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[Articles Home]  [Add Article]  

Procrastination

Bennie H Mineer (AE4TR) on August 21, 2003
View comments about this article!

AN ODE TO HAM RADIO

While sitting in my shack one night, Looking out the window, what a beautiful sight, The sun had set, the moon was shining bright, Every thing was fine, much to my delight.

Listening to my radio, the hams were complaining, There's a storm brewing, static was increasing, As I watched the moon, much to my dismay, A cloud passed over, more was on the way.

Soon there were many, the moon began to dim, The temperature was falling, winter was setting in, Rain was falling, and snow began mixing, I just remembered, my antenna needs a fixing.

It had served me faithfully for so many years, I should be ashamed, it almost moved me to tears, Work while the sun shines, my father told me, But I was lazy, and time passed, as you can see.

Fear not, it's still up there, I said, as I gladly, went to bed, It's battered and torn, and hanging by a thread, It's winter outside, and dark as can be, It will make it through the night, just wait and see.

Morning came, I was up early, waiting for daylight, I went to my shack, in snow , up to my back, It had snowed all night, now Ice was forming, I slowly drank my coffee, while waiting for morning.

I turned on my Rig, a-hah! I said in my head, It's still working, or else all would be dead, The hams were still complaining and going strong, There's snow and ice, and it will be there long.

I rushed outside to have a look see, But damage to my antenna was not to be, It's still up there, I said, while the feelings were mixing, There's one thing for sure, "my antenna still needs a fixing".

Member Comments:
This article has expired. No more comments may be added.
 
Procrastination  
by KE4MOB on August 21, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
You really should fix your antenna.

I parked our new minivan under my HF dipole two weekends ago. The three year old rope holding one end of the antenna broke. The other end had already been replaced a month earlier.

Porcelain antenna insulators make really neat holes in windshields!!

So fix your antenna when you need to...until then, don't put anything under it you don't want destroyed.

Steve, KE4MOB
 
Procrastination  
by AD7DB on August 21, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the band,
the BPL noise was
completely out of hand!

"We might have stopped this!"
I said with dismay.
But few people did their share.
SO DO YOURS TODAY!
 
Procrastination  
by N2WEC on August 21, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
The radios dead so what can I say
I guess I’ll have to send it away
So where should it go, I surely don’t know
Not Icom nor Yaesu they take forever
This could be a very nasty endeavor
So I tried it again and found it still dead
I guess I’ll have to send it to Fred
The YL packed it off to the Fest
So when Fred finally gets it he’ll give it his best.
So here we both sit all broken hearted
Cause the wait on repairs has only but started
The HT is good but boy does it lack
I really can’t wait till my big rig comes back
What it cannot do the big rig gets done
The net cannot hear me and that’s really no fun
The chats we won’t have when we drive home from work
Will forever be lost cause of a radio quirk
I could go on but what is the sense
All the work will cost dollars and cents
 
Procrastination  
by KE2IV on August 21, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
There is an old Russian saying.

Though I'm neither old (yet) nor Russian.

"Tend to your sled runners in the Summer

and your cart's wheels in the Winter."

Would that we all did this.

So, I thank you.

Perhaps I should check on the dipole's ropes now...
 
Procrastination  
by KC7QN on August 22, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
So my Son in Law decides to Cut down one of the neighbors tree limbs that are hanging over the fence for me. That's great, I said, only please undo that Guy Rope that is holding up the A3 and all will be well. Guess What? The laws of physics still work. The branch came down, hit the guy rope and jerked the entire mast and tribander to the ground in about oh 2 seconds, with a Giant Thud. He was so embaraced and all I could do was laugh!

Still haven't got that *&%$ Antenna replaced. Talk about Procrastination.

Larry
KC7QN
 
Procrastination  
by WA2JJH on August 22, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
GOOD ONE! let me try a short one.......

I have my own little high tech battle many times a year.

The guys from the cable company finds cutting my radials so very dear!

I keep meaning to set up the ultimate public utility pay back spoof!

A wireless video camera, 1 watt Green YAG laser shall
be placed on the roof.

I will have them cutting my radials, live and on DV video tape.

OOHH boy, just wait from them to cut, the laser powers up...and the cable guys will have make a hasty escape!

73 and laughs MIKE
 
Procrastination  
by W0TLO on August 24, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
WOW!
I read all the comments and not one mention of
cw/no cw, not one mention of CB and no ARRL
bashing! What a breath of fresh air.

Thanks Bennie for a chuckle.

BTW, my middle name is Procrastination!
One of these days I may start working onit.

73 de W0TLO
John
 
RE: Procrastination  
by LA1SJA on August 25, 2003 Mail this to a friend!
Relax Bennie.
1) You are in good company.
2) It is not the right weather for antenna work yet.
When the first mix of rain and snow starts falling, when climbing ladders and masts gets really dangerous, when it gets so cold that just holding a metal part makes your fingers go numb, - that's when you should start tinking of this winters antennas.
 
RE: Procrastination  
by KC8VWM on September 1, 2003 Mail this to a friend!

One usere wrote:

"WOW!
I read all the comments and not one mention of
cw/no cw, not one mention of CB and no ARRL
bashing! What a breath of fresh air."


Now, don't get me started...


KC8VWM
 
RE: Procrastination  
by K4JSR on January 3, 2004 Mail this to a friend!
I'll make a comment on this thread later...

73, Cal K4JSR
 
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