Silent Keys

This page contains obituaries submitted by friends and relatives of Silent Keys as well as other general advice. Please note that Ofcom who manage all amateur radio licences should also be informed of the death – as per our separate licensing guidance.

Obituaries

We welcome obituaries from clubs or individuals when any amateur sadly passes away, irrespective of whether they were a Member of the RSGB.

Please send submissions by email only to SK@rsgb.org.uk. You are welcome to attach one or more photographs of, or relevant to, the person. Note that submissions may be ‘moderated’ for  spelling and grammar corrections.

Note that by sending any text and/or images you warrant that you are the copyright owner (or have their permission) and convey to RSGB the necessary permissions to publish the information on the RSGB website and/or other media.

Were they an RSGB Member?

To notify the RSGB that a Member has passed away (and that their subscription should end and they should be listed in RadCom’s Silent Keys section) please email membership@rsgb.org.uk, stating the deceased person’s name, callsign, date of death (if known) plus your name and relationship to the deceased (eg brother, member of same radio club etc). These reports can also be made by phone to 01234-832700, option 1.

What to do with the radios and aerials

We are often called to advise surviving relatives how to deal with the radio equipment, aerials and so forth. There are three general approaches we recommend:

• Members: If the person was, or had ever been, a Member of the RSGB, contact your area’s RSGB Regional Representative, who are all volunteers. Our Regional Pages will let you see which Region you are in and you can click on your area of the map to contact the right person. Let them know you need help with clearing a shack and include your phone number. RSGB Regional Representatives do not normally buy equipment themselves, but they can give you a lot of help in working out what’s valuable and how & where it might be sold, or perhaps donated for the benefit of others (eg to a Club or Scout troop).
• Local Clubs: Another possibility is to contact your nearest amateur radio club. Our online club finder will help you find your nearest club(s) and you can ask for similar help as you would from a Regional Representative. Many clubs also hold in-house sales from time to time, variously on an auction or fixed-price basis, and will gladly advise.
• For Sale Ads: If you want, you can offer the late amateur’s equipment for sale via a RadCom Members’ Ad. Provided our records show that the person was a Member of the RSGB at some time, then we will include a ‘Silent Key sale’ listing with our compliments.