September 18th we received the news that our member Rob PA2R passed away as result of a diving accident in Madeira. In Rob we lose one of the operators of the first hour at Contestgroep Oude Maas PI4COM and one of the founders of the LLDXT – Low Land DXpedition Team.
After Rob had built up a passion for diving, the time he actively spent on the radio hobby became less. Rob remained a committed member of PI4COM until his death and at CW contests we could always count on him as an operator where he proved time and time again that CW contesting was his passion where the CW speed went up.
Less than 2 weeks before his death, Rob had enthusiastically told about the diving trip he was going to make with his partner Lysiane on Madeira during the annual COM barbecue.
As one of the founders and QSL manager of the Low Land DXpedition Team, Rob certainly also enjoyed an international reputation. “The LLDXT Method” is a manual from Rob’s hand on how to deal with a European Pile-Up which you can still find on websites of various American amateurs.
Many will have in their collection a QSL card of the many DXpedities that Rob was part of. What started with a try-out in the summer of 1994 together with a number of members of PI4COM at DXpeditie in Liechtenstein as HB0/PA3ERC was followed up in a long series of DXpeditions to sometimes quite rare countries; VP5/PA3ERC, VP5C, FG/PA3ERC, TO5C, J77C, J79RC, FM/PA3ERC, J6/PA3ERC, 9Y4/PA3ERC, 6Y5/PA3ERC, ZF2RC/ZF9, PJ7/PA5ET, FS/PA5ET, V47ET, VP2EET, 8Q7ET,V26ET, 8P9JS,VP2MPA, J3/PA5ET, J8/PA5ET, J38PA, J8PA, TI9M, J75ET, J75PA, VP2MET, VP2MPA, OY7ET, OY8PA, 3D2PA, T30PA, T33C, T33PA, PZ5PA, PZ5C, PZ5C/p and VU7RG.
A few years ago, Rob’s presence at our activities became less after his health imposed a number of physical limitations on him. This situation was prolonged by the arrival of Covid-19 which forced Rob into a period of strict quarantine due to his fragile health. After he was able to stop working earlier this year and now that the world is slowly opening up again, plans had already been made to go out into the world together with Lysiane to do their joint diving passion in special places. It is difficult to comprehend that he dies during his first dive trip.
In Rob we lose a passionate member with a sometimes outspoken vision of our own. During the upcoming CW contests we will have to do without his CW passion.
Rob Snieder PA2R is Silent Key.
Rest In Peace our Friend.
