This guy was a walking encyclopedia of antenna knowledge. I read his website 
often, and always received a prompt, clear answer whenever I dared to ask 
him a question.

K5XU


>From ARRL News http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/22/10059/

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

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; his last column appears in the
May/June 2008 issue.

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."

In a Web posting, Cebik fondly remembered his first QSO and how his
father came to his rescue during his first contact: "I was licensed in
1954 as both a Novice and a Tech, since then you could take both exams
in one session and privileges were separate. My calls were W1APS and
WN1APS. I got on the air for the first time with a ham a couple of
blocks away, an fine old timer. However, I got key fright half way
through. My dad, James S. (Jim) Cebik, came to my rescue and finished
the contact, although he had not touched key in over 20 years. Jim
Cebik had been 1ATG and later W1BUK in the late 1920s and early 1930s
(and wrote a few articles on his experiments). He gave up Amateur
Radio when he married in the depression years; the cost of parts were
high and family came first. In fact, he rarely mentioned Amateur
Radio, and my entry was independent via some high school comrades and
a cousin. But he had not forgotten his CW or key skills and saved me
from embarrassment on that first day. I returned the favor by renewing
his interest in Amateur Radio and about 1964, he was relicensed and
obtained his old W1BUK call which he used for very many years. He died
in 2002 in his high 90s."

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."

In his Web reminisces, Cebik summed up his own life in Amateur Radio:
"My Dad was a part of my Novice beginning in Amateur Radio, and I
strove to send CW with a straight key so that one could not tell it
from a keyer. He remains a strong part of my effort. He noted that the
ham spirit is to give, if needed, the shirt off one's back to a fellow
ham and to expect -- not its return -- but rather that it be passed on
to the next ham who needs it."
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