RMRA Silent Key
Roland V. Lupient KB9RR 1925-1984 |
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Roland Lupient was first licensed in 1980 as KA9FKF. He was an active member in the RMRA, the Wisconsin Valley Radio Association (WVRA), The Central Wisconsin Radio Amateurs (CWRA), the Central States VHF Society and several personal computer clubs. He constructed a modest Amateur Radio station on the shore of Lake DuBay along now Route 34. A real estate appraiser/assessor by trade, he relocated himself and his business to Marshfield shortly before his death. In addition to Amateur Radio, he had a long time interest in photography, and personal computers. His appraisal firm, of which he was president and owner, had a state of the art (contemporary for the 70s) photography lab. As personal computers reached the scene in the early to mid 70s, Roland bought one of the very first kit computers, the Mits Altair, based on a Popular Electronics ad he had seen. Shortly thereafter he attended the first Altair Users Convention in New Mexico. On display were models of the computer performing various activities--one of which was acting as a CW contact robot connected to a ham transceiver. Also at the convention was a booth with an upcoming group of computer programmers, seeking funding and project ideas. One of them was a young unknown programmer named Bill Gates. During the early 1980s Roland got interested in Amateur Radio, and before long his powder-blue Pontiac Station Wagon was a mobile landmark--decked out with gear capable from 80-40-20-15 and 10 meters (using a "spider" style mount with Hustler resonators) and VHF/UHF with 6 meters, 2 meters, and even 70 centimeter capability (capable of repeater, SSB/CW and even satellite operations with both vertical whips and halo antennas) at modest power levels. In the years just before his death, Roland, along with his employee and friend, Bart Jahnke KB9NM (now W9JJ), regularly attended the Dayton HamVention and Central States VHF Society Conferences as well as local hamfests and club meetings. Roland was active in skywarn and the State Summer Games of the Wisconsin Special Olympics held at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. He regularly participated in numerous other public service communications support events. Roland Lupient died in 1984 at age 59 of a heart attack. Information provided by Bart Jahnke W9JJ. |