Thinking and thanking...Tony AA2TX
About a week ago, Facebook alerted me that it was Tony AA2TX Monteiro's birthday. I'll admit it caught me off guard, yet it was really fun thinking about the wonderful work he did for us, AMSAT, as the "father of the Fox satellite family." He was such a neat and brilliant guy. So over the past several days I have been thinking of him, and being thankful for him. It brought back memories of a HamRadioNow.TV interview from Dayton Hamvention in 2013, where Tony was VP for Engineering, and I was the first VP for Educational Relations. This is before any of the Fox birds were built and buttoned up for launch. If you're curious, and you never had the chance to meet Tony (or even if you did!!) you might enjoy watching the video and hearing about the vision and planning; note that the interview starts about 5 mins into the recording. It was touching for me, personally.
https://www.amsat.org/hamradionow-amsat-fox-1-interview-now-online/
It took Jerry N0JY Buxton as the "new VP" and friends stepping up to fulfill Tony's vision. So I'm thankful for all of you that did all of this. Far too many to count. And the "bonus bird" Fox-1E wasn't even part of Tony's original vision...but I can't wait to have that one flown and operational "someday soon" as well!
If you work AO-91 or AO-92 this weekend, maybe you'll also be "thinking and thanking" Tony AA2TX, too!
73,
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] AMSAT Director and Command Station
Mark,
Good stuff! I met him a couple of times at the symposiums and he was always super nice. Also, probably one of the most brilliant people i've listened to present SDR. His presentation from the Orlando symposium, was one of the most comprehensive I have ever heard on the topic. Was any video taken of those presentations? If-so, is it possible to resurrect some of them? I also remember when the abrupt announcement was made that he would no longer be attending the meetings / telecons. I appreciate you raising our awareness and bringing some well deserved attention and appreciation for him.
73,
Joseph Armbruster
KJ4JIO
On Fri, Aug 14, 2020 at 2:54 PM Mark L. Hammond via AMSAT-BB < [email protected]> wrote:
About a week ago, Facebook alerted me that it was Tony AA2TX Monteiro's birthday. I'll admit it caught me off guard, yet it was really fun thinking about the wonderful work he did for us, AMSAT, as the "father of the Fox satellite family." He was such a neat and brilliant guy. So over the past several days I have been thinking of him, and being thankful for him. It brought back memories of a HamRadioNow.TV interview from Dayton Hamvention in 2013, where Tony was VP for Engineering, and I was the first VP for Educational Relations. This is before any of the Fox birds were built and buttoned up for launch. If you're curious, and you never had the chance to meet Tony (or even if you did!!) you might enjoy watching the video and hearing about the vision and planning; note that the interview starts about 5 mins into the recording. It was touching for me, personally.
https://www.amsat.org/hamradionow-amsat-fox-1-interview-now-online/
It took Jerry N0JY Buxton as the "new VP" and friends stepping up to fulfill Tony's vision. So I'm thankful for all of you that did all of this. Far too many to count. And the "bonus bird" Fox-1E wasn't even part of Tony's original vision...but I can't wait to have that one flown and operational "someday soon" as well!
If you work AO-91 or AO-92 this weekend, maybe you'll also be "thinking and thanking" Tony AA2TX, too!
73,
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] AMSAT Director and Command Station _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I too am very thankful for Tony and his efforts. Working with him was the beginning of the AMSAT/VT relationship when I was still a graduate student and my first exposure to AMSAT (outside of Bob N4HY). I remember that very very first side meeting with Bob and Tony at the AMSAT symposium (I think the 2013 Orlando one). Bob asked Tony...what kind of student payload do you want for the Foxes....Tony said how about a camera? Bob said 'you got it'....then turned to me and said...'your gonna build some cameras'....and I said 'OK' (I knew absolutely nothing about spaceflight hardware or cameras at the time).
