what a shock to hear that Earl is a SK.
In 1977, when Earl and his wife Sherry owned a radio store in Cincinnati, I was a brand new ham. I worked near his store so I spend a lot of time there, and I still remember some of the wisdom that Earl passed out.
One thing that I remember and I try to pass along when I am asked... "should I buy a portable radio or a mobile radio". Keep in mind, he was in the radio business, he could have sold me anything, but he asked what I planned to do with it. If I planned to operate most while walking around, sitting in the shop, then a portable is the best bet - BUT, if the majority of the time will be spent driving, or sitting in the shack, then what I needed was a mobile. The reasons are fairly simple he said, a mobile will not have wires hanging out all over the place to get caught on things and I would not need an amplifier.
Well, on his suggestion, I bought a mobile radio, later I bought the portable. Very sage advise. Earl could have sold me a portable and then later said that I should have bought the mobile, but he did not, he gave me good advise and he won a customer.
I have not spoken to Earl in nearly 20 years, I did not know he had moved to Iowa until about a month ago when I ran into his email address and we said hello to each other.