Today I was reading a Silicon Chip magazine and I pondered about Tom Moffat and what he was up to lately, since he always wrote fascinating articles for the various magazines. Anyway, by pure coincidence I was reading the WIA news on the radio newsgroups and I discovered that Tom passed away on the 2nd of August. I take my hat of to you Tom, you will be missed.
Dorfus
From the WIA news.
SILENT KEYS
The following tribute for Tom Moffat is from Brian VK7RR via VK7News
Tom was born in the United States of America. His father had contact with Australia as he was involved with the design of the navigation equipment for the Jindivik program in the 50's so it is no wonder that Tom ended up out here. Tom obtained electronic qualifications with the Bell Telephone Company for whom he worked until the wanderlust hit him.
Tom passed away August 2 2007
He initially worked in Victoria, as Chief of Staff for GTV-9, moving to Tasmania with his wife Gael, in the early 70's, whereupon he became the Motorola sales and service agent for Tasmania.
Tom was involved with the first amateur television broadcast of the weekly news, the first mobile television broadcast in the southern hemisphere, amateur or commercial and of course, the first VK7RHT.
Tom soon became one of the best known names in Australian amateur circles through his monthly columns in various magazines, an interest which became an occupation over the past ten years or so. Who will forget Moffat's Madhouse and his monocle? Tom's optometrist made it for him as he refused to wear reading glasses.
Tom was a highly intelligent person who had an instinct for new technologies and took to computers like a duck to water. I wonder how many people built his weather satellite decoder over the years? He sold them in kit form and many yachties and amateurs were soon checking their own weather, long before sound cards and DSP, hit the scene.
He also built an experimental robot known as the Tasman Turtle as I remember it.
Tom died peacefully on Tuesday evening, leaving Gael, his former wife, who continued to care for him as much as he would let her, two daughters, Jenny and Fiona, a son Steven and three grandchildren.
Farewell old friend.