01/08/2026
by Mark Derks, KC1RVQ, ARRL Headquarters Staff
Richard Dean Straw ("Dean"), N6BV, died on July 9, 2025. Amateur radio was one
of his passions.
Dean retired from the staff of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio¿
in 2008 following 15 years of service as the Senior Assistant Technical Editor.
***
In 2006, the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) was held in
Florianópolis, Brazil, a coastal city that straddles both Santa Catarina Island
and the Brazilian mainland. Not far inland, snow-capped mountains climb into the
clouds, and miles of glittering, sandy beaches ring the city. The climate is
subtropical and supports a dizzying diversity of plant and animal life from
swaying palms to visiting American tourists. Among those visiting tourists, in
this case for the WRTC as part of the PT5J team, was Dean Straw, N6BV.
Accompanying him was his beloved wife, Rayma.
Dean was born on another island, thousands of miles from Florianópolis, on
Honolulu in 1946. He lived there until he came to the mainland to study
electrical engineering at Yale University. After graduating, he worked in radio
design in Massachusetts at the National Radio Company, as well as in North
Carolina, San Francisco, and on Cape Cod. "He had a great ability to pull calls
out of the noise," his counterpart in PT5J in WRTC, Mark Obermann, AG9A,
recalled. "Must have had some extra processing gain inside his noggin." While
Dean and Mark wouldn't win the contest that year, they posted an impressive
score of 1,333,789. After the contest, while vacationing in Brazil, Obermann
relayed an anecdote that involved another of Straw's hobbies, competitive
running. Dean and Rayma were in Rio de Janeiro, when "a kid stole Dean's 35mm
camera." Being a long-distance runner, Dean chased after him for several miles
before it occurred to him that catching the kid might be dangerous, and that
possibly "getting killed was not worth getting the camera back." Indeed, Dean
would live many years beyond that trip to Brazil, passing away from
complications of an extended battle with Parkinson's disease. Rayma Mui, his
wife of 38 years, survives him, as do sons Geoff and Rick.
Not only is Dean remembered among hams for his contesting prowess, but for his
tenure in the Publications Department at ARRL Headquarters. He edited five
editions of The ARRL Antenna Book (the most of any named editor), four volumes
of The ARRL Antenna Compendium (4 - 7), and several editions of The ARRL
Handbook. Former QST Editor and ARRL author Steve Ford, WB8IMY, recalled his
time with Dean. He "became my `antenna mentor' when I joined the Headquarters
staff. Until I met Dean, I didn't even know that ladder line existed" or about
its "low-loss characteristics. He helped me incorporate it into my home station
and then collaborated with me in writing a popular QST article about my
experience." The article was titled "The Lure of the Ladder Line" and appeared
in the December 1993 issue.
Reflecting on Straw's contributions to The ARRL Antenna Book, that volume's most
recent editor, H. Ward Silver, NOAX, says, Dean's "were very big shoes to fill.
Dean started with a small book of antenna fundamentals and basic designs, then
brought it into the modern era with much more detail and a wider scope that was
groundbreaking."
Beyond his expansion and updating of The ARRL Antenna Book, Straw wrote modeling
software that is still distributed with The Antenna Book, including Yagi for
Windows, for which he "generated a whole family of HF and VHF designs,"
according to Silver. He also wrote Transmission Lines for Windows (TLW), which
"integrated several calculator-style tools into one comprehensive package." And,
arguably, his software masterpiece was High Frequency Terrain Analysis (HFTA),
which "combined terrain data and antenna patterns so that hams could finally get
a reasonably good idea of where their signal energy was actually going. His
painstakingly prepared set of Angle of Arrival files that modeled propagation to
and from many areas allowed top stations to optimize their antenna systems to a
high degree. Combined with the wide availability of software tools like EZNEC,
the effect on amateur radio antenna system design was Promethean," again,
according to Ward Silver.
Chris Tate, N6WM, the station coordinator for Radio Oakley N6RO - the contest
station of Ken Keeler, N6RO - remembered Dean as "an instrumental antenna design
engineer." At the station, Straw contributed "massively to the antenna farm with
many unique and effective designs that gives N6RO its signature `punch' from W6.
