Merry Christmas From KE5GGY

Christmastime is my favorite season. The Season brings people indoors to reconnect with friends and family. It is a time of completion...from the completion of the harvest to the end of the year. And it is a time of reflection too. For all of these reasons and the birth of our Savior, this Season is one that we look forward to.

In spite of the fact that 4th Quarter is an unbelievably busy time in my business life, I always try to slow down a bit at Christmas. Whether it's taking an extra day off or breaking away for a long lunch, doing this seems to really increase the quality of the holiday season.

Time is Flyin' By....Just Ask The Beav!

Ya know, watching "Leave It To Beaver" as a kid was great. It was the ultimate 'feel good' show. Wally was the 'All American' kid who somehow managed to keep on the straight and narrow in spite of the constant efforts of Eddie Haskel. Eddie was the the mis-behaving classmate we all loved to watch but didn't have the guts to be. We loved watching him pull the wool over Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver's eyes but took comfort in knowing that they really were 'on' to his antics. And Beav, he was was just pure innocence and fun.

Back in 1965, turning 30 (let alone 50!) seemed impossible. Now, being a bit north of the BIG FIVE OH, I now have a different perspective on things. But even me turning 50 can't begin to compare to how Eddie, The Beav and Wally (right) must feel. These guys were frozen in time at age 12 for most of us. In fact, until seeing this picture of this gang at age 60, my last memory of them was on the TV program.

Jeez Wally....life sure goes by fast.

No Code.....Good for Amateur Radio

Last month, ham radio changed in a significant way. No longer do Hams have to learn Morse Code in order to get access to the best portions of the ham bands. Among the Ham community there was great debate regarding whether this was a wise move for the hobby. I submit that is is a very wise move:

1. New Blood: Our numbers have been dropping in recent years. In just the few weeks that the new rules have been in place, thousands of upgrades have been processed by ARRL and the Commission.

2. Keep Spectrum: With shrinking numbers and minimal traffic on some bands, we could have lost spectrum. New blood will be hopping all over the place. Already I'm hearing much more activity on 10 meters!

3. More Kids are Becoming Hams! Across the country more young people are coming into Ham radio. As we get kids into our hobby at a younger age because of the ease of entry, we'll make 'hams for life.'

Thus far the new traffic, while noticeable has been very easy to deal with. Nets, like The Freewheelers, that used to have 30 check-ins on a busy night, now have 50+. And, so far I'm not hearing any bad behavior on HF (other than some of the operators who have been on HF for years).

And lastly, The Code will never fade away. Like other modes, people will gravitate to it as they do packet, D-star or Echolink.

73 Pete

Growing Up in Charles City Iowa -- America's Hometown

I grew up in Charles City, Iowa. Nestled in northeast Iowa, it's the closest thing to 'Mayberry' I've ever seen. As kids we could ride our bikes all over the neighborhood and be kids without the worry of problems.

Even though my family now lives in North Texas, we get up to Charles City at least once a year and sometimes more often.

(Photo: Peter pictured in front of the Suspension Bridge in Charles City, Iowa)