[CVCC] An E-mail from KB1GW

[Dennis - N4DEN]

Flashback to the Glory daze.......

 

HNY to all!

 

FYI..

 

Dennis N4DEN

 

  _____  

From: Cook, Richard F 
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 9:20 AM
To: rdp55 at comcast.net
Subject: An E-mail from KB1GW

 

Dennis,

You asked me last month if I had heard from Glenn KB1GW.  It prompted me to
look up his e-mail address and contact him.

Here is his response.

73,

Rick

AB4U

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Glenn Swanson, KB1GW [mailto:kb1gw at cox.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 10:24 PM
To: Cook, Richard F (Genworth)
Subject: RE: Happy New Year Glenn!

Well hello Rick!

What a nice surprise!

 

FB on all of the ham radio activities, and on all of the great boating!

Sounds like you're enjoying life and the trips sound truly wonderful.

 

I've just finished a small corner of the basement in our home for a
shack/computer room. Have not been active in ham radio--at all--for the past
several years, but my trusty old TS-850 is sitting here next to the PC
monitor on my new desk. I've got 30' of Rohn 25 out back, but it's currently
horizontal, as I've yet to put it in the ground (got the hole dug two years
ago, just have yet to plant the tower). Need another section or two of Rohn
25--I understand they've gone under--so I wonder how difficult it is to
obtain Rohn stuff these days...but with the average age of ham radio ops
ever increasing, I suspect used tower sections are coming onto the market
from time to time. Makes one wonder about the future of the ARRL, too...

 

Anyway, yes, Mapquest is accurate--the Mass. line is quite literally just
off my back property line. You could easily throw a rock from our back yard
over the state line. We've (Lynn and me) have 2 acres here, and are in the
Connecticut country--lots of woods and farms and the like out here. Have
seen a few black bear over the past few years, and two years ago, I managed
to grab a digital snapshot of a bobcat sitting in the driveway--never saw
another one again. There are wild turkey, coyotes, and lots of deer around,
too. Funny you mention Mapquest, as Lynn gave me a Garmin GPS unit for the
car on Christmas (after my not so subtle hints ;-) and I'm enjoying that
unit quite a bit--us techies love toys like that, as you are well aware. The
unit I got is a Garmin "Nuvi 350" which is preloaded with all of the US,
Canada, and P.R. The GPS unit will be fun to take to Florida and put in a
rental car, for example.

 

Anyway, I now work for a public K-12 school system, as an I.T. technician.
Fooling with computers as a part of ham radio have given me a good
background for I.T. work (along with some evening technical college
classes). Been with the West Hartford public school system some 7 1/2 years
now, and with a little luck will be able to retire at 60 (I'm 52 now). BTW,
It's a 20 mile (one way) commute to work, so another toy that keeps me
company is a Sirius satellite radio. The 2-meter rig is here in the
basement, but with a new car (2006 Honda Civic coupe), I've not yet had the
courage to mount a 2-meter antenna on it quite yet. I miss HF more than 2
meters, though.

 

Our winter has been mild as well. I've been putting off having snow tires
mounted on my car so as not to burn up that softer rubber in this warmer
weather.

I've put the changeover off once, and am supposed to have the snow tires put
on this week, but, geez, it's supposed to be in the 50's, even up here. Not
sure if it's global warming, or just a typical historical trend, but yea, it
sure has been mild to date. It gets cold at night here (sub freezing) so
it's not quite boating weather. We have an in-ground pool in the back yard
(20' x 40', came with the house) and it's going to remain closed until May,
I'm sure.  

 

Time does indeed fly, and I do miss ham radio, and the people I've met via
that wonderful hobby. So as I get older, and a bit more time, I'm sure I
will once again become acquainted with my old friend ham radio, and more
importantly the people involved in it. :-)  I've thought of you many times,
along with the great guys from the old W4MYA contest crew out in Goochland
county! Please pass on my best to Dennis and ask him to relay my regards to
any of the old contest crew that remains, if you could.

