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JT65 FUN and Easing Back In
21 July 2015 | by This will be a very brief blog update. The last time I updated my blog site was soon after the first of the year. I provided (or tried to provide) an explanation to my long absence both on the bands, the blogosphere and the podcast airwaves. I’m not going to go rehash that as you can read that posting here. However, one thing I did mention in that posting was amateur radio was by no means the cause of my grief, it (among a few other things) just reminded me of it.
Anyway, last night I had a bit of free time and decided to go down to my basement ham shack and switch on the computers, switch on the radios and see what was happening on the bands. My Yaesu FT-897 was parked on 14.076 (right where I had left it almost a year ago) and much to my surprise everything still worked. After syncing my PC clock (it was some 4+ minutes off) I fired up HRD, launched the JT65-HF software and the waterfall began filling up. It was a good feeling answering my first CQ in almost a year.
I’m not sure just how active I will be in the coming weeks or months. My intention is to enjoy the hobby and see where things lead me. Regarding my podcast (The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast), I really don’t want it to just fade away. While it has been 14+ months since I released an episode, the site still gets a lot of traffic and I occasionally still receive emails asking what is going on. But before PARP ever returns, I need to get engaged back into the hobby. I’ve always said I was only at my very best podcasting about amateur radio when I was active and involved.
In closing, I want to thank those of you who wrote to me over the past year. The words of encouragement really helped. I can’t remember who told me this, but one of the comments or emails I received just simply told me that amateur radio would still be here when I was ready to come back. Yep…that’s right!
Until next time…
73 de KDØBIK aka Jerry
One Response to “JT65 FUN and Easing Back In”
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Jerry:
I had no idea. I wondered where your podcasts went, but I figured you just needed a break.
Firstly, my condolences to you and your wife on the loss of her grandmother. I lost my Dad about 6 years ago, so I know how much that hurts.
I am so sorry about the loss of your friends. You know it will happen some day, but when it hits, you still find yourself unprepared. And it hurts deeply when it happens. I know this from my own experience.
If it’s any help, I’d like to share my story with you. In 2006, I decided to adopt a dog. It had been a long time since I had a pet, but it was time to welcome someone else into my home. When I adopted Asha, known to the local ham community as Radio Dog, I had no idea what to expect. After she had been with me for about 6 months, she wasn’t acting right, I took her to the vet where she tested positive for coccidioidomycosis, known locally as Valley Fever. With treatment, after more than 7 years of treatment, we finally had it beaten, and I was looking forward to many more years of joy with her.
Fast forward a year. She just wasn’t acting right, so I took her to the vet, and after some tests, it was revealed that she had hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels. The tumor that grew on her spleen had ruptured, and I decided that I couldn’t let her suffer. So, Like you, I had to make that grim decision to send her across the Rainbow Bridge. She was just shy of 10 years old.
That was 3 months ago. I grieve her loss every day. I don’t think that feeling of loss just goes away, but it lessens over time. She was my everything, and my life was really turned upside-down. But life trudges on.
You know, they come into our lives when we need them most.They are with us for as long as they need to be, and when they know that we are OK, they move on. Kinda like people, only much more loyal.
Now it’s time for me to go find another furry buddy. For me, I think the only way for me to get over the grief is to find someone else to enrich my life. Pets can never be replaced, but there is someone else out there waiting to be given a fantastic life, and you will be greatly rewarded by the love they bring to you.
Hang in there, Jerry. Come back to the hobby when you are ready, and you’ll find that not only will your old friends be there, but there are a whole lot of folks that are going to be new friends.
Ham Radio will be there when you get back. No matter how long it takes to get back into the swing of things. Just don’t let your ticket expire! You’ll need that someday!
Again, my heartfelt condolences to you and your wife.
Best regards,
Karl
N7DMA