Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) has honored CW Skimmer developer Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA, as its 2014 Radio Amateur of the Year. He received the plaque at the annual York Region Hamfest on October 31 near Toronto. Presenting Shovkoplyas with the plaque was the new RAC Ontario South Director Phil Mcbride, VA3QR.

The plaque cites Schovkoplyas for “outstanding and consistent contribution to the welfare of Amateur Radio.” A contesting tool, CW Skimmer interprets call signs sent in CW over a wide receiver bandwidth and identifies waterfall traces by call sign. The extracted call signs then are exported as DX spots.

He’s also developed other free software packages for Amateur Radio, including the propagation tool Ham Cap. -- Thanks to Mike Goldstein, VE3GFN