Lone Prairie Radio

Like pretty much all of you, I’m a member of a number of Yahoo groups, and most…but not all…dealing with ham radio. I find them incredibly valuable at finding important information, comparing operating notes and avoiding the trial and error mistakes I made throughout my life while playing with my toys. I also find them incredibly annoying. Why? Because it seems in the lifespan of nearly all these groups, there comes a time when the senior members of the list have become tired of answering admittedly basic questions. You know, the same question that seems to surface every two weeks or so on any of these lists. But in a world where all we have to do is IGNORE (oops, am I yelling?) the question, why do we get so upset and belligerent with the newcomer to the group who asks the same old question? Yes, I know it’s been answered many times before. And I know the answer already exists in a database on the site. But is it REALLY such a horrible thing for a new addition to a group to ask a qu

Field Day just happened over the weekend. Lots of people on the air. Lots of bands that ops complain are never open seem to open up when there are hams out there using them. Just magic I guess. But at any rate, it reminds me of my early days in ham radio...and before. As a shortwave listener, or SWL, I used to spend many an hour listening to not just busy ham bands but crowded shortwave frequencies, as well. And always displaying proudly right in my bedroom my certificate from "Popular Electronics" with my SWL call sign of WPE8HVR. I'd spend so much time digging through the static to get that new station. Putting together a reception report and mailing it off to some exotic foreign address.. Then many months later, a package would arrive in the mail with the colorful QSL card and a wealth of information, or maybe propaganda, from the station and its government. At times, ongoing packages from Radio Peking or Radio Moscow seemed to attract more attention at the local post

I'm starting this blog with thoughts of a dear friend, Debbie. Debbie is currently engaged in a very tough battle and my thoughts have been with her constantly This photo reminds me of her because it was taken very near the transmitter site of WBRA-TV in Roanoke, Virginia. The station we both worked together. And like Debbie, it reminds me of the unique beauty and special character that is prevalent there. Debbie was likely my closest friend at the station when I was the General Manager there from 2000-2006. We worked together on a myriad of projects and spent untold hours talking about public TV, fundraising, kids and pretty much everything under the sun. Basically, when it got lonely dealing with the necessary management issues, I could find a bit of relaxation by talking about the day's events with Debbie. We talked about our trips to the wilderness of southwest Virginia making fundraising calls together. We experienced the unique Virginia delicacy of grape pie...or "p