Bye bye dih dah?

A long-time friend and fellow Amateur Radio operator sent me an e-mail with this subject recently, along with this link:

 

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/07/20/100/?nc=1

Here is my reply, though it is more some info. (links added for this post) on my, now infrequent, HAM Radio activity:

I was actually expecting this a long time ago. I decided to acquire my Expert Ticket while the 5wpm was still in effect. (Given the pre-disposition amongst Hams to judge based on this subject. It isn't much, but it is something.) My Radio-Activity was rekindled by the big Tornado heading through the William Jewell campus my daughter's Senior year of HS. The dorm where she was supposed to live took a couple of years to re-hab. While monitoring the emergency radio nets, I directed some of the emergency communications vans to unfamiliar locales North of the river.

After passing my tests, in early June, I participated in my first full field-day and helped facilitate the extra points given for a Satellite contact by tracking the bird with a hand-held yagi. Also did quite a bit of QRP work with nothing but wire thrown up into trees or a couple of portable whip setups. Some voice, but mostly PSK31 a digital mode which uses the Sound Card as a modem. I even had a couple halting CW contacts! The PSK31 is really fun. I could 'talk' all across the US easily and worked well down into South America and some Europeans. All on 5w and a bit of wire. Still amazes me.

Anyway, have not powered up any of the radio gear for at least a year. I guess I should sell the whole lot off, while I still can.

73 de AB0YO (MrGadgets)