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Ham Discoveries Safety
First, by Kirk Kleinschmidt, NTØZ |
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As we start off the new year I’d like to touch on an important topic—one that just might help us enjoy many more “new years” to come. As hams we usually focus on the fun and interesting aspects of our hobby and, although that’s human nature, we need to discuss certain sobering topics, such as safety, every now and again. I’ll try not to drone out a lecture that reminds you of a seventh-grade health class, but I need to communicate a few key ideas that will well serve beginning hams for the duration of their radio careers. Ham radio can provide lifelong friends, make the world a much smaller place, and provide years of ever-evolving fascination. And it can also kill you if you’re not careful (just like skateboarding or ski jumping). Observing common sense safety rules is an integral part of observing “good amateur practice.” Start now and you won’t have to worry later. A comprehensive treatment of safe amateur radio practices can be found in any ARRL Handbook or Operating Manual. Both of these are excellent references, which should be on your radio bookshelf. Setting The Safety Stage
Before I get to the safety tips this month,
however, I’d like to share a few stories to properly set the stage. The
first story is still fresh in my mind despite the fact that 25 years have
passed since that exciting day.
When I was a brand new 13-year-old ham, I
didn’t have a high-tech rig and a goody-laden shack even by 1975
standards. What I did have was a TCS-6 AM/CW transmitter/receiver combo
that was given to me by the hams of the local Civil Air Patrol chapter. It
was a WWII relic and, although it was in decent shape and worked okay on
80-meter CW, that old boat anchor almost ended my then-short-lived ham
radio career. |
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