVK. Back then in the early 1960's, 6 and 2 meters was loaded with wide eyed, newly licensed teenagers, and a love and dedication of Ham Radio by Bill, that we could have never imagined. Over the years we spoke often, and when I last spoke with Bill two weeks before he passed, his Ham radio spirit was still as strong as ever …. and even after these years, still a GREAT loss to our hobby. John W5JON - exWA2PBN
We here on Echolink and Allstar and Irlp have long been putting on special events nets, wether it is for Bill or World Amateur radio day. On the voip side of amateur radio there 1000's of us out here who work station get qsl card participate in special events and we promote alot of this stuff on our side. Wether you like it or not VOIP Ham Radio is here to stay. And Bill made such an impression in my life I go out of my way not only to promote ham radio but I also head up a group for HEDY LAMRR DAY, WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY, SANTA WATCH NET. Bill touched so many people that not one person can say that they were not impacted by his presence and made us all know , everything is possible!!!
