dna@dsd.UUCP (05/23/84)
TO : Packet Radio
FR : Lyle
RE : Pete Moves On
On May 9th, I received a telephone call from TAPR Executive Vice
President, Peter Eaton, WB9FLW. The purpose of the call was
singular -- Pete was resigning from Office in TAPR.
Pete explained that he had devoted the last 2-1/2 years of his
life to Amateur packet radio activities, but the time had come
for him to end his "retirement" and divert his energies to his
personal life. He requested that we respect his decision.
Reluctantly, but in conformance with Pete's desires, I accepted.
Pete's will be a tough act to follow.
He was first involved with TAPR in early 1982. He represented
TAPR at the Dayton Packet Forum that April, showing off one of
the then-new Alpha boards.
In June, 1982, he founded SLAPR, a St. Louis-based packet group
that achieved national recognition. He was SLAPR's President
from its inception until last December, when he resigned to more
fully devote his energies at the national and international
levels.
Acting as Beta Coordinator for the St. Louis area, Pete went into
every corner of the metropolitan environs and spoke of Packet to
every ham he met. The St. Louis Beta site was the first on the
air, with Beta boards hand-carried from Tucson, by Pete, on
January 31, 1983.
In June of '82, he flew to San Diego to help work the Convention
that launched TAPR as a more-than-Arizona organization.
During the summer of 1982, Pete located a transformer
manufacturer in Illinois to make the custom power transformers
for the Beta boards.
He also came to Arizona and video-taped the June TAPR meeting
and subsequent introductory tape that followed.
During the October, 1982, AMSAT-sponsored meeting that adopted
the AX.25 protocol, Pete accepted the responsibility for getting
the Beta PC board laid out.
When push came to shove in November, 1982, Pete arranged to have
a couple prototype Beta boards made and shipped to Tucson. He
then came himself and spent nearly a month with us in Tucson,
working 16-hour days, day after day, to help hauncho the Beta
production.
He was with us on Black Thursday, and helped TAPR survive that
crisis.
After spending so much time in Tucson, Pete nevertheless flew
back for the Annual Meeting. This was less than 1 week after
hand-carrying the Beta Boards to St. Louis...
He was primarily responsible for the Amateur Packet Radio booth
at Dayton last year, working tirelessly for the professional
appearance and good first impression that so many of you
commented on.
He was on-camera for the "Introduction to Packet Radio" videotape
done in Des Moines last summer.
Pete helped in the preparation of the kit TNC manual, and did
considerable work on the PC-board illustrations.
He arranged for the kit board layout, and was one of the kit
test-board assemblers (his is kit TNC number one...).
The 3-ring TNC manual cover was Pete's doing.
After his election to Executive Vice President at the Board of
Director's meeting last February, he plunged into the tasks of
coordinating the cabinet project and preparing for Dayton.
Pete was a prime instigator of the efforts to have the first-ever
Dayton Hamvention Award for Technical Excellence bestowed on the
TAPR TNC.
The new TNC brochure was arranged by him.
In the midst of all of this activity, Pete has travelled
extensively throughout the midwest, spreading the word on packet
to hamfests, clubs, conventions -- anyone who would listen.
As you can see, Pete Eaton has been a selfless dynamo, directing
considerable energy, time and money into packet radio. Without
his efforts, packet radio as a whole, and TAPR in particular,
would not be close to the stature it presently enjoys. He has
earned the nickname, "Packet Pete".
We will miss the insight, devotion and energy he brought to the
Office of TAPR Executive Vice President.
We offer him our full support for his future endeavors, and wish
him the best of the best in all he undertakes.wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (05/24/84)
What was/is "Black Thursday"?