...Fast forward to the very first piece of VT student built hardware launched to orbit....our camera on AO-92. There were at least twenty or so students alone involved in that effort, from concept to prototype to flight units to orbit to that first image downlinked.....I ran a victory lap up down the Hume Center halls whooping (I think I startled some folks)....and then taped up the image all over the building.
So in a very real way, Tony got VT to orbit.....I can't even begin to itemize what that effort has done for VT work in the area of smallsats/cubesats/etc. and the trickledown effect for the students. Space is hard, and a tough nut to crack.....Tony was instrumental in getting us on the path to success, he has a legacy at VT.
Very thankful to Tony, Bob, all the AMSAT Volunteers (too many names to list...hopefully you know who you are :-) ), and many others that helped us get there. Thanks for this note Mark, good memories and thoughts of Tony from Blacksburg! I have no official authority on this, but in my book....honorary Hokie!
73s -Zach, KJ4QLP
Thanks for sharing some memories and history Mark, and fittingly, on Tony's birthday.
It is a weird coincidence, as I was not online today to see anything mentioning Tony until just now. This morning I thought of Tony and wondered how many members have the recollection or knowledge of what Tony did to bring AMSAT into the CubeSat era. Much of the discussion of Fox-1 birds seems to be related or remembering of events of the past year or maybe two, and some of what is said seems to have no understanding of how we got here.
My thoughts were of his family as well, looking forward and waiting to let them know that the bonus satellite brought about by Tony's work was headed out of my hands and up to orbit Although it lacks "Veronica" as the previous four had/have, it is still a Fox-1. Many of Tony's family were with us at the launch of Fox-1A almost five years ago now and that was a feeling of family that also shows a part of the overall commitment that goes into making the satellites that is never publicly mentioned or seen, but is important in fueling the work we do.
A photo of the launch party can be seen in the gallery on my website, and I put it up here too: http://home.n0jy.org/images/Fox-1A_Launch_Party.jpg
Jerry Buxton, NØJY
On 8/14/2020 13:43, Mark L. Hammond via AMSAT-BB wrote:
About a week ago, Facebook alerted me that it was Tony AA2TX Monteiro's birthday. I'll admit it caught me off guard, yet it was really fun thinking about the wonderful work he did for us, AMSAT, as the "father of the Fox satellite family." He was such a neat and brilliant guy. So over the past several days I have been thinking of him, and being thankful for him. It brought back memories of a HamRadioNow.TV interview from Dayton Hamvention in 2013, where Tony was VP for Engineering, and I was the first VP for Educational Relations. This is before any of the Fox birds were built and buttoned up for launch. If you're curious, and you never had the chance to meet Tony (or even if you did!!) you might enjoy watching the video and hearing about the vision and planning; note that the interview starts about 5 mins into the recording. It was touching for me, personally.
https://www.amsat.org/hamradionow-amsat-fox-1-interview-now-online/
It took Jerry N0JY Buxton as the "new VP" and friends stepping up to fulfill Tony's vision. So I'm thankful for all of you that did all of this. Far too many to count. And the "bonus bird" Fox-1E wasn't even part of Tony's original vision...but I can't wait to have that one flown and operational "someday soon" as well!
If you work AO-91 or AO-92 this weekend, maybe you'll also be "thinking and thanking" Tony AA2TX, too!
73,
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] AMSAT Director and Command Station _______________________________________________
Mark Hammond, N8MH noted:
About a week ago, Facebook alerted me that it was Tony AA2TX Monteiro's birthday. I'll admit it caught me off guard, yet it was really fun think- ing about the wonderful work he did for us, AMSAT, as the "father of the Fox satellite family."
AMSAT members can access the March/April 2014 AMSAT Journal in the members- only archive, to read the memorial to Tony written by Barry Baines, WD4ASW - Anthony “Tony” J. Monteiro, AA2TX - Silent Key (begins on page 7).
https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal
participants (5)
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Jerry Buxton -
JoAnne K9JKM -
Joseph Armbruster -
Leffke, Zachary -
Mark L. Hammond