Foundations of Amateur Radio

This podcast began life under the name "What use is an F-call?" and was renamed to "Foundations of Amateur Radio" after 206 episodes. To mark what is effectively this, the 500th episode, I considered a retrospective, highlighting some of the things that have happened over the past decade of my life as a radio amateur. I considered marking it by giving individual credit to all those amateurs who have helped me along the way by contacting me, documenting things, asking questions, sharing their experiences or participating in events I attended. Whilst all these have merit, and I should take this opportunity to thank you personally for your contribution, great or small, to amateur radio, to my experience and that of the community. Thank you for making it possible for me to make 500 episodes, for welcoming me into the community, for being a fellow amateur. Thank you.

During the week I received an email from Sunil VU3ZAN who shared with me something evocative with the encouragement to bring it the attention and appreciation it deserves.

By way of introduction, on the 13th of June 2002, Ken, W6NKE became a silent key. Ken was an amateur, an active one by all accounts. I never met Ken, but his activity list is long and varied. Ken became interested in ham radio as a teenager in the 1930s. He was a long time advocate of CW and during WWII he taught Morse code to Navy operators. In 1975 he founded The Sherlock Holmes Wireless Society and was editor of its newsletter, now called "The Log of the Canonical Hams". He received his Investiture from The Baker Street Irregulars in 1981. Ken was an early member of the International Morse Preservation Society or FISTS, he held number 0818. He was the President of Chapter 2 of the Old Old Timers Club, the OOTC for many years. In addition to drawing cover art, Ken also wrote. Lots. 73 magazine features plenty of Ken's articles with titles like: "Inexpensive Vertical", "Don't Bug me Dad" and "The DX Hunter".

Ken was also a poet, which brings us to the way that I think is appropriate to mark the 500th episode of this podcast. I'm confident that you can relate to this contribution by Ken to amateur radio, published in Volume 1, Number 3 of 73 magazine in December 1960.

The Vagabond HAM, by Ken Johnson W6NKE (SK)

A vagabond's life is the life I live

Along with others, ready to give

A friendly laugh and a word of cheer

To each vagabond friend, both far and near.

I travel the air waves, day or night

To visit places I'll never sight

From the rail of a ship, or from a plane

Yet I'll visit them all again and again.

I never hear from a far off land

That my pulse doesn't quicken. With careful hand

I tune my receiver and VFO dial

To make a new friend and chat for awhile.

Africa, Asia, they're all quite near

In as easy reach as my radio gear

With the flip of a switch, the turn of a knob

I can work a ZL, a friend named Bob.

There's an LU4, a fellow that's grand

Who's described to me his native land

'Till I can hear the birds, and feel the breeze

As it blows from the slopes of the mighty Andes.

I learned of the surf, and a coral strand,

The smell of hybiscus where palm trees stand

'Neath a tropical moon, silver and bright

From an FO8 that I worked one night.

I've thrilled to the tales of night birds' screams

In the depths of the jungle where death-laden streams

Flow'neath verdant growth of browns and greens

From a DU6 in the Philippines.

The moors of Scotland, a little French Shrine,

German castles on the River Rhine

Of these things I've learned, over the air

Without ever leaving my ham shack chair.

There's a KL7 on top of the world

To whom the Northern Lights are a banner unfurled

That sweeps across the Arctic night

Makes the frozen sky a thing of delight.

Tales of silver and gold and precious stones

Ancient temples and molding bones

Where the natives, I'm told, are tall and tan

By an XE3 down in Yucatan.

My vagabond trips over the air

Will take me, well, just anywhere

Where other vagabonds and I will meet

From a tropical isle, to a city street.

My vagabond's life will continue, I know

Through the fabulous hobby of ham radio

And one day from out at the world's end

We'll meet on the air, my Vagabond friend.

I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Note: The spelling of the poem is as published in 73 magazine.