Tribute to Charles "Chip" H. Margelli

Tribute to Charles "Chip" H. Margelli - K7JA
December 14, 1951 - May 26, 2023

Chip was diagnosed with cancer in March and became a SK May 26, 2023. Chip had a masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.

Chip Margelli, K7JA, was licensed since 1963, and an Extra Class licensee since 1968, residing in Garden Grove, CA , with his wife of 45 years, Janet, KL7MF. Chip was a Life Member of ARRL, AMSAT, and Quarter Century Wireless Association, and retired last year from Ham Radio Outlet as an I.T. Specialist.

In 1977 Chip began his 29 year career with Yaesu Musen Co. Ltd. In 2006 he branched off into a four-year stint as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Heil Sound, Ltd. In 2010 he moved on to become Director of Advertising Sales for CQ Publishing, Inc. After that he spent several years working with Force 12/InnovAntennas America, sharing his knowledge and affection for the world of high-performance antennas.

For over 60 years, Chip has been active in DXing and, especially, international radiosport competition and goodwill activities. Among his accomplishments are twelve First-Place finishes nationally in the ARRL November Sweepstakes, and a number of world-high or national wins in the CQ World-Wide DX Contest, ARRL DX Contest, and CQ WPX Contest. Chip's DXpedition activities included operations from St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Saipan, Micronesia, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Martinique, Cuba, and Barbados.

In 1984, Chip and wife Janet were invited by the Chinese Radio Sport Association to travel to Beijing for operation from BY1PK and help train the new Chinese operators during the early phases of the rebirth of Amateur Radio in China.

In 1989, Chip was honored by being selected to be the American representative in the first-ever Finnish-Soviet-American DXpedition to Malyj-Vysotskij Island as 4J1FS. The following year, Chip and his teammate Mike Wetzel, W9RE, won a Silver Medal at the first-ever World Radiosport Team Championship, held in conjunction with the Goodwill Games in Seattle.

And in the Fall of 1991, Chip was a member of the Instructor/Operator team in the IARU Albania Project (ZA1A), led by Martti Laine, OH2BH, which brought about the rebirth of Amateur Radio in Albania after many decades of radio silence.

In 1994, Chip and wife Janet, along with Joe Lynch, N6CL, and Lauren Libby, W0LD, traveled to Cuba to participate in the June ARRL VHF Contest, covering the activities of the FRC for articles in QST and The QCWA Journal. Chip and Janet returned to Cuba in 2003 with four other hams for the first joint Cuban-American Field Day operation.

In May 2005, Chip and partner Ken Miller, K6CTW, made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC, utilizing "ancient" Morse Code to compete with (and defeat) the U.S. champion cell-phone text messenger in a message-completion speed contest. See the Youtube video!

Chip is a 2018 inductee into the First Class CW Operators' Club (FOC), and a 2021 recipient of the prestigious E.T. Krenkel Medal, a Russian Federation award conferred "For the outstanding world contribution to the development of radio amateurs."

Articles by Chip have been published in QST, CQ VHF, Popular Communications, CQ, and FOCUS magazines, and in several books. In May of 2008, Chip was inducted into the CQ Magazine's Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.
Courtesy of Chip's wife Janet, KL7MF

Posted by Janet Margelli KL7MF

1979 Photo in Tokyo

K4SMX, N2OO, K7JA, KL7MF, JA1BK

Remembering Chip Margelli K7JA
I first met Chip in 1979 while I was on the way home from the 1S1DX Spratly DXpedition where I also operated from Brunei as VS5OO. Chip, Janet and Kan JA1BK hosted a welcome back hibachi dinner for me and Stew Woodward K4SMX (SK) during a stop over in Tokyo. RIP Chip San.
73. Bob Schenck, N2OO

K7JA at Field Day

One of the best-known amateurs of the past 40 years has become a Silent Key. CQ joins the contesting and DXing communities in mourning the loss of Charles "Chip" Margelli, K7JA, to cancer on May 25, 2023.

We first received the news from his close friend and CQ Contributing Editor Gordon West, WB6NOA, pictured here with his wife Suzy, N6GLF and Chip.

