Welcome, Howard!
So very glad to have you as a part of the list!
I am totally blind as well so if I can be of any help to you, please just 
ask!
I have been a ham since 1954.
Yes, ham radio has changed a lot in that time!
But I like the new fancy radios very much!
Very best 73,
Lowell  W8QIY
Greenville, OH
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Howard, W A 9 Y B W" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 10:32 PM
Subject: Reflecting back!


> Hi all,
>
> I am new to this list since Monday Aug 1.
>
> I have been listening to all the comments and find them all interesting.
>
> I thought I would give you all a little history about me.
>
> I have been visually impaired all my life, however I had pretty good =
> vision, I thought, even though I was legally blind.  I read large print =
> and did not use braille.
>
> I am now 58 years old and I lost almost all of the vision I had about 13 =
> years ago.
>
> I was employed at one of our local hospitals for about 20 years =
> repairing medical electronics until my loss of vision forced me to quit.
>
> I received my novice license in eighth grade in 1968, my general about =
> nine months later, my advanced as a junior in high school and my extra =
> last year.
>
> While I was in college studying electronics I received my second class =
> radio telephone license.
>
> My first station was a Knight Kit T-60 CW transmitter that was rock =
> bound.  The receiver was a Drake 2A.  A couple of years later I picked =
> up a Hallicrafters HT-37 transmitter.
>
> In the middle 70's, I worked at Heath Company in Benton Harbor, MI in =
> the service department, and picked up their first 2 meter synthesized =
> rig, the HW-2036 I believe. =20
> In the early 80's I picked up a pair of Drake twins the T4XB and R4B.  I =
> still have all of this equipment except the Heath 2 meter radio.
>
> By the early 90's my beam antennas had pretty much deteriated and I was =
> off the air, except for 2 meters.  Also at that time my children were =
> born and there didn't seem to be enough time for ham radio and to get =
> the antennas replaced.
>
> Now my sons are in college and I am working on getting back on the air.  =
> I just purchased an 11 element beam that covers  20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 =
> meters, a 2 element beam for 40 meters and a 5 element beam for 6 =
> meters.
> The antennas will be at 70, 80 and 90 feet. All three antennas came from =
> Opti-Beam in Germany.
>
> I will be using a Kenwood TS-570 rig.
>
> The antennas are all assembled, I just need to get them on the tower, =
> hopefully in the next few weeks.
>
> I can't wait to get back on the air.
>
> I consider myself to be  one of the old timers, and I have been =
> listening to all the comments about how ham radio has changed, however, =
> I realize we need to change with the technology or our hobby will die.  =
> There is enough out there for all interests.  I am fortunate to live in =
> a house and to have room for a tower and the antennas, however, I =
> realize that many of you live in apartments or places where there are =
> restrictions on antennas and some of the new ways to communicate is the =
> only choice you have.
>
> I don't know much about all the new digital modes and how the internet =
> can be used in conjunction with them, so I hope I will be able to learn =
> from many of you.
>
> I will be looking for help from many of you as to how my computer may =
> aid me as a blind ham in today's ham radio.
>
> I am sorry for the long winded message, isn't this the way it is =
> supposed to be with us hams?
>
> 73's,
>
> Howard, W A 9 Y B W, Springfield, Illinois