Our gift from N4NTO (SK)

[James Jordan]

I sent the following message to the CWOps group of which we were also
members.
I have no words to add to the grief, sadness, stunned feelings and horror
at the untimely death of Tripp, but I'm sure we all feel them.
What I also believe is that had Tripp survived this incident, he would have
forever been reminding us of the dangers inherent in our hobby. With utmost
respect for those grieving his passing, we must honor his sacrifice by
talking about safety with others as I'm sure Tripp would have done.
Every avocation--flying, scuba diving, hunting, biking, surfing and
countless others have unique risks which all who participate accept with
the best intentions of avoiding the results. Ham radio is no different and
we joyfully go forward regardless. That is how it should be. But to manage
the risks, we need constant reminders of the dangers lurking. A friend
being caught is the worst reminder there is but one that we will always
remember.
Electricity and humanity have a symbiotic relationship. It powers our
brains and nervous systems; the countless domestic and industrial uses have
created our civilizations. Voltage is the pressure which makes electricity
seek a path to ground or lower pressure and the higher the voltage, the
higher the pressure. We contain it through transformers and various
dielectrics which act as insulators. The unspoken dielectric of
distribution systems is invisible--air. When that dielectric is breached,
an uncontrolled rush of current follows the new path to ground.
And folks, that's where every year hundreds or thousands of plants,
animals--and humans--are caught in that path with terrible consequences.
There is ONLY ONE WAY to avoid the risk. Observe your environment and keep
your distance. I don't know the exact details of Tripp's encounter and we
don't need to know. But Tripp would be the first to tell us if he
could--Keep everything, masts and even small wires at least twice the fall
distance from power lines--no matter what. Nothing justifies even a small
risk.
To repeat, we can't bring Tripp back, but we can honor his life and his
message to us to guard and protect others in ham radio from a similar fate.
73,
Jim, K4QPL CWOps #244