A Crummy Commercial

I had posted an inquiry on the Glen Gates Gang page this morning: http://wb9kzy.com/ggg.htm One of Mr. Gates' former students had seen the page and was wondering about Mr. Gates in an email.  This reminded me of the first time I went on Field Day in 1972 and we met at Mr. Gates' house across the street from Maple Dale school. After posting that inquiry I took a look at the obits and saw this one for Scott Tilton: source: https://www.jsonline.com/obituaries/pwix1156191 Scott was WN9JHX, his friend Morris Hornik was WN9JHW and Morrie's brother Bob was WN9JHY - a Novice trio !  Now Scott has died and Bob seems to have given up his call so Morrie is the only one of the trio still licensed as WB9JHW. from the 1972 Winter Callbook Scott was the lead member working the conversion of a commercial tower to the transportable tower used on Field Day by the Glen Gates Gang.  I had emailed Scott a few years ago wondering if he knew what had happened to the tower.  The last I reme...

A couple of shots of Bob Hamel W9MO and before that, WB9AMC on Field Day: Bob operating phone on Field Day Bob operating the natural power station on Field Day (a hand cranked generator on the wall of the Evan's barn was to the left, out of frame) obits: https://www.jsonline.com/obituaries/pwix1053199 https://www.feerickfuneralhome.com/obituary/robert-hamel I remember the next summer after the Novice Quartet had been licensed: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-novice-quartet.html Bob Hamel and Morrie Hornik (WB9JHW) had another set of weekly classes to get us up to speed for a General class license: code, theory and regulations.  The Hamel family was nice enough to allow us to inhabit their basement (where Bob and his Dad had their radio shack) those summer evenings.  And eventually that fall I went down to the Federal Building in Milwaukee and got my General.  If only they had followed with an Extra class ! (I was never a self directed learner  :) It all remin...

Is nothing without increased risk ? https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/health/dr-michael-mosley-responds-claim-9183314 I mentioned Dr. Mosley before: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/10/peel.html While I gave up on the 5:2 diet I sorta do the time restriction thing but not due to diet considerations.  It is more that eating solid food before exercising (usually just before 8 AM) is bad for me because the Nordic Track ski machine can press on the digestive tract causing acid reflux.  Similarly eating too close to bed time is bad for acid reflux so I usually don't eat or drink after 5 PM. I will keep doing the time restriction pattern, exercise and being able to sleep is important too. Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm

 As all hams know Rod, W9BRD coined the term "Elmer" for an experienced ham who helps someone who is interested to get into ham radio. http://p1k.arrl.org/pubs_archive/65513  march 1971 QST How's DX The Elmer in this case was William Dobbratz: source:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/190869707/william_f-dobbratz The Dobbratz family lived in a small town west of Milwaukee called Pewaukee.  My Mom was friends with Mrs. Dobbratz and we'd go out to visit them several times a year.  The Dobbratz's worked at Delco Electronics in Oak Creek.  Mr. Dobbratz was a whiz with electronics and radio.  I remember that they had a Hallicrafters television built into a cabinet in the kitchen.  I believe he was a ham at some point however by the time I knew him he was a CBer who used the handle: "the Carp from Rhinelander".  Rhinelander is roughly 200 miles north of Pewaukee.  He also had an amplifier in the car for his CB rig. So why count a CBer as my...

 I remember a customer of mine who bought quite a few chips from me emailing what I thought at the time was a strange question:  "Did my heirs have a plan of action with regard to my business IF I should die ?  How would he be able to keep obtaining product from me ?"  Well I thought about it and contacted someone and arranged to have the commerce continue even if I died. The ironic thing is that of all the people involved, my customer, his sales rep, my friend who would have taken over the sales, my Dad who would have been my Personal Representative (executor of the will) I am the only one who is still living.   But it was a sensible thing to ask, loss of a single source of a critical component could be a big hassle for sales of a product.  Getting your suppliers thinking about the need to prepare for death ahead of time is the undeniably logical, Spockian, approach to life. I remember another customer who purchased chips in quantity from me.  He woul...