All Things HF

It’s about people, it’s all about people. I look back over 20 years ago as I entered the hobby of Ham Radio Operator. The ARRL had given me the phone number and address of Barb Ranson (AAØI/SK) the president of the Wadena Radio Club. I met Barb at her home as she generously took time to show me her radio station and to encouraged me to purchase a book from the ARRL titled ‘Now you’re Talking’ and so I did.

I studied the book’s chapters until I was ready to take the exam for both Novice along with the Technician class license. After testing (and passing both) one of the VE’s came over to introduce himself. Pete Meyer (NØFW) who was home on break from NDSU where his major was civil engineering was that VE. Pete lived and breathed radio…he was an avid DXer who was the first Ham to introduce me to the world of DX. Pete’s home is now in Hamilton, Ohio where he is a patent/copyright attorney. Go figure, from engineering to the world of law. Pete is now on the top of the DXCC honor roll, he’s a number 1 along with being a world class DXer whom I hear in the pileups occasionally. He has 5 band DXCC and presently working on obtaining 160-meters DXCC. Both Barb and Pete encouraged me along the way to being a good radio operator. It’s the people that make this hobby great.

I joined the BAARC where I was encouraged and mentored by several wonderful Hams that I don’t need to mention. Again, it’s about the people. My electronic logbook has over 16,000 QSO’s (paper logs have a few thousand more) of the people that make this a great hobby. I took the CW examination in order to get my Tech Plus license and…get on HF finally. One of the present BAARC club members encouraged me to get serious about CW which I did years later. The very first DX station I worked on CW was well after my 80th birthday. It’s all about people, the people who are always there to help you along the way. Just imagine calling CQ if there were no ‘people’ to answer. Before closing I’d like to mention that the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) of which I am a contributing member has pledged a large sum of money to the DXpedition to Baker/Howland so we DXer’s can obtain an ATNO.

Again, it’s all about the people. So long from Huntersville for now, don’t forget to sit at your station and call CQ because someone, somewhere is out there waiting for your call (one of those nice people).

Best 73 es gud DX from my station to yours. Bob/WØZPE