Dean was also an expert operator, particularly in SSB, whose recordings of his
ARRL Sweepstakes operating trained and guided Northern California Contest Club
members for years."
Friend and fellow contester, Dave Patton, KW9A, who also worked at ARRL
Headquarters with Dean, remembers him as "one of the smartest, kindest and most
innovative hams I have known." On another notable DXpedition, 4M7X on Coche
Island in Venezuela, Dean's switchable 10-element arrays for the high bands
worked so well that his team "broke the world record despite the large antenna
farm being slowly destroyed over the weekend by the remnants of a large
hurricane passing by." According to Patton, the DXpedition consisted of "43
antennas and 7 complete, 1500-watt stations."
ARRL FCC Counsel David Siddall, K3ZJ, shared this remembrance, "his
contributions to ham radio and to ARRL will continue through his unmatched
propagation and related terrain studies, software packages (including HFTA),
articles, and other contributions to ARRL publications - many of which continue
to be widely distributed, consulted, and used almost two decades after he
retired from the ARRL."
Dean Straw's, N6BV, legacy lives on through his many contributions to ham radio
at ARRL Headquarters and beyond, and in the countless lives he touched with his
generosity, intelligence, and love. Dean shared this message when he retired
from the ARRL staff: "The Lord has been good to me -- how many people can truly
say that their vocation has been their beloved avocation too? My wife has
consistently maintained over the years: 'You're having entirely too much fun in
this job!'"
Dean's son Geoff Straw shared this tribute prepared by his family:
Richard Dean Straw ("Dean") was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i to Richard
Herbert and Mae Fuyuko Straw (nee, Sukehira) on March 1, 1946. Dean graduated a
year early from the `Iolani School in 1963 to attend Yale University, majoring
in Electrical Engineering. Dean met and married Terrianne Kreiger while studying
in New Haven, where their two sons Richard John Straw and Geoffrey Dean Straw
were born. After graduating in 1967, Dean took on increasingly more important
professional roles in the marine electronics and communications industries,
which resulted in the family's many moves in Massachusetts, North Carolina and
eventually California. Dean met his forever wife Rayma Mui in San Francisco,
where they lived for almost four decades. They traveled the world together
before Dean was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease shortly after he retired in
2010. Dean fought the disease valiantly, with Rayma always at his side. They
continually looked to their Lord for guidance and peace. Dean passed away in
July 2025, leaving behind his loving wife Rayma in San Francisco, and his two
sons Geoff (Nancy) in San Luis Obispo, California and Rick (Christi) in Ft.
Collins, Colorado. He is also survived by five grandkids (David, Kelsey,
Katelyn, Erin, and Cassidy), four great-grandkids (Danika, Dominic, Ramona and
Ophelia), and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents
and his younger brother William Kirk Straw ("Kirk").
Dean Straw SK
by Dave Leeson, W6NL
Another giant of ham radio is now a silent key. As reported to us by his wife
Rayma, Dean Straw N6BV passed away July 9, 2025 due to complications of
Parkinson's disease. He was a Contest Hall of Fame winner, famous contester,
author/editor of the ARRL Antenna Book, author of HFTA, TLW and other important
software tools, engineer, mentor, and a key designer-builder of the N6RO contest
station.[1]
Dean Straw, N6BV, was first licensed as WH6DKD in 1959. He studied to be an
electronic engineer at Yale, then joined National Radio and designed SSB and VHF
radios.[2] His career eventually led to his work at the ARRL, from which we all
benefit greatly.
Dean was active in contesting, living in New England and then with the N6RO
superstation in California: "I'll admit it - my first love in Amateur Radio is
HF contesting."[3]
Dean was of course familiar with the chapter on antenna siting in my 1992 book,
and when he was looking for another New England job around the same year, he
contacted me, knowing that my company California Microwave, Inc., had just
acquired Microwave Radio Corporation (Fred Collins, W1FC, president) in
Massachusetts.[4]
That didn't work out, but he followed the recommendations of many of us who were
familiar with his ham radio interests to approach the ARRL. That clicked, and he
was there for a decade and a half, writing articles, giving talks and editing
the famous ARRL Antenna Handbook.