N6GLF, WB6NOA, K7JA

Chip left us yesterday and 4pm, after spending weeks putting together Field Day station antennas and gear. That is all he would talk about - a great station on the air! He was ready for Field Day!

He and Janet (KL7MF, Chip's wife of 45 years) fought this fast-spreading cancer for months, with never a word to most anyone about his heroic fight. He passed away peacefully, with dignity, at his home, with Janet and his cat at his side. He gracefully closed his eyes, with piles of Field Day equipment and cables he prepared, ready for deployment, right next to his chair.

K7JA, KL7MF

Chip never complained, never let on to his fight, and always had a smile for the upcoming Field Day event. So professional. He was always total positive in all that he could do for ham radio operators.

What a gentleman - a true fighter to the end. We are all heartbroken.

Chip was a ham's ham, a contester (and frequent winner), DXer, DXpeditioner (he was part of the ZA1A team that reintroduced ham radio to Albania in 1991, and a member of the 2003 CO0US joint US/Cuban Field Day operation), moonbouncer, weak-signal VHFer, satellite operator and more. Chip spent three decades at the "face" of Yaesu in the United States, attending hamfests, visiting dealers and introducing new gear. After leaving Yaesu, Chip worked for Heil Sound and as CQ Advertising Manager before leaving the hamfest circuit and working behind the scenes at Ham Radio Outlet. He couldn't totally stay home, though, as he continued to be in high demand as a banquet speaker at conventions and hamfests.

Chip is perhaps best known among the general ham public for his 2005 appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," in which he and partner Ken Miller K6CTW, proved they could send a message faster in Morse code than by texting. Chip was inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame in 2008 and awarded Russia's E.T. Krenkel medal in 2021.

"In a hobby full of really nice and really knowledgeable people, "recalled CQ Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU, "Chip was without question one of the nicest and most knowledgeable. He was experienced in nearly every aspect of amateur radio and was always happy to share that knowledge as well as his many ham radio adventures. While chip was on the CQ staff for only a short period of time, he and Janet have been part of the extended CQ family for many years. More than that, he was always just a good friend. We will miss him greatly."

"OMG!", responded CQ Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, when he heard the news. "Chip was the picture of good health! He used to go out running at shows. He and Arnie (Sposato, longtime CQ ad manager, also SK) would be out early on a Sunday to do a few miles together. And he had just retired from HRO after a lifetime at Yaesu. Another old friend gone... Certainly, we all know of those who were very sick and who we exected to leave us, but too often (others have) left us with no warning and no time to prepare our minds for the inevitable."

Words cannot even begin to express our sorrow. All of us at CQ extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Janet and their entire family.

K7JA

www.cq-amateur radio.com

KA6LMS 2018 Studio City, California

QSL from the set of the FOX TV show "Last Man Standing"
starring Tim Allen (Tim Dick) KK6OTD. This is an older QSL from a different set.
This station is rarely on CW. Chip, K7JA, managed a drop in to make a few rare contacts on that mode!

Dayton 2000

K7JA, WT3Q

Dayton 2005

K7JA

Dayton 2008

K7JA

Dayton 2010

K7JA

Dayton 2011

K7JA

Dayton 2012

K7JA

Dayton 2013

Contest Dinner
K7JA

Contest Dinner
K1AR, K7JA, K3EST

Contest Dinner
K7JA

Contest Dinner
K3EST, K3WW, VE7SV, K7JA

Dayton 2015

K7JA

VE6CV, VE4GV, K7JA

Dayton 2017

K7JA

Dayton 2022

AJ9C, K7JA, K9JA

Tribute courtesy of KL7MF, N2OO, K8CX
1979 Group photo courtesy of N2OO
Tnx K3LR, WA3FET, W3UR, W3RQ
CQ Magazine info used with permission from Dottie Kehrwieder
All CQ Magazine photos courtesy of Gordon West WB6NOA, except The Tonight Show and vintage photo at end
KA6LMS QSL Card from W4WJ Collection
Dayton photos by K8CX