[Elecraft] ECN and stuff

[Kevin Rock]

Howdy Folks,
    I got home this evening, after giving another ECOM lesson at the ARES  
meeting, and found the lights on!  Yippee, I get to have hot, running  
water.  What a great Christmas present!  I tried launching an antenna  
today but was interrupted by the insurance adjuster.  He left a check so I  
can get some work done on the house.  I'll continue my antenna raising  
project tomorrow after a much needed shower ;)  I WILL get an HF antenna  
back up and running.  We will have the Elecraft CW Net Christmas Eve  
edition.  Maybe I should quote the Apollo mission text read for their  
Christmas mission.
    Thank you for all the notes I received over this week.  I am very glad  
you folks went ahead with ECN last Sunday without me.  I appreciated  
hearing about you all getting on the net and those who tried and were not  
heard.  I know the bands were in tough shape but trying is all I ask.   
Tonight I started something in the ARES meeting.  We were given a scenario  
(courtesy of ECN member N3AO, Carter Craigie) I wrote a message using the  
ICS-213 format.  Then I stood up and got over fifty people to copy it.   
Acting as a lightning rod for the EC was my purpose.  I was thanked and I  
was vilified.  However, one word of thanks trumps twenty people with  
lesser intentions.  The ratio was not nearly that extreme.
    Thanks Carter, with your hints and assistance we will have much more  
message handling training for our group.  The class I gave on Saturday is  
now a quarterly event with prospective instructors in the wings.  Simply  
making the effort and making a few mistakes along the way has born  
marvelous fruit.  I will keep swinging; you can't hit a home run unless  
you strike out now and then.
    To reiterate: we will be having a little get together on Christmas  
Eve.  I hope for good band conditions so we can all meet again.  Just a  
short hello and back to your family.  Since losing Pat I have you all as  
my family.  I enjoy hearing from you whenever you are able to join us.   
Oh, Sam and the beaver folks say, "Howdy and Merry Christmas!"

    Thank you very much,
       Kevin.  KD5ONS