| Like computer types, it is not unusual to sit alone in
a room and communicate with other humans without ever
seeing them eye to eye. While with computers and chat
rooms, you only see what is typed, with ham radio, the
voice inflections give you a clearer picture of the person
with whom you are conversing.
Often we do get together and meet the "voices" eye to eye. Since we have ham radio in common, it seems that these are old friends in spite of having only met them, or only talked to them via radio. The picture to the right shows a few of the visitors who visited Dayton, Ohio in the springtime when over 20,000 hams meet and get together with others hams who have the same interests. DXers come as far as Asia and Europe to meet the voices that they have talked to via ham radio. |
 |
 |
One of the people who I have met via ham radio was Senator Barry Goldwater. Sen. Goldwater recently passed away, but he was the Republican Candidate for President in 1964. He ran against Lyndon Johnson and lost. I have spoken to him several times. Once from his home is Arizona and again when he was sailing on his yacht off the southern coast of California. It's interesting to chat with someone like this when the topic isn't politics. |
| (From the pages of April 1997 "QST" with the picture to the the right included) "Dennis, K6KRV, has a job in the computer industry that takes him all over the world. During a trip to Japan last summer, Dennis looked out of his hotel room and saw a very nice antenna farm on the roof of an office building a block away. Dennis then met Tamiichi Mori, JA1LAA, who graciously showed his guest around the station. Worldwide traveler Dennis says "If there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that the ham community is truly a family, and hams over the world welcome their fellow hams."". |  |
 |
A few years ago, I received a letter from Russia from a lady I had talked to via ham radio. She said that she was collecting American money as a hobby and could I send her some American money to add to her collection. She sent me a Russian Ruble. This was right after the breakup of the Soviet Union when the Russian economy was very bad. I suspect that this may have been one of the ways she was using to survive the poor economy. |
 |
A list of famous people who are have an amateur radio license |
|
|
A site that lists all of the "Hamfests" are happening. This is where everyone gets together for a good time |
|
|
Ham Radio Operator populations by country |
|
|
List of all the computer news groups about ham radio |
[DXing Page] [Stateside Contesting Page] [Worldwide Contesting Page] [Home Page]