Richard Wood, N0MPO — SK
Founding Pioneer • 49 Repeater Group
Visionary leader and cornerstone of the 49 Repeater System whose dedication and service shaped the network we rely on today.
Jim Sellars, N0UAM — SK
Founding Member • SKYWARN & 49 Repeater Group
The driving force behind the creation of the 49 Repeater System—Jim’s passion for weather safety sparked the entire network we rely on today.
Richard Wood, N0MPO — Silent Key
Richard Wood was laid to rest on March 29th, 2023. A respected business owner, community leader, and servant of Houston, Missouri, Richard devoted more than 35 years of his life to protecting others. He was instrumental in developing the 49 Repeater System and elevating weather spotting and storm safety across Southwest Missouri.
A spiritual man, a helper by nature, and a friend to all, Richard’s legacy continues to live on every time our system is used to protect lives. His passion and dedication are woven into the very fabric of N0NWS, from the early days of tower work to the trusted, resilient system we operate today.
Richard Wood will always be remembered not just as a leader, but as a pioneer, protector, and cornerstone of this organization. His influence remains strong within every operator, every link, and every improvement made to the system. The 49 Repeater Group — and the communities it serves — are safer and stronger because of him.
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Jim D. “Mad Dog” Sellars, N0UAM — Silent Key (1954-2018)
Jim D. “Mad Dog” Sellars was born March 3, 1954, and passed from this life on May 22, 2018. A lifelong communicator and public-safety advocate, Jim spent over 33 years with Southwestern Bell / AT&T before retiring in 2007. Even earlier, he served as a Reserve Police Officer for Springfield, Missouri, from 1974 to 1979—demonstrating a lifetime devotion to serving others.
But Jim’s greatest legacy lives in the skies above Southwest Missouri.
Jim’s passion for severe weather, storm observation, and public safety led him into amateur radio under callsign N0UAM, where he later became the Regional Coordinator for SKYWARN in Southwest Missouri. His vision was clear: he wanted a reliable network of radio operators across the Ozarks who could report real-time weather information directly to the National Weather Service.
That vision—Jim’s vision—is what gave birth to the 49 Repeater System.
Jim was the spark, the driving force, and the motivating voice behind assembling the original board and establishing the first linked repeater that would become today’s N0NWS network. His desire for accurate, timely storm reports directly influenced every early decision, from tower placement to equipment choices, ultimately shaping the backbone of weather-spotting communications in the region.
Across two decades of SKYWARN service, Jim handled critical, life-saving radio traffic during major events including the 2003 Battlefield tornado outbreak, the 2012 Branson tornado, and the catastrophic EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin in 2011. His work undeniably saved lives and strengthened the partnership between amateur radio and the National Weather Service.
Jim wrote his own obituary—a final chapter that reflected humility, courage, and a life spent in service to others. Though he preferred to work quietly behind the scenes, his impact was anything but small. The 49 Repeater System exists because Jim believed Southwest Missouri needed it… and because he acted.
His legacy lives on every time a weather net activates, every time an operator calls in a report, and every time a life is protected because the system he inspired is still standing strong.
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