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Season's Greetings to all MDXA members and from my family to yours, we wish you a happy Holiday Season and hope that you find many "new ones" for your log book in the coming months.

Rather than my normal ramblings in this column, I have decided to devote the remainder of this article to my tribute of our dear friend, Lowell Otto, W5NO who became a Silent Key this year.
 

I first met Lowell way back in the early 70's. He and Louis, K5LM were the co-founders of the Delta DX Association in N.O. George, K5JZ, Bill, KB5MZ (now SK) and I went to one of the DDXA dinners in N.O. and I noticed the members referring to Lowell as "The Waldrus". Louis explained to me that Lowell had been an active DXer since the late 40's and he was #1 in the DDXA with his country totals. Thus, the nickname - "The Waldrus".

I later visited Lowell's and Louis' homes and was really impressed that I had finally met some real "Big Gun" DXers. I used many of their ideas in my record keeping for my own DXCC, bought the Drake Twins, and amplifier and put up my first tower and beam and thought I too, had become a "Big Gun". 

As the years rolled on we all got older and as my country count mounted, I lost touch with Lowell. Not knowing he had moved first to Atlanta and then Tampa before retiring with his wife, Robin, in the Picayune, MS area. In 1998, out of the clear blue, I got an email from him. He had found the MDXA web page and was offering his help. He told me he did not think I would remember him. HA!!!! How could I ever forget "The Waldrus". He quickly became a very active member of the MDXA and he, along with his wife, Robin, W5NOP, took over two letters to sort for the W5 Bureau. He and Robin attended all our functions and were excellent members. At the time of his death in late October he was trying to repair an old repeater the MDXA had acquired so we could eventually have our own repeater.

After his death, Robin offered me his QSL collection. It was only then that I fully realized what a truly great DXer he was. Over the latter part of his life he had missed a few due to health or no antenna, but he had QSL cards back to 1947 and only needed seven to have worked them all. And all seven were active when he was not!!! He ended his DXCC chase with a total of 369 (including 41 deleted). If you add the seven he missed, (Rotuma, Conway Reef, Peter Is, Scarbrough Reef, Pratas Is, Temotu and North Korea) which in my opinion had he had a rig, he could have easily gotten 6 (maybe Lowell could have worked the P5 also). That would have made 375, truly and incredible number. This would leave only 17 on the all time list that he missed. Surely, "The Waldrus". 

He will be missed by his wife Robin and all of his friends around the world.
R-I-P, Big Gun!!!!
 

-73-
Floyd, N5FG
"DX IS"