Fortunately, the amateur radio community has its 'giants' on whose shoulders technical progress and the spirit of brotherhood stand. One of those greatest has just left us. With quiet pain in our hearts and deep respect, we bid farewell to Pavel Šír, known worldwide by the callsign OK1AIY.
Pavel died suddenly on Friday February 13, 2025 at the age of 82 years. However, for the amateur radio community, Pavel OK1AIY will never just remain a name on a notice; he remains a legend, a 'microwave guru', and a person who pushed the boundaries of what is possible in amateur broadcasting.
Path to the heights (GHz)
Pavel Šír was an amateur radio operator in body and soul since his youth. Although he started at a time when the peak of technology was a vacuum tube receiver, his gaze (and later antennas) always turned upward - to millimeter waves and technologies that at that time bordered on sci-fi.
While most operators were satisfied with the bands of 144 MHz or 432 MHz, Pavel became a pioneer in bands that most of us know only from textbooks: 10 GHz, 24 GHz, 47 GHz and even the incredible 76 and 122 GHz.
Milestones of technical mastery
What made Pavel exceptional was not just the purchased devices, but his ability to build them himself.. In the times when there was no internet and specialized parts were very difficult to find, Pavel was able to construct microwave transverters, waveguides and parabolas with the precision of a watchmaker at home.
Master of microwave races:Pavel bol pravidelným víťazom a popredným účastníkom „Polných dní“ a mikrovlnných contestov. Jeho značka OK1AIY bola v denníkoch európskych rádioamatérov zárukou spojenia z náročnej lokality a na extrémne vysokých freKVenciách.
Pioneer of the 47 GHz band and higher: He was one of the first in former Czechoslovakia to successfully make connections on these exotic bands. His achievements in the length of connection (DX) on 47 GHz are recorded in the history of amateur radio in golden letters.
Publishing activity: He didn't keep his knowledge to himself. For decades he contributed to professional journals such as Radio amateur,Radio Journal or AMA magazine. His schemes and instructions helped entire generations of operators overcome the fear of microwaves.
Pavel Šír left us suddenly, but he left behind a mark that no noise can cover. He was a man who taught us that even with low power and our own ingenuity we can 'call to the stars'.
We express our deep condolences to the family and loved ones. The amateur radio community loses not only a top expert but, above all, a good friend.
Pavel, thank you for everything. Your signal remains in our hearts.