Ham Radio Podclass brp64 - Michael Caughran, KL7R - RIP

Mike Caughran, KL7R, SK (Feb 2, 2007) -- Well-known low-power (QRP) and homebrewing enthusiast Michael S. "Mike" Caughran, KL7R, of Juneau, Alaska, died January 22 of injuries suffered in an automobile accident in Hawaii. He was 51. Caughran may be best known as one-half of the team -- with Bill Meara, N2CQR/M0HBR -- that created and produced the weekly SolderSmoke podcast. "I think people were drawn in by Mike's friendly voice and manner," Meara commented on a memorial page for KL7R. "Even if they weren't necessarily interested in the technical stuff we were talking to, they liked listening to Mike." A member of ARRL and the Juneau Amateur Radio Club, Caughran also wrote articles for the Michigan QRP Club's T5W newsletter and he was an active ham radio contester. "Mike was one of those people who you instantly like because of his honest, straightforward and humble way of talking and expressing ideas," said Mike Hall, WB8ICN, who edits T5W. "His co-hosting of SolderSmoke provided me hours and hours of enjoyment while I drove or flew all over the East Coast doing my job. His Web site and his comments on the Sunday night QRP Conference on EchoLink has brought me back to more homebrewing projects and experimentation than ever before." Caughran was an IT professional with the State of Alaska. Survivors include his wife and son.