W2FMI Jerry Sevick, SK

[Fred k2dx]

Jerry Sevick, W2FMI (SK)-- Jerry Sevick, W2FMI -- renowned for his research and publications related to short vertical antennas and transmission line transformers -- passed away on Sunday, November 28. He was 90. In 2005, Sevick, an ARRL Technical Advisor, received the Dayton Hamvention Technical Excellence Award. The Hamvention Awards Committee noted that Sevick's April 1978 QST article on short ground-radial systems "now serves as the world's standard for earth conductivity measurements."

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/01/11226/?nc=1

[WU2D]

I have to say that I had Jerry's book open just last week. I was designing a Guanella balun for a dipole and wanted to make a compact job. 15 Bifilar turns on a Ferrite rod and it took 200 Watts without the slightest heating.

Jerry was the first ham to really introduce us to transmission line transformers, with his great book of the same name published by the ARRL in 1990. It certainly remains a great reference for those of us who match antennas like beverages, and it provides information on some of the basic building blocks for a lot of those solid state amps and Class E Rigs. I even used one of his designs to match a command transmitter.

RIP Jerry.