Letter Ben L to Henry K (23 Jan 1989) about HAAM Group

Radio SMØRDE W7FNE
Eriksbergsvagen 32
191 41, Sollentuna, Sweden
23 January 1989

to Henry Kopecky,
N8KDW
HI:

I have been hoping for a long. Long time to get a letter like yours. I much wanted SOMEONE to step in and get things going again, but I simply do not have the energy these days to do much and was praying that some of the younger "haams" could show up. Looks like my prayers were answered. First, I should like to give you a brief run-down on what has gone on before:

THE "HAAMS"

Way back in 1965, I had been sober only 2 years but was up so high on "Cloud-9" I wanted to sober up the world. I had been a ham of sorts all during my drinking years, but sporadically, as I would often pawn a brand new rig to get a few bottles...

I stuck a "STRAY" in QST, and got half a dozen replies. Jim Doyle, KV4EU, was the most interesting. (He is now W3BKS and we keep a sked every Monday and Tuesday at 1700Z on 14060 CM. At that time I was living in Seattle (how great to have a roof over my head for a change!) and going to sea as RO/REO, getting back ail the things I had lost in the previous 15 years. A couple of non-AA's joined in (now W6MSW and K4ZK -- still active and I work them on 14060 also).

I put out a "newsletter", as I didnt have a copying machine I would laborously type it all out, using carbons, and mailed from wherever I happened to be. Our little net grew and at one time we had as many as 25. We used Cw primarily but of course spun off onto SSB skeds when condx warranted, and our main sked was at 5PM PST or 8PM EOT, and that still holds: W3BKS. occasionally works W6MSW AND K4ZK then, thats really not much AA but Jim would be glad if you contacted him then. He is 82 years old and cant get to meetings any more (they hold one at his house, tho). I visited him in the Virgin Islands way back in 1967 I think it was, and a couple of times after he moved to Maryland. But both Jim and I are just too old to start a new net, and our little sked is about all that remains.

We had a haam in Japan (US serviceman), I forget his call, we had a station in Central America, 15 or 20 around the U.S. and me on the ship. So it was interesting while it lasted, but most of them are dead now and there wasnt any new ones coming in. I understand that there were other nets and groups and occasionally we would join, but it was difficult to keep things going.

We were listed in the International Directory and reported in "459", so with just a li-ttle more organization I am sure we would have survived. When I made the big move to Sweden I was out of i-t for awhile and as I say Old Age has slowed me down...I got the list Erom GSO and wrote to some of them, in fact I had skeds with G4ITM until he moved to Germany, and I have lost contact. Also KQ1P and I worked a few skeds and a couple of the others. I think it will have to be
-2-
done mostly in the U.S., it is quite difficult from here. We are 60°N latitude and in the winter the days are so short the band goes out, but of course in ithe summer both 15 and 20 are open round the clock. I am afraid your 21002 skeds are a bit late, thats 10PM local time and of course ten is completely dead then and usually 15. The best time for me to work the states is around 1700Z on 20, and I am almost 100% CM, even then it is touch and go this time of year.

We had a few real "meetings" but for the most part it was just a friendship thing, and we discussed things in rather general terms, so as to protect everyones anonymity. Of course we used code words and such, and it was really great. I moved to Oregon coast, and had a beautiful QTH right near the ocean, so could work anyone.

Anyhow no matter how it is organized, if we can get the dynamics right this time so that younger members are taken in as we old ones die off it should perpetuate itself. Of course in Sweden we cannot handle third-party traffic, but they seem to turn a blind eye to messages for other hams, such as "tell Jim to meet me at 0500Z" etc. At least I havent run into any trouble that way. I would be a little careful about "pure AA" formats and at least until things got organized, sort of stick to a friendship net (after all we do a lot of telephoning in-between meetings just to keep up morale to some of our downcast members)...

(By the way one of the early members was W8ZUL, he was on the Mich peninsula and we kept skeds faithfully every day. He is dead now, too) Michigan is ideal as it is easy to work from here and ail over the U.S. I see Bob Larchmann on the list K2ROG. He was one of the origianal HAAMS, you might contact him. He must be retired by now, was an inspector for the FAA at the time.

Anyhow I sure will be glad to help, and as signals improve with the longer days we should be able to make skeds on 10 and 15, but for now good old 20 is the best bet. I prefer CW of course, having been a CM op for 55 years' Ex Pan Am, Signal Corps, USN, USMM for 30 years, RCA, Boeing, and a lot of others... life is short!

I am W7FNE, still hold the call, first issued in 1936, and got my SM0RDE about 4 years ago. Looks like I shall wind it up here in Sweden. I love Stockholm, one of the neatest cities in the world (and most beautiful women!). I run half-KW, our legal maximum here (you got a lot of things we dont have, 75 meters, 7100-7300, 220mhz, etc etc. Count your blessings)

I am sure KQ1P and WA3WAN would be glad to join you. Let me know what you accomplish, and what frequencies to listen. -I'll try to break in. My best times are Monday, Tuesdays and sometimes other days but not weekends (always a contest here)..-around 1600-1900Z on 20, later as 15 opens up here just about any time.

73 (76= "God Bless") /s/ Ben

P.S.
1 just had my Monday sked with W3BKS, but not a sign of him, ar any U.S. stations, and the band in starting to go out. It is 1700Z now, 6PM and black as midnight outside. But in a couple of months it will be wide open. My best bet will be tomorrow when we have W6MSW (non-AA old friend) to back us up. Quite often I can work the US West Coast while the East Coast skips over or something. With so much solar activity these days we also are bothered by Aurora...very beautiful to watch but deadly on the ham bands!

As I say we had a "friendship" net, and of course would discuss many AA topics, what was in the last GV, etc etc but being careful not to blow anyone's anonymity. We also did a lot of cross-country visiting. When my ship was in a port I could usually find one of my haams, and when I would go cross-country I would check in the net every night and quite often meet them. We had some real characters, too. Swat Smith was a Texan's Texan, one of the most interesting people I have ever met. I would go a thousand miles out of my way just to visit him. We had several Canadians, too, I dont remember all of their calls now. I had an article in the June 1967 Grapevine about "haaming" from the ship (I have had many articles in the GV over the years. My story is in May 1970, and one of my favorite articles is in June 1968 "the Sense of Wonder" P15, if you have an old GV file.)

AA in Sweden is somewhat strange. We have three Er.glish-speaking meetings a week here in Stockholm and they are most like the ones in the States. The Swedish meetings tend to be long-faced and formal, like a meeting of stockholders at General Motors. I miss the warmth and humor of the U.S. But our English meetings are great and I take in 2 or 3 a week, and am also Port Contact for the loners.

Well Henry as you see my mind rambles a bit these days, but I still am quite active and can do a days work (it takes me 3). I sure hope you can get things percolating and let me know if you have any skeds capable of reaching us. Later on when 10 gets hot we should have no trouble, but for year-around I still think 20 CW is the answer, maybe not.

Maybe you will visit Sweden. We have one of the world's finest technical museums here, it is an education in itself.

73 /76 /s/ Ben