I was saddened to note the passing of Dick Moody, announced in the recent edition of QSO. I was a student at the Southampton College of Technology back in the early 1970s, where Dick taught me – and many, many others – the intricacies of the Morse code. I well remember his soft Hampshire accent and his often repeated exhortation to “get it weighed off lads, time’s marching on.” For the first year of the three year course we spent the first hour of every day with Dick, practicing receiving his beautifully sent hand Morse and trying vainly to emulate his style on the key.
Having sweated through the dreaded “Part 2” and got my MRGC I went on to work for Shell Tankers, taking my first trip on the Lampas/GUIM in 1977. My first call on 500kHz (to Bahrain Radio/A9M) was a nerve-wracking affair but thanks to Dick’s thorough tuition I coped, even when I was answered by A7S instead who had traffic for us!
To this day I still prefer to operate CW on the HF bands and have taken much pleasure from doing so down the years. Dick’s enthusiasm and gentle encouragement are largely responsible for that.
Vale Dick… As noted in QSO, a true gentleman of the old school.
73
Bernard Kates
VK2IB