hanihams is a total joke  they are useless for anything except a discount for buying study materials  they dont even give you the free audio lecture series for download anymore as a member   no wonder they are so hard up for membership!  handihams is completely irrelevant to anyone that has an extra class license,a s even their op skills classes are pathetic beginner junk last time I looekd into it   not only have I droped them years ago, but my radio club no longer supports them based on a jerk they GAVE a license to  and I say gave  I mean gave this jerk is a general and he doens't knwo which end of the radio to talk into  he wanted to know why he couldn't use his mag mount he uses on 2 meters to talk on hf  he wipe sou tnets  transmits on top of skywarn nets during tornado warnings  ect  total worthless crap  his callsign is ki4ren and that's what handihams is turnng out for licensees now apparently   someone who so oviously has NO CLUE couldn't have passed the test unless he was given LOTS of help and probably givent he answers  how reliable are the ve people there there whent he handiham  members pay over a grand to go to that camp and that's just to handihams NOT their transportation costs.. sounds like buying a license to me
I remember when handihams used to be a worthwile organization and used to provide real help. I remember when i didn't have a rig I couldn't get to use anything formthem  yet they always talk abotu the radio loan program   it was nonexistant for me when I needed it

On Dec 16, 2011, at 11:15 AM, Richard Fiorello wrote:

> Hi;
> Just so folks don't feel alone, moved to this house four years ago. 
> That spring got in contact with most radio clubs and said I would love 
> help with a vertical or dipole.  Didn't get much reply.  Took a cab to 
> one of the larger clubs and the president drove me home and said to his 
> friends that he would catch up with them for coffee after he dropped me 
> off.  Wondered why I wasn't invited to the party.  He also suggested 
> that there was a club much closer to my home that I should check out. 
> Would that have happened to a new potential non disabled member?
> Checked out the closer club and they did help me put up a hf9v in 2010. 
>  They were going to stop back and finish the job. 18 months later 
> nothing and I keep going to meetings and they keep saying one of these 
> days.  Initially the antenna had to come down to be re-tuned.  It 
> resonates quite nicely on 27 MHz.  There were three people working on 
> the job, one had never touched an antenna in her life, on was also new 
> and one was the president who is a ve but has no home station.
> As for arr, back in the 1980s there was a local ham store that would put 
> up antennas for a price.  It was wonderful, no need to beg. 
> Unfortunately I had unbelievable tvi problems.  One neighbor threatened 
> legal action.  I contacted arrl and asked if they had anyone in the area 
> who might help put up something less likely to interfere.  They sent 
> over a wonderful guy that actually worked with my dad 20 years ago only 
> problem was he was in his 80s.  Thinking back he could have taught me a 
> lot even if nobody climbed.
> Contacted arrl again when I moved to this qth in 2008 and got a reply 
> that the person in charge of this area knew just where I lived because 
> he had grandparents in the area.  Sounded very hopeful but that was the 
> last I heard.
> I guess my conclusion after rambling is if there is a competent-ant ham! 
> store in the area who will do antenna work its worth every penny.  Club 
> folks, especially older ones might be very helpful in advising what to 
> put up.  I went through two miniquads each lasted about a year.  Then 
> there were my adventures with the r8.  Durable is just as important as 
> performance.
> Also finding eager helpers is an art.  Some folks seem to be very good 
> at and others such as yours truly are hopeless.  Maybe handihams should 
> teach a course in how best to talk your club into helping?  They have 
> suggested lots of food and beer and make sure you have every imaginable 
> part but I think there may be more to it.
> -- 
> richard