I was very thrilled when Marcel, ON5AU asked me to write a word about his publications on propagation. I have known ON5AU since the day he got his amateur radio license, since we went for our amateur radio exam together in 1961. I have never known Marcel as a big DX-er or contester but was very pleasantly surprised when over the past several years I saw him digging deeper and deeper into the why’s and how’s of antennas and more specifically radio propagation. I know by experience that the best way to test your knowledge and understanding on a technical subject, such as radio propagation, is to try to write about it. Not just for the local radio club but for a world-wide “audience”. Marcel has studied everything that’s available on the subject of radio propagation, knows the ins and the outs, and has worked with all of the related computer tools that float around. He’s an expert in these matters. Being able to explain, in simple words, to the non-experts, how it works makes him a good teacher as well. I am proud to see my neighbor ham, ON5AU, publishing quality technical material that improves the technical and scientific understanding of all radio amateurs in this delicate field of radio propagation. I must say I admire people that have something to give. I must admit that I have not gone through all of Marcel’s writings yet, and I should indeed spend time reading and studying all of his material, and I will, as soon as my writing endeavors with publication deadlines (for the ARRL) come to an end. On the higher frequencies where propagation is largely governed by the MUF, there are few secrets left over. Marcel knows all the tricks and most of the secrets it seems like. To a degree that apparently making contacts is hardly a challenge for him any more, I suppose. That’s maybe where I differ from ON5AU. This is why I am an addict of top band (160m) DX-ing, where the know-how-it-works and the know-why-it-works (or does not) is very limited. This makes top band an adventure by itself. No future telling so far. Propagation predicting does not work on top band. At best one can sometimes tell why it does not work! Maybe a challenge for Marcel to dig deep into this wide open mystery.

Great job Marcel, I am proud to have you as a friend, and I am proud to recognize the real and genuine spirit of amateur radio in your work and publications.

 John, ON4UN