AKA Norm Gussgott ZL2UYH and more recently ZL2GUS

The President, Committee and Members of Lower Hutt Branch 18 of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Incorporated are saddened at the loss of long time member Norm affectionately remembered (despite his recent upgrading) as "ZL2Under Your Hat!"

One of natures Gentlemen in every sense of the word Norm was a "Good Keen Ham" right up until his death.

I visited Norm at his studio in Shona McFarlane only a couple of weeks ago and despite his age he was keen to demonstrate to me his antennas secreted in the loft, his success with "Echo- Link" and some interesting gadgets that he had acquired. He reminded me that I had purchased his Kenwood TS430S off him some 12 years ago and remarked (quite correctly) that I didn’t want to sell it back to him when he was shopping around for a simpler HF rig a year or so ago. Norm showed me some of the Ham Radio OSL cards that he was especially proud of, including ones from U-MIR and N0MIR.

I must say that I claimed MIR as one of my first logged contacts but unlike Norm I didn’t get a QSL card.

When I first came on air Norm was there almost every night, and the two of us had many a pleasant evening working each other on all the repeaters we could find. Later on we discovered Packet and digi-peaters together and chased each other up and down the country - lots of fun.

Norm struggled for years to get his Morse, and I don’t believe I have seen anyone happier when he eventually passed the elusive 5 WPM.

An avid "Paperchaser" Norm collected a diverse range of awards many as a listener with NZART Membership No. ZL2-266.

All of which were proudly displayed in earlier years at his home in Penrose Street, Lower Hutt.

These were many and varied and included The OSCAR Satellite Communications Achievement Award which required satellite contacts with 20 different U.S. states or Canadian call areas or DXCC countries. Norm was the 272^nd person in the world to gain this certificate on 18 September 1994 and at that time the only "ZL".

He was also one of only a couple of ZL’s who made contact with AO-13 during its last two orbits on which the transponder was on Orbits #6479, 6480 22, 23 November 1996, UTC.

Norm took delight in his hobby and was most generous when it came to helping others by loaning instruction manuals or a few words of encouragement. We are sorry that you had to leave us Norm but we sure enjoyed your company while you were with us.

Norm leaves behind his XYL Rosalie and our sympathies are extended to her and to Norm’s family.

Bruce ZL2WP

President