Subj : Newsline Part 2
To : ALL
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu May 19 2016 11:11 pm
A VETERAN HAM'S DAYTON DREAMS
JIM: Amateur Radio has gone the distance for 76 of his nearly 94 years,
and that's partly what's sending Arthur Kunst, W3WM, from his
Pennsylvania shack back to Ohio this year for yet another Dayton
Hamvention. Shortly before making the trip with his son, Don, W3LNE,
he spoke with Amateur Radio Newsline's Paul Braun, WD9GC0.
PAUL: Ever wonder what it was like in the old days of Amateur Radio?
Arthur Kunst, W3WM, was actually there in those days! Arthur was first
licensed in 1939, and has remained active as a ham all through the
years. In fact, as he approaches 94 years old, he's getting ready for
another trip to Dayton.
ARTHUR: I've been interested in Dayton for a long time. So I've had the
opportunity to go there, in fact, I've probably been there at least 20
times. I can tell you that on one occasion, my wife, who always went
with me, went with a ladies' group to keep herself interested and
happy, and she won the Grand Prize for the ladies in that particular
year. It was a big outdoor roadshow-type thing. And we had difficulty
bringing it back in the automobile. I've been a longtime member of QCWA,
and in one of the chapters in Florida, I learned we had we had one of
the original founders of the Dayton hamfest. And, he would tell us about
how it all got started a long time ago. He said initially it was a very
small thing, a small concept, a local type of a thing, and he said they
would make all the plans around the kitchen table. And, that was all
that was necessary to do in those days. Well, it grew and grew and grew,
and the kitchen table did not suffice anymore.
PAUL: Amateur radio has always been a family affair for Kunst.
ARTHUR: My wife is involved, my grandson is involved, my son, who is
W3LNE, which is a call sign I had about 50 years ago before I became a
two-letter call, and a brother of mine was a radio amateur. And so, we
have had amateur radio disease running through our family for many years.
PAUL: And he certainly hasn't let technology pass him by. He was an
electrical engineer by profession - and that kept him experimenting
with radio!
ARTHUR: I'm very interested in the newer technologies, all modes of
communication, simple devices compared to the devices we had a long time
ago -- or it was impossible to appreciate them a long time ago.
PAUL: Arthur Kunst is a ham with a fascinating story to tell, and a
lifelong fascination with amateur radio. We can all hope that we're
still going strong when we turn 94. For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm
Paul Braun, WD9GCO.
**
BREAK HERE:
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world, including the WR9ARC
repeater of the Riverland Amateur Radio Club in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on
Sundays.
**
BACK TO THE FUTURE AT CERATODUS
JIM/ANCHOR: The Australian hams who spent part of Easter weekend on the
banks of the Burnett River in Queensland weren't there for a day of
operating outdoors. They had come in search of something even more
adventurous. John Williams, VK4JJW, explains:
JOHN: For the radio amateurs in central Queensland, Australia, it was a
once-in-a-lifetime gathering. Well actually, for some, it was a
TWICE-in-a-lifetime gathering, because most reunions are that, at the
very least. And this was a 50-year reunion of hams and friends and family.
It took place at Ceratodus, on the banks of the Burnett River near
Eidsvold, the meeting point of 5 decades ago. As before, it happened on
Easter weekend, and it was a time for eyeball QSOs, camping, and
fellowship.
Geoff Bonney, VK4GI, who was there at the first gathering, told Amateur
Radio Newsline, he was in good company at the reunion weekend: There was
Dave Maclean, VK4EE, and Kev Blanch, VK4MKB. And lots of first-timers
who perhaps have a 50-year reunion in their own future someday. Bonney
declared the gathering to be QUOTE "fantastic." ENDQUOTE
Ultimately, the weekend, which marked the enduring bonds people forge
from being on the air together, turned out to be more of a terrestrial
celebration. Bonney said most of the on-air activity took place at
7.060 MHz and 146.500 MHz for reunion attendees enroute the reserve -
and on their way back home.
He said QUOTE "when all participants arrived, face-to-face conversation
quickly took over." ENDQUOTE
But with all the changes in the last 5 decades - from SSB outpacing AM
in popularity, to changes in Australia's Foundation License - it left
little doubt as to what all the conversation was about.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, this is John Williams, VK4JJW.
(GEOFF BONNEY, VK4GI)
**
PARTNERSHIP IN SEARCH AND RESCUE
The exercise held by the Ellis County Amateur Radio Club, WD5DDH, wasn't
just a simulated search-and rescue session. It was a real-life
question-and-answer session, too.
Working with the Ellis County Amateur Radio Emergency Services group,
hams deployed microwave, mobile and WinLink modes throughout the Texas
county, simulating search and rescue, along with damage assessment. Hams
also got answers to their questions about how things are done, and
learned the drill. The Dallas-area radio club, and the Ellis County ARES
are close partners, working together in emergencies and simulations, such
as this one in late April. The amateur radio club is also interested in
learning more about the use of search dogs in a crisis. They have been
receiving an introduction to this phase of search and rescue work by
local businessman Jerry Seevers.
The club meets in Waxahatchie at 7:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the
month at the Sheriff's office training center.
(WAXAHATCHIE, TEXAS, DAILY LIGHT)
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