[Ccarc] CEBIK SK

[Tom Murray]

 Antenna Expert L. B. Cebik, W4RNL (SK) 






   
 
   	 

   
   	 
   

In 2000, L.B. Cebik, W4RNL (right), visited ARRL Headquarters to
discuss the then-new ARRL Certification Program with League Executive
Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, and other HQ staff members. [Rick
Lindquist, N1RL, Photo] 

L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, ARRL Technical Adviser and antenna authority,
passed away last week. He was 68. An ARRL Life Member, Cebik was known
to many hams for the numerous articles he wrote on antennas and antenna
modeling. He had articles published in most of the US ham journals,
including QST, QEX, NCJ, CQ, Communications Quarterly, Ham Radio, 73, QRP Quarterly, Radio-Electronics and QRPp. Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, QEX
Editor, called Cebik "probably the most widely published and often read
author of Amateur Radio antenna articles ever to write on the subject."
Cebik lived in Knoxville, Tennessee and wrote more than a dozen
books on antennas for both the beginner and the advanced student. Among
his books are a basic tutorial in the use of NEC antenna
modeling software and compilations of his many shorter pieces. A
teacher for more than 30 years, Cebik was retired, but served as
Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville.
One of Cebik's last articles for QST, "A New Spin on the
Big Wheel," appeared in the March 2008 issue. The article, co-written
with Bob Cerreto, WA1FXT, looked at a three dipole array for 2 meters.
This was a follow-up to their article in the January/February issue of QEX that featured omnidirectional horizontally polarized antennas. Cebik authored the "Antenna Options" for QEX.
Former ARRL Senior Assistant Technical Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, and editor of The ARRL Antenna Book,
said, "LB will be greatly missed by the thousands of hams he's helped
through his incredibly prolific -- and invariably proficient -- writing
about antennas. LB helped me personally in numerous ways while I worked
on antenna matters at the League, always communicating with a gentle,
scholarly attitude and a real eye for detail. I'm in shock at the news
of LB's passing. May his soul rest in peace."
Licensed since 1954, Cebik served as Technical Editor for antenneX Magazine. According to Jack L. Stone, publisher of antenneX,
he had not heard from Cebik for a few days and became worried: "I
called the Sheriff in Knoxville to go check on him since I hadn't heard
from him in over 5 days, either e-mail or phone, which is highly
unusual. The Sheriff [went to Cebik's house to check on him and] called
back to tell me the sad, devastating news. As his publisher of books,
monthly columns, feature articles and software/models for more than 10
years, we communicated almost daily during that span of time. Not
hearing from him for that long was unusual, causing my concern. He was
like family to me and was loved and respected by so many."
Cebik maintained a Web site, www.cebik.com,
a virtual treasure trove to anyone interested in antennas. Besides a
few notes on the history of radio work and other bits that Cebik called
"semi-technical oddities," the collection contains information of
interest to radio amateurs and professionals interested in antennas,
antenna modeling and related subjects, such as antenna tuners and
impedance matching. Cebik said that his notes were "geared to helping
other radio amateurs and antenna enthusiasts discover what I have
managed to uncover over the years -- and then to go well beyond."
His Web site also contains information on antenna modeling. His book, Basic Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial
for Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Plus NEC-2 antenna modeling software,
contains models in .NEC format for over 150 exercises. "Since the
principles in the book apply to any modeling software," Cebik said, "I
have also created the same exercise models in the EZNEC format. For
more advanced modelers using either NEC-2 or NEC-4, I have prepared an
additional volume, Intermediate Antenna Modeling: A Hands-On Tutorial,
based on Nittany-Scientific's NEC-Win Pro and GNEC. The volume includes
hundreds of antenna models used in the text to demonstrate virtually
the complete command set (along with similarities and differences) used
by both cores."
ARRL Contributing Editor H. Ward Silver, N0AX, said, "LB typified
generosity. He was always developing material that was published
widely. Furthermore, the quality of the articles and concepts was
always high, but the writing was such that an audience with a wide
range of technical backgrounds could understand it. His Web site is a Solomon's Treasure of solid antenna information -- available to all."
Wolfgang remembered Cebik, saying, "L. B. was an ARRL Technical
Advisor, with expertise in antenna modeling and design. I learned that
I could count on L. B. to offer clear, concise comments on any
submitted article dealing with antennas. He was always a friendly voice
on the other end of my phone line when I needed to talk to an expert,
and I came to expect a quick e-mailed response to any antenna questions
that I sent him. L. B. was so much more than an antenna author, though.
He was one of the first ARRL Educational Advisors I ever had the
pleasure of working with when I became editor of the ARRL study
materials. He played a key role in helping develop the concept of
online courses when ARRL began to study the idea of the Continuing Education program; his Antenna Modeling course
has been one of the most popular offerings in the program. L. B. leaves
a legacy of friendly advice and Amateur Radio wisdom. I will miss him
as a friend and as an advisor."
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