While at ARRL, Straw specialized in antennas, transmission lines and
propagation. "I have been able to utilize my training as an electronics engineer
in other areas where I could help out. I've enjoyed being associated with some
remarkable people at ARRL -- folks who are truly dedicated not only to
preserving the legacy of Amateur Radio, but to taking Amateur Radio forward in
the 21st century."
In his 15 year tenure at ARRL, Straw served as Senior Assistant Technical Editor
in the Publications Group. He was Editor of The ARRL Antenna Book for five
Editions (17th-21st Editions), Editor of The ARRL Antenna Compendium series
(Volumes 4-7), as well as several editions of The ARRL Handbook. He was
co-author of Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams with Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH.
A frequent contributor to QST (he most recently served as the handling editor
for "Hints & Kinks" column) and NCJ - The National Contest Journal, Straw has
been Editor of numerous ARRL books: ON4UN's Low-Band DXing (4th Edition),
Low-Profile Amateur Radio, The ARRL DXCC Handbook, DXing on the Edge, Amateur
Radio on the Move, Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur and the ARRL Continuing
Education Antenna Modeling course.
Straw said, "The Lord has been good to me -- how many people can truly say that
their vocation has been their beloved avocation too? My wife has consistently
maintained over the years: 'You're having entirely too much fun in this
job!'"[5]
His software, including HFTA, is widely used and appreciated by those of us who
maintain an interest in HF propagation, especially as it pertains to contesting.
Some history on this subject is found in papers and talks by such experts as
Breakall, WA3FET, Beezely, K6STI, and Lewallen, W7EL.[6]
After he retired in 2008, he moved to California, but continued his energetic
devotion to the study of HF propagation and the impact of terrain. He was active
in presenting at the Dayton Hamvention Antenna Forum, as well as other
conventions, the Contest University and even at local ham radio meetings
(including one at the Stanford Amateur Radio Club).[7] He continued to develop
the sophistication of his modeling software and its interpretation, and was an
active contributor to the design, construction and operation of the N6RO
superstation.
Dean was widely respected as a technical wizard, but also as a great friend who
offered his help and advice to anyone who needed it, competitors included. He'll
be greatly missed by those of us who knew him well and worked closely with him
in his favorite radio interests.
References
[1] Dean Straw, N6BV - SK,
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/dean-straw-n6bv-sk.977147/
[2] R. D. Straw, "Don't Blow Up Your Balun," QST, June 2015, see pg. 36.
[3] R. D. Straw, "The Effect of Local Terrain on HF Launch Angles," QEX, July
1995, pp. 3-15
[4] "California Microwave, Sunnyvale, California, has entered into an agreement
to acquire 100% of Microwave Radio Corporation's stock," Broadcast Engineering,
June 1992, pg. 126.
[5] ARRL "Antenna Expert" to Retire,
https://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-quot-antenna-expert-quot-to-retire
[6] See for example, J. Breakall WA3FET, "Maximizing Performance of HF Antennas
with Irregular Terrain," https://www.contestuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2
021/01/Contest-University-HF-Propagation-in-Irregular-Terrain.pdf; D. Leeson,
"Antenna Topics," https://www.kkn.net/dayton2007/w6nl_ant.pdf[1]
[7] See for example
https://www.kkn.net/dayton2004/dayton-2004-antenna-forum.html,
https://www.seapac.org/seminars/2014/sea-pac2014-n6bv-Terrain%20Assessment.pdf,
https://www.contestuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Contest-University
-HF-Propagation-in-Irregular-Terrain.pdf. More talks by Straw are listed at
https://www.k3lr.com/Dayton/ See also, R. D. Straw and G. L. Hall, "Antenna
Height and Communications Effectiveness, A Guide for City Planners and Amateur
Radio Operators," ARRL, 1998.
