This is a true story.
Many years ago i was gifted with a then rather cool and unusual device, a 2 metre FM (or class-C) RF amplifier. The idea was to push my IC-2AT beyond it's 3 watt output, to something that would make me heard through my 5 element yagi, as it turned out, way down the peninsula, about 300 miles on a typical Florida summer evening inversion.
The years rolled along, and as i drew more and more into programming and CW, i used the Mirage 23B less and less, untill finally, it was gone! How and why, i am not sure, but it was accidently traded off. Man, was i beside myself. Sure, it wasn't new, in fact, it had to be manually converted over to class AB if i ever wanted to use it on SSB. But it was MINE, and i missed it! Just one of those things, you know, that you just always liked, maybe a petty thing, but it meant the world to you. It was unique in your collection of memories and your arsenal of contraptions.
It turned up in Mount Dora. The fellow knew it was mine, and wasn't gonna just give it back, no - sir. He had legally bought it from somebody else, and he had legal claim over it. All he really wanted to use it for was trade leverage, but by golly, he was gonna see to it that if i wanted it that bad, i was going to pay the price. Not a bad fellow, mind you, but he was a businessman.
I really wanted it. Not just another, THAT one. My friends thought i was really being irrational about the whole thing. The current owner even told me it wasn't working properly, anyway, but he needed to get a certain amount.
I wound up trading my entire HF station for it, which was my TR4cw, external VFO, and Power supply. At the time, a cool three hundred dollars.
But i got my broken 2 meter amp back. And i was so pleased.
Why did i do that?
Because i placed my value on it to the point that i was willing to sacrifice all i had, relatively speaking.
Was it a sound decision?
Well, that's up to your evaluation. I am satisfied.
That is the way of the art of rescue. Often, it takes great sacrifice.
Where am i going with this ??
Well, it so happens that the time of this writing is Easter, and this is my favourite example of redemption. Redemption means "purchase back". Something once owned was repurchased at a price. Remember the S&H Green Stamp redemption centers? The Greenstamp folks "redeemed" your stamps by giving you those neat prizes, like those golf clubs or that picnic table.
The Easter season reminds us that we, too, like that broken amplifier or those otherwise worthless pieces of paper, were redeemed by an Entity that thought an awful lot of us. So much so that He gave all He held dear, that we might be "purchased back" from an abysmal fate.
An old and broken amp usually has a future with a narrow bandwidth. And solid state amps are seldom salvaged. Certainly, they are not very valued. Broken human beings have a lot in common with that amp. And, unfortunately, we are all broken and beyond repair save for the Designer Himself.
The Redeemer satisfied the heavy, heavy price for our redemption, that we might be made new by the Designer who is so very pleased to so do. Redeemed from ultimate QRT, and for QRO! Redeemed that the Designer might utilise His design in the manner that pleases Him, and gives His design great purpose and fulfillment.
This is not a cultural message, confined to "Western world Caucasions". This message came to our tribe from another tribe that thought it so important that it was communicated to us for our consideration. That other tribe was from the near east. That same message has gone to the far east, and to the remote lands for their acceptance or their rejection. The Redeemer is not concerned with culture or persons or nationalities. He is concerned for ALL who will come to Him.
His name is Jesus, Messiah. He is the Designer. He is the reason for Easter.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him might not perish, but have eternal (His) Life"
And now i leave the message with you, to appropriate or reject, as you are free to do without constraint. Either way, you will be most highly respected by the staff of WD4NKA.
Good Providence in all your endeavours.