Also, please say hello to Linda--from us "Connecticut Yankees."

 

Here is my info--and please feel free to pass it on to any other "Virginia
hams" that may be interested.  :-)

 

Glenn Swanson  KB1GW

25 Heather Lane

North Granby, CT 06060

Home tel.: 860-844-8866

E-mail: kb1gw at cox.net

We are also too far out for reliable cell phone coverage at home, but during
working hours, it is: (860) 604-4241.

 

Let's do our best to stay in touch, Rick--I'd like that.  :-)

So for now, Happy 2007 and...

 

Vry 73,

Glenn, KB1GW

 

  _____  

From: Cook, Richard F (Genworth) [mailto:Richard.Cook at genworth.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 4:08 PM
To: kb1gw at cox.net
Cc: ab4u at arrl.net
Subject: Happy New Year Glenn!

Glenn, 

I was talking to Dennis (N4DEN) the other day and he asked if I had heard
from your lately and how you were doing.  
That prompted me to look you up and send this hello. 

Linda and I (and N4DEN) hope you are doing well.  We are fine, growing older
but fine so far.  (I just turned 59 last week and am feeling sorry for
myself!)

We still live in the same house you remember, west of Ashland.  I am in the
process of putting up 37ft of Rohn 25G and a tribander.  I just need it to
stop raining on the weekends.  Still have the Kenwood TS-850 but also have a
Yaesu FT-857D in the car.

Linda and I have a power boat that we keep in Urbanna, VA and that is where
you will find us most weekends in spring, summer and fall.  For the past 10
years or so we have  been very involved with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
I am a Coxswain and Qualification Examiner as well as a Radio Watchstander
at a local USCG Station.  We have both served as Division Captains.  It has
been a lot of fun and a lot of work but we have done a lot of good.
However, it is time to cut back on our level of participation.  That will
leave more time for our us, our boat and for Ham Radio.

I still mostly operate the digital modes or talk to my Roanoke friends on
75m or 160m.  The old HAL Station is gone and in its place is a computer
with a quality sound card.  The interface is the Micro Keyer.  Mostly I use
PSK 31 and good old RTTY.  In fact, I plan to participate in the ARRL RTTY
Contest this weekend.

As for my Ham Radio activities, for the past two years friends of mine from
Roanoke and I have driven to Dayton for the Hamvention.  We are there for
Friday and stay until mid-afternoon on Saturday.  Then, because we usually
have to work on Monday, we start driving back home.  Its 10 hours from
Ashland.  We miss the banquets but since the RTTY group folded a few years
ago, we have not had any pressing need to stay for the dinners.  My friends
and I plan to make the trip to Dayton again this year.  Perhaps you and I
can renew acquaintances there.

Another interesting "Ham Radio thing" I have done recently is operate from
the British Virgin Islands.  Last October I was VP2V/AB4U.  That was a lot
of fun for my friend John (WA5FAC) and me but it did not "count" for
anything since we were on a sailboat.  Mainly we used the radio to keep in
touch with family and friends in Virginia as we sailed around the islands.
It was a great trip.  This coming fall we are headed to Belize (V3) and hope
to operate from there if we can get licensed.  That will "count" for DXCC
purposes because we are going to be land based...we will be staying at a
cottage with a boat.

I looked up your "official" FCC address and note that you could not get any
closer to Massachusetts.  It appears the state line is in your back yard,
according to MapQuest.  Hope winter is not too harsh for you that far north.
Our winter has been, so far, very mild.  It was almost 60F at lunch today
and is forecast to go into the 60s all week.  We have had a lot of rain but
no snow or ice yet.  In fact, it has been so warm that some of my friends
are putting their boats back in the water again.

I hope to hear from you soon.  Here is my contact info: 

Richard Cook 
14288 Riverside Drive 
Ashland, VA  23005 

Home: 804-798-5048 
Office: 804-281-6482 



Let me hear from you. 

73, 
Rick 
AB4U