A few days ago I saw the notice in the Daily DX that Bob Allphin, K4UEE had past away.
I offer my condolences to the friends and family of Bob.
I never met Bob, but I had corresponded with him over mail. I first became aware of Bob when I was collecting videos he and his group published for the DX'peditions. I think I have a pretty good collection of most of them. I started watching those videos around 2010-2011 and I was enthralled by the activity of the group he led.
I had to sift through my DX QSL cards and I found that I had worked Bob while he was on a vacation/expedition to the Isle of Man.
In 2018 I sent him a letter asking for advice on how to get involved in DX'peditions and he wrote back to me saying in effect to keep working on my CW and find a way to go out myself. It was a harsh reminder that in order to work on a DX team meant to do the homework - practice, and keep climbing up the DXCC list scratching off entities.
I know a few people who have organized and operated DX'peditions and it's no cake-walk. It's a lot of work and struggle -- even for the mostly accessible locations. Bob's video library documented just such endeavors. Bob's idea of DX'pedition is really the kind I like -- the rare island, the survival tactics and the make-shift methods. There are a few examples where his expeditions were grand operations, most notably Peter I, 3Y0X. The other kind that I admire was the Kingman Reef, K5K trip. A strip of gravel and sand and remote.
I re-watch the videos time to time -- just to remind myself of the thrill of going out to a remote place and setting up a station.
All this being said, I am reminded of how important it is to keep close to your ham radio friends, encourage and support DX'peditions and in the words of Tom Berson, ND2T, always be ready.
Thank you Bob for all you've done for amateur radio. Rest in peace.
