Retired ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Walter Ireland, WB7CSL, of Henderson, Nevada, died January 20. He was 76. Ireland spent 11 years on the staff of the League’s Technical Relations Office (TRO) in Fairfax, Virginia, retiring in 2008. Prior to arriving at ARRL in 1997, Ireland spent 37 years in a variety of roles working for the federal government, including for the Voice of America (VOA), where he was involved with building HF broadcast stations.

“Walt contributed to the ARRL’s preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs) in 2000, 2003, and 2007,” recalled ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. “His expertise in HF broadcasting was especially valuable prior to WRC-03, where we gained a significant improvement in the 40 meter band.”

At the request of the FCC, Ireland in 1997 accepted the chairmanship of US Working Party 6E — which dealt with HF broadcasting — remaining through WRC-07. Ireland was selected as vice chair of informal working groups of the FCC WRC Advisory Committee in preparation for WRC-03 and WRC-07. In addition to his involvement in shifting HF broadcasters out of a part of 40 meters, he also took part in efforts to protect Amateur Radio frequencies from synthetic aperture radar, broadband over power lines (BPL), and ultra-wide band (UWB) systems.

During his ARRL tenure, Ireland served as the chief instructor for ARRL Amateur Radio Administration Course for Regulators (ARAC), sponsored by the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) and held at ARRL Headquarters. He was an ARRL member and an alumnus of Central Michigan University, Chaminade University of Honolulu, and Baltimore Technical Institute.

After moving to Nevada, Ireland worked for several years with the Henderson Police Department as a crime analyst.