One of those special QSO's

[N7YA]

I was tuning a fairly quiet 40 meters last night and heard a station in Napa, CA just finishing up. I put it in park and listened as i tended to other shack things. They were saying their 73's and the Napa station signed...it was an old friend from my Alaska days, Howard, AL7GS. I couldnt believe it! Its been about 25 years since i last heard from him and his wife, Barb. He left Alaska after i did and simply disappeared...turns out, thats exactly what they all thought i did too.

Howard was a great resource of antenna wisdom and would give my broke, car-less ass a ride to club meetings, field day events, etc when i was just a newbie teenager with dreamy eyes set on one day having a huge contest farm. He would let me stop by his QTH whenever i wanted to log a few contacts. He even unlocked the door when times got tough for me and i was at the lowest points in my life...i was literally homeless and strung out...he never questioned my intentions, ever, which was good because no matter how far down in the dumps i got, i never entertained the thought of doing anything disrespectful. It was just nice to see someone who wasnt locking their car door when i walked by, or pulling their kids close...he just told me i looked like shit, but let me warm up a bit and log a few contacts. I never knew until then just how much those little things mattered.

Howard is also one of those brilliant "antenna gurus"...we all know at least one. (i know a couple of you guys here ARE one). He once built a simple, manually turnable Delta Loop for me. It was one of the best antennas ive ever owned. Sure, if i wanted to turn broadside to EU or AF, i had to go outside to the back porch, untie the anchor wire, grab the handle and turn the 70' tall monster by hand, retie the wire in the new position and go back inside...usually in the middle of a cold, windy Alaskan night...but it was more than worth it. I logged all sorts of great stuff with that loop. I was looking through some old notebooks the other day (i NEVER throw away old notebooks), and found the handwritten diagram for the loop that he left with me. Turns out he had been off the air for a while, is now living amongst the beautiful orchards in wine country and working as a caregiver for older folks...noble occupation. I dont think i ever thought to say thank you for the antenna and felt bad about that all these years...last night, i finally got to say it.

I have had many great conversations over the years with many interesting people. Ive had lots of great battles in pileups, successes and failures in this great hobby...but these kinds of contacts remind me that we get older, we die. There are lots of old friends ive met through the years on the air and in person that are no longer with us. I will never get to run contests with them, tell bad jokes and drink into the night with them or simply enjoy their company again. These moments never get a second chance. So when i am lucky enough to have a second shot at it, it really means a lot.

This is just one more reason why this is a great hobby and one that a person keeps for life. Please, if you have a similar story...tell me about it. I like these stories. :)

[NQ6U]

Great story, Adam. Thanks for telling it to us all.

[W3WN]

Adam, if you don't mind, I may just use this as an article in an upcoming issue of my club newsletter.

[suddenseer]

WOW.

[N7YA]

Adam, if you don't mind, I may just use this as an article in an upcoming issue of my club newsletter.

Thanks guys, and please...have at it! Im honored that you like this little story so much that you want to repost it. Very cool. :) I was just very happy after i made the Q that i felt it would be nice to share the experience, so im glad you guys liked it.

[N8YX]

Mine involves one of those "You never know when you're gonna need it!" reasons for saving parts:

I elmered one of the DX Engineering crew into ham radio many, many years ago. He got hold of a second-generation HR2510 as a first transceiver. Like Glen, 'STH did, my friend wanted to expand the rig's range of coverage for use with transverters - or at least he thought he did at the time. A chance trip to an area hamfest netted a junked '2510 with a first-generation CPU. Some solder-sucking later, I had pulled both units then swapped old for new and tested the set. Once we confirmed that it worked, the now-surplus CPU went into my parts cabinet...

...where it sat for over 20 years until Lee, W6EM chimed in on a Zed thread about his '2510's CPU being toast and that he couldn't find another.

I contacted him about the one I had on hand and he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. (Hell, I would have given the thing away...)

It's on the way to him; hopefully he'll be joining all of us on 10M with the repaired rig.

This is why I keep a largish stash of unobtanium-class components around: Helping others is one of the hallmarks of this hobby. At least that's the way I was taught.

[W3WN]

Thanks guys, and please...have at it! Im honored that you like this little story so much that you want to repost it. Very cool. :) I was just very happy after i made the Q that i felt it would be nice to share the experience, so im glad you guys liked it.

Thanks! Once I get that issue out, I'll get you a copy.

I'm always on the hunt for stories of this nature... along with tech articles, antenna projects, etc. Though most of our active members are on the web, many active and semi or inactive members aren't; and just because they're on the web doesn't mean they'll come across an item of interest. Plus, it beats the usual humdrum (but needed) articles about the last meeting minutes, the upcoming event calendar and such.

[suddenseer]

Mine involves one of those "You never know when you're gonna need it!" reasons for saving parts:

I elmered one of the DX Engineering crew into ham radio many, many years ago. He got hold of a second-generation HR2510 as a first transceiver. Like Glen, 'STH did, my friend wanted to expand the rig's range of coverage for use with transverters - or at least he thought he did at the time. A chance trip to an area hamfest netted a junked '2510 with a first-generation CPU. Some solder-sucking later, I had pulled both units then swapped old for new and tested the set. Once we confirmed that it worked, the now-surplus CPU went into my parts cabinet...

...where it sat for over 20 years until Lee, W6EM chimed in on a Zed thread about his '2510's CPU being toast and that he couldn't find another.

I contacted him about the one I had on hand and he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. (Hell, I would have given the thing away...)

It's on the way to him; hopefully he'll be joining all of us on 10M with the repaired rig.

This is why I keep a largish stash of unobtanium-class components around: Helping others is one of the hallmarks of this hobby. At least that's the way I was taught.

You hoard stuff too?

[W5IEI]

Thanks! Once I get that issue out, I'll get you a copy.

I'm always on the hunt for stories of this nature... along with tech articles, antenna projects, etc. Though most of our active members are on the web, many active and semi or inactive members aren't; and just because they're on the web doesn't mean they'll come across an item of interest. Plus, it beats the usual humdrum (but needed) articles about the last meeting minutes, the upcoming event calendar and such.

I'd love to have a copy of it as well.

Very cool story Adam.

[N7YA]

Thanks. :)