Memorial to Dean Straw, N6BV
from Prof. Jim Breakall WA3FET
January 6, 2026
I am very sorry to hear about my friend and colleague Dean Straw, N6BV, becoming
a Silent Key. What I remember most about Dean is when I had a Navy project in
the early 1990s to measure dipole and vertical antennas in front of a hill, on
top of a hill, and behind a hill at HF in Utah. We used a helicopter that towed
either a 3-axis receiver (RELEDOP) or a transmitter (XELODOP) that was developed
by SRI International in Menlo Park, CA. This system was used for measuring and
verifying antenna performance mainly for the military. It flew at an altitude
of 10,000 feet and could get the elevation pattern by flying from almost horizon
to horizon to get down to really low take-off angles. While these measurements
were being performed, I also came up with a way to model the terrain with what
is known as the Geometrical/Uniform Theory of Diffraction (GTD/UTD) [1] that
used plates with lossy ground characteristics and computed all the ray
reflections (Geometrical Optics - GO) and diffraction (GTD/UTD) from edges of
the plates. This technique was normally used at much higher frequencies and
never applied before at HF. After getting really good agreement between the
measurements and modeling as reported in an IEEE Antennas and Propagation
Society paper [2], I told Brian Beezley K6STI and Dean Straw N6BV about the
great results. Brian wrote a code named Terrain Analyzer (TA) [3] that worked
in DOS and Dean wrote the code HFTA [4] that worked in Windows. Brian's code
was more interactive and worked with horizontal and vertical polarization, and
Dean's code worked in Windows with many built in horizontal antennas including
stacking and also had statistics of propagation that he also produced from
VOACAP [5]. Dean's HFTA code became very popular and was included with the ARRL
Antenna Book [6]. More recently, Stu Phillips K6TU [7] provides a service of
producing the terrain files for any location that can be used directly into
HFTA. Since Dean was the editor of the ARRL Antenna Book, he had an extensive
section on terrain analysis and how to use HFTA. The other incredible project
that Dean worked on was the creation of a huge database of propagation
statistics using VOACAP for various paths in the world for all sunspots,
seasonal variation, time of day, etc. It is also included in the ARRL Antenna
Book. This was just a voluminous amount of work that Dean did putting these
results into something that was understandable to any Amateur interested in
propagation. Dean was also an avid antenna designer and modeling expert and
designed many excellent Yagi designs in the Antenna Book. He was the editor of
the ARRL Antenna Book for many years and completely modernized the previous
versions with more accuracy and technical understanding with antenna modeling.
Dean also was quite a competitive contester and was inducted into the CQ Contest
Hall of Fame. He was much competition to my K3CR contest station in the day.
One of the programs he also made was TLW [8] that I still use a lot that can
model transmission lines, loss, and tuner design.
He will be missed very much and my sincere condolences to his family and
friends. All of his work will live on by many who have used it in the past and
still use it presently. He was one of a kind for sure, and I am so honored to
have known him as a friend, collaborator, and colleague. RIP Dean N6BV SK.
If one wants to read more about some of the history and some of the kind of
results that can be produced from Dean's HFTA, please look at the following
link:
CTU Presents[2]
References
[1] Keller J., "Geometrical Theory of Diffraction,"Journal of Optical Society of
America 1962
[2] Breakall J. et. al., "The Modeling and Measurement of HF Antenna Skywave
Radiation Patterns in Irregular Terrain," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and
Propagation, VOL. 42. NO. 7, JULY 1994.
[3] Beezley B., Terrain Analyzer (TA), Copyright 1998.
[4] Straw D., High Frequency Terrain Assessment (HFTA) Program, ARRL Antenna
Book.
[5] VOACAP, www.voacap.com[3].
[6] ARRL Antenna Book, 25th Edition, First Printing (2023), ISBN:
878-1-62595-183-0.
[7] K6TU Propagation Services, https://www.k6tu.net/[4]
[8] TLW (Transmission Line for Windows), in ARRL Antenna Book software.
[1] https://www.kkn.net/dayton2007/w6nl_ant.pdf
[2] https://www.contestuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Contest-Univers
ity-HF-Propagation-in-Irregular-Terrain.pdf
[3] http://www.voacap.com
[4] https://www.k6tu.net/
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