GV September 1966 - Carrying the Message

Grapevine September 1966 Vol. 23 No. 4

Carrying the Message – Ham station

From an AA standpoint this ship is quite literally a "Godsend!" It goes to just the two places I wish to go--Madras and Calcutta, and since it is a one-cargo (wheat) ship there isn't a lot of extra paper and message work, which means I have an almost unlimited supply of time to devote to AA!

I won't fully be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the "ham" station until I get to Seattle and go through the mail. They tell me I have a huge stack. A good use of the station is to make local contacts as I enter each port. It's a good little Grapevine of our own to keep members together.

And of course places like Madras, where there isn't any group, I visit the local ham and the talk always gets around to AA. I am sure in time we will have a group with a ham or two as chairman. What I am aiming at is contact with other members--contact with AA hams, as I know there are several. I hang around 14060 kcs for my long distance schedules from about 2300 until 0300 daily, that's 3 P.M.--7 P.M. PST. Call is W7FNE/MM. If anyone cares to drop in I will be immensely thrilled.

I have made contacts in about 100 countries and a dozen ships and airplanes. Most of it is just radio talk but once in a while I make meaningful contact--a priest or doctor or someone. Well, I have been too busy to think of a drink. Come to think of it I haven't thought of a drink as such in many months.

B. L.