This is very sad news. I met Ron on numerous occasions and he delighted in explaining the aurora, discussing solar observing and monitoring variable stars, mentioning his well-travelled career as a civil engineer – and his distrust of computers! 🙂
He felt that an engineer should be able to solve problems by working from first principles and their professional training, rather than relying on the integrity of a computer program. This philosophy meant that he didn’t use e-mail, but it was nice to receive letters from him.
Here’s a link to his article on the ‘Jam-Jar Magnetometer’
He liked drawing and always had a sketchbook to hand. I’m proud that I have one of his watercolours of Holyrood Palace and Calton Hill, Edinburgh.
With the passing of Ron and Dr Dave Gavine we have lost, within a year, two of Scotland’s great contributors to British amateur astronomy.