Peter Chadwick, G3RZP, SK
The Radio Society of Great Britain is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Peter Chadwick, G3RZP, a former President and Life Vice-President of the Society, and one of the most knowledgeable and respected technical figures in British amateur radio.
Peter’s association with radio began remarkably early. Born in May 1947, the second son of radio amateur G8ON, he grew up surrounded by amateur radio and recalled attending his first National Field Day as a very young child. He built his first valve radio while still a boy and, having developed a serious interest in the hobby, passed the Radio Amateurs’ Examination on his 14th birthday in 1961. After subsequently passing the Morse test, the callsign G3RZP was issued to him in April 1963.
Radio and electronics were to become not only Peter’s lifelong passion but also his profession. After leaving school he undertook a technician apprenticeship with the Marconi Company in Chelmsford. His subsequent career took him through a number of significant names in the British electronics and communications industry, including Labgear, KW Electronics, Racal Marine, Burndept and Plessey Semiconductors and its successor companies.
That breadth of professional experience, combined with an exceptional depth of technical knowledge, was something Peter brought generously to amateur radio throughout his life.
Within the RSGB, Peter made an outstanding contribution over many decades. He served as President of the Society in 1993 and, in recognition of his continuing service, was appointed an RSGB Life Vice-President in 1997.
His contribution, however, extended far beyond those formal positions. Peter was closely involved in the Society’s technical and spectrum work and for many years provided expert advice on complex engineering and regulatory matters. As an RSGB Spectrum and Technical Consultant, his expertise was called upon both nationally and internationally, including work associated with CEPT, the ITU and IARU.
Peter possessed the comparatively rare ability to combine a detailed understanding of RF engineering with an equally strong appreciation of spectrum regulation, standards and the practical realities of amateur radio. His knowledge and experience consequently proved invaluable in helping to protect and advance amateur-radio interests.
He was also a prolific writer, lecturer and contributor to the amateur-radio community. Generations of radio amateurs will have encountered Peter through his technical articles, lectures, reviews and contributions to discussions on everything from transmitter performance and antenna matching to EMC, spectrum matters and emerging radio technologies. He was never afraid to examine technical performance critically and to challenge received wisdom where the engineering evidence led him to a different conclusion.
Peter remained an active and committed radio amateur throughout his life. For him, amateur radio encompassed experimentation, construction, operating, technical investigation and the friendships that develop through a shared fascination with radio.
Those who worked alongside Peter will remember not simply the breadth of his knowledge but also his willingness to share it. His experience stretched across an extraordinary period of development in radio technology, from valves and traditional analogue techniques through the solid-state revolution and into the increasingly software-defined world of modern communications.
The amateur-radio community has lost a remarkable repository of knowledge and experience, while the RSGB has lost someone whose service to the Society extended across many decades.
On behalf of the Board, members and volunteers of the Radio Society of Great Britain, we extend our sincere condolences to Peter’s family and friends.
His contribution to amateur radio, and particularly to its technical and spectrum work, will be remembered with enormous gratitude.
Funeral details  https://peter-chadwick.muchloved.com
Category: Front Page News, RSGB Notices, Silent Keys
