N0UAM-Jim Sellars – Assistant Director of VoIP Hurricane Net Operations & Net Control – SK

Hello to all…

As mentioned earlier this week by KC8TCQ-Keith Hosman, it is with deep regret and sadness that we report that N0UAM-Jim Sellars, Assistant Director of VoIP Hurricane Net Operations and Net Control Operator during net activations passed away Tuesday May 22nd, 2018 at the age of 64 after a long battle with heart issues.

Jim was a huge supporter of VoIP Hurricane Net activations for over 10 years. Jim’s most recent accomplishments with our net were supporting some very long net control stints during the historic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Jim’s voice was authoritative when reading advisories and warning information yet consoling when receiving reports from Amateur Radio Operators being impacted by the hurricanes such as when NP3OD-Francisco reported the damage to his home in San Juan Puerto Rico during Maria. Jim summarized and provided many reports from weather stations that were often used in advisory information from the National Hurricane Center.

Jim was also very active in the NWS Springfield Missouri SKYWARN program as well as storm chasing. Jim coordinated having the NWS Springfield Missouri office on SKYWARN Recognition Day on our *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system for several years. Despite his health issues, Jim remained active on the air in whatever ways he could. On a personal note, I recall Jim checking into our New England SKYWARN net operations in December 2008 asking if we needed assistance after a major ice storm ripped through the area. Despite great personal hardship, Jim put the needs of others ahead of himself.

There have been several tributes to Jim online and Jim wrote his own obituary. Links to this information can be seen below:

Springfield News Leader Article:
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/now/2018/05/23/springfield-storm-chaser-dies-ashes-shot-tornado/637264002/

KTTS-FM Article:
https://www.ktts.com/news/local-news/local-storm-spotting-community-mourns-loss-of-jim-sellars

N0UAM-Jim Sellars Obituary:
http://www.greenlawnfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/3509446/Sellars-Jim/obituary.php

At the start of the WX4NHC scheduled time slot to be on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system on Saturday 5/26/18 at 400 PM EDT/300 PM CDT, we will do a short on-air tribute to the life of N0UAM and all he did for our net. We hope you will tune in but we also intend to record this tribute.

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net