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John S. Burningham Sevierville, TN QCWA # 26683 |
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From: JeffH - W4JEW
Date: November 21, 2022 at 10:43:25 PM EST
Subject: [Special] [GeorgiaDMR] Silent Key - John Burningham W2XAB #announcements
Hello All,
I just received some sad news... John Burningham - W2XAB - succumbed to cancer after battling it over the past 2+ years.
I won't try to write an obituary - instead, I will share a little bit of the history of the time he and I spent together.
As many of you know, John owned and operated the K4USD network for several years until its demise in early June 2022. Still, I know he used to work as a Systems Engineer at Motorola and was also a college professor teaching information technology courses for several years.
John temporarily relocated to Clovis, New Mexico, to teach information technology classes at Clovis Community College. He planned to stay in New Mexico for two years - then move back to Sevierville, TN. I spoke with John twice back in May - once in early May when he let me know that his illness had taken a turn for the worst and that he was packing to move back to Tennessee a year earlier than expected. Then we spoke again shortly after Dayton Hamvention. That was the last time I ever spoke to him.
John was not known for being the warmest and most inviting of hams - but those who got to know him learned that he was a remarkable individual. He offered unique perspectives on life and technology - I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to know him, and I consider him a friend.
I met John in November 2018 when I activated the Atlanta Radio Club's DMR Repeater (W4DOC). We were introduced by Ken Bryant (K1DMR) shortly after the club purchased its Motorola SLR 5700 DMR repeater.
Some may recall that when the W4DOC DMR repeater was first brought online in mid-November 2018, it was initially connected to Brandmeister. Unfortunately, Brandmeister was going through severe growing pains - primarily due to the explosive growth of DMR. They had a tough time keeping up with the demand.
John graciously offered to provide connectivity for the W4DOC repeater on one of his c-Bridges, and that's where it stayed for several years. John was a generous man. He never asked for anything in return.
Unbeknownst to me, connecting the W4DOC repeater to K4USD would result in my learning from one of the leading authorities on DMR within the ham radio community globally. John was indeed a master and my DMR "Elmer."
I couldn't even begin to count the times John sat on the phone with me for hours, teaching me most of what I know about DMR today. I distinctly recall several phone conversations where it took over an hour to convince John that I had to get off the phone! Meanwhile - the sun was starting to come up! :-)
If it were not for John, I would likely not have advanced to the level of knowledge that I currently possess. He is someone I will never forget.
My way of saying thanks to John is to share my knowledge with others - I will continue to do so as long as I can.
For those unaware, K4USD did make a comeback in September 2022. John entrusted Matt Genelin (N0YNT) to take over the K4USD Network, including relocating it to the University of Minnesota, where it exists today. Matt is working on transferring the K4USD callsign, so it will continue to live on. For the time being, you can access the K4USD Network via the following URL:
http://w0yc.stu.umn.edu:42420/
John - I am glad to know you're no longer in pain. Rest in peace, my friend.
73 my friend, -JeffH -- Jeff Hochberg W4JEW Atlanta, GA _._,_._,_
