Eric,

Dan Kysor is blind and is, or used to be a ham and lives in Sacramento. He is with CCB, and you might be able to get his email or phone number by calling the CCB office at 800-221-2359.

----- Original Message -----
From: Eric Clegg <[log in to unmask]>
To:  [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 15:46:40
Subject: Sighted Hams In Sacramento Not Really Helpful

>
>
> Hello listers,
> 
> Here is my rant for the year.
> 
> I find sighted ham radio operators here in the Sacramento area totally
> unhelpful.
> 
> I have four portable antennas that I'd like help assembling. The smaller and
> larger Alexloop magnetic loop antennas. The Buddistick antenna and the
> Ventenna, HFP antenna.
> 
> I'd love to get a Kenwood TMV-71A but I have no sighted help hooking up the
> power supply to the rig. I have a 50% chance of hooking it up backwards and
> blowing up the rig as I did with an Astron 2 meter rig many years ago.
> 
> The same goes for my Icom IC703 Plus. When I was on a trip recently to
> Harrisburg, PA the stupid people from the TSA at the airport closed my power
> cord that goes to the Astron power supply in the suitcase cutting completely
> one side of the fused power cord. I bought a new cord from Universal Radio
> but the same as above in the Kenwood applies. No sighted help to hook the
> cord to the Astron power supply.
> 
> Since the Pacigficon convention my Yaesu FT817ND has gone nuts.
> 
> It will not take some frequencies that I send it with the Radio Mate keypad.
> 
> I don't know if the radio needs a complete reset or there is some sort of
> fault in the keypad itself.
> 
> I'd also like some help ssetting up the menus on the Icom IC703 Plus. For
> instance I can't speed up the speech board or set it to a higher volume.
> 
> I'm tempted to try the millennium qsyer on the Yaesu but am reluctant to do
> so because I might not be able to set it up to operate with the IC703 Plus
> again .
> 
> So I have all this qrp junk that's barely operable.
> 
> The only rig I have with some hope is a Kenwood TS480SAT. I have two high
> power shortened dipoles for 20 meters on my balcony which have high swr.
> 
> Again no help with anyone with an antenna analyzer.
> 
> I have yet to make a contact with this rig on any band.
> 
> In summary, I'm disappointed in general with the Sacramento ham community.
> It would probably gtake an hour of someone's time to come over and fix my
> problems adjust radio menus and get me properly on the air.
> 
> The ARRL is nothing but a stupid self-serving non-helpful organization. Why
> did I join as a life member?
> 
> I hope this is not the case for all parts of the country for general ham
> radio helpfulness.
> 
> If it is, our hobby is truly in trouble.
> 
> I would welcome suggestions.
> 
> Merry Crhistmas from a browned off ham radio operator.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Eric
> 
> KU3I
> 
>  
> 
>