A Little Secret Revealed.

     I had an article published in the March 2010 issue of World Radio On-line. It is entitled "Two Seasoned Hams Help Friend In Need". My long-time friend, Bret, KB8BJA, who is disabled with severe heart problems and failed kidneys, needed somebody to put up a couple of HF antennas for him. He belongs to 3 radio clubs in Cincinnatti, OH. What World Radio edited out was this: He asked all 3 repeatedly over several months from March to August 2009. All 3 said they were "too busy". Yeah? Too busy doing what? Probably too busy playing with their own radio toys to help someone who really needs it. Besides, Bret just has a "lowly" Technician class license, so in their book, he was not "one of them". All 3 clubs should be very ashamed of themselves! They could not travel across town to help my friend but my brother and I could travel across 1-1/2 STATES to do it. We put up a Gap vertical and an Alpha-Delta DX-CC dipole in 1-1/2 days. I am sure the radio clubs appreciated us taking up their slack for them. Is it any wonder that I don't belong to any radio clubs anymore?
     Bret and I used to have a regular schedule on 80 meters CW on Sunday nights if he is feeling up to it but his health is in such decline that he can no longer do it. Sometimes his health issues make him quite exhausted and he sleeps a lot. He is very frustrated that he can no longer work at the age of 50. He is also on a waiting list for a kidney donation. If he could get that, I am sure his health and attitude would change immensely. Dialysis is his only life line right now and it has its side effects. If you have any kind of faith in God, pray for him!
     Since I wrote the above blog, Bret has lost interest in anything HF or upgrading his license.  His biggest stumbling block is the math and the fact that his memory is not so good anymore.  He has made repeated attempts at getting his General ticket.  He is 55 years old now and his health has gotten considerably worse since he was recently diagnosed with COPD and sometimes has to be on oxygen.  About the only thing he does on ham radio now is talk on the local 2 meter repeater.
     Update 9-2-18: Bret does not have an outside antenna for 2 meters or 440 so I am planning to set one up for him sometime in October this year if I get most of my Fall work done and the weather holds.  Now that I am retired, I have more time for such things.

73,

John, AA9UF