Well-Known DXer, DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, Dies in Tower Fall

Milt Jensen, N5IA, during the 2008 Ducie Island VP6DX DXpedition.

Well-known DXer and DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, of Virden, New Mexico, died on June 10 after falling from an Amateur Radio tower. An ARRL Life Member, he was 73. According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Jensen was working on a tower on Arizona’s Mount Lemmon when he fell. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A Tucson News account cited a sheriff’s deputy who indicated the fall was accidental, but the mishap is still under investigation.

“Milt was on was of his many tower climbing adventures, and by no choice of his, it became his last,” his oldest son, Jason, said in a post to QRZ.com.

Licensed in 1960, Jensen had lived in Virden for his entire life. Especially well known for his 160 meter activity, he spent several years constructing an “8-circle array” of full-sized 160 meter verticals — each 125-foot towers — at his station site south of Safford, Arizona, near the New Mexico border, Lee Finkel, KY7M, wrote in an article set to appear in the July/August issue of NCJ. Jensen operated his “dream station” remotely from his home, often using the call sign N7GP in contests. In addition to his Top Band operation, Jensen was heavily involved in designing, installing, and maintaining VHF and UHF mountaintop repeaters, remotely controlled base stations, and linking systems. As a contester he often landed in the Top 10 standings.

Jensen took part in three DXpeditions. He and his wife Rulene, KB5VTM, took part in the 1998 XZ1N team in Myanmar. In 2000, he returned to Myanmar as part of the XZ0A multinational team. In 2008, he was part of the Ducie Island VP6DX DXpedition team.

Jensen was a graduate from the El Paso School of Electronics and was retired from the electric power distribution industry following a 40-year career.

Jensen and his wife were the parents of 7 children.

“His legend will live on for generations to come,” said his son, Jason. He loved to help others, especially in his chosen hobby, Amateur Radio. He truly cared about his hobby and took every aspect of it to heart.”

Source:ARRL