[Elecraft] RE: Elecraft Rigs as Public Relations Tools

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Eric, N0HHS wrote:

I have to opportunity to mentor a group of Boy Scouts for their Radio Merit
Badge starting Tues night, and I will bring the KX1 to show them the
incredibly cool stuff you can do with ham radio in 2005.  I will make Ron's
point that this mode of communication gets through when nothing else can
(barring EMP, I guess...).

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That's great Eric!

I like the KX1 for it's "Gee Whiz" factor because it doesn't look like a
typical two-way radio. Guess it's my marketing training, but when I
demonstrate my KX1 and people say "Gee whiz! Look at that!", I know that the
image and the message will stick in their minds. 

To me, Ham radio emergency communications is like a fire extinguisher. We
hope we'll never need it, but one wants to know it's there just the same. 

I've had the experience of suddenly being without telephone communications
or overland access of any kind in an emergency that isolated whole towns for
days. People were injured and dying, yet we were less than 50 miles from San
Jose and San Francisco, CA. 

Once a person has had that sort of experience, the value of having emergency
communications is never forgotten. 

With the sort of emergencies and threats we face today, more and more people
are wanting the comfort of knowing that reliable communications is there if
it is needed. 

Ron AC7AC