[Elecraft] Reaching across the chronological divide

[Nate Bargmann]

* On 2019 14 Dec 11:02 -0600, len at ka7ftp.com wrote:
> 	And last...  The real thing that drew me to ham radio was
> 	another ham, Russ Michaelson N7SM (SK 2019).  Russ and I meet at
> 	the University of Utah's surplus store.  Even though we had a 12
> 	year age difference, Russ and I connected almost immediately and
> 	became lifelong friends.  I was in Junior high school and Russ
> 	was beginning a family when we meet.  From Russ I learned about
> 	more about radio and electronics, and we had many adventures in
> 	the process.  I never remember Russ complaining about the
> 	ionosphere.  He built a magnificent basement "shack".  When he
> 	built his own 100 foot tower from scratch I climbed to the top
> 	to help set up and adjust antennas. (By then I was in my 20's,
> 	no child labor involved. :)   If we expect this hobby to
> 	continue into the future, we need to be the "Russ" in someone
> 	else's life.  We need to pass our love of radio to the next
> 	generation.  Just expecting someone to "be" interested and on
> 	their way after the exam will never happen.  Propagation will
> 	always change, we need to be the constant.

I went to work for Union Pacific Railroad in 1991 as a telecom tech and
there was a very distinctive voice on many voice response systems on the
UPRR telephone network.  I learned that was "Russ" and later got to talk
with him on the phone and then a few years later he came to Wichita, KS
and did a presentation for several of us techs on something (I don't
recall what, now!).  It was quite nice meeting him in person.  I did not
know he had become SK earlier this year.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with Russ, Len.  Rest assured, Russ'
voice was heard by likely all UPRR employees at some point through the
'90s and early '00s as well as customers and others calling UPRR in
Omaha.

For those looking for more simple kits to introduce basic radio concepts
to newcomers, various QRP groups offer such kits.  I know the Four State
QRP Group has done so in the past.

One shorthand phrase I like to use is. "Radio for radio's sake."  I
translate it as no matter what end goal we're trying to achieve, we're
using some part of the radio spectrum to accomplish the goal.

73, Nate, N0NB

-- 

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

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