This story was told to me by Phil Lebreton, Radio Inspector in North Bay back in the 60's. 
     Apparently the department had received some complaints of interference to radio and TV sets, also the mysterious flashing of flourescent lights that were turned off in homes along Main St. west near the BEER STORE. 
     
     He and his partner made their way into the area a couple of nights later at the times that these things were supposed to be happening. Sure enough, their monitor receiver went absolutely quiet, and no matter how much attenuation they cranked in, the s-meter was at full scale.
      
    They heard the station identify itself and they headed to the address they had in their records. They parked across the street and marvelled at the flourescent lights in an adjacent home that were flashing in unison with the cw that was coming through their monitor receiver.
      
    Upon knocking at the door, they were invited down to the basement to the hamshack. They explained why they were there and wanted to see the rig and amplifier keyed up so they could check to see what power he was running. With no hesitation, the exciter was keyed, as was the amp. Phil told me that the plate voltage was showing 7500 volts DC and the plate current was reading 100 mils. Hmmm ..... 750 watts according to the meters... He also mentioned that the tube that was being used in the amplifier was capable of running 5,000 watts ( don't recall the number of it but apparently it came from the local radio station, CFCH, that was running 5 Kw on am) and wondered why it was used to to only put out 750 watts.....? 
     
   To make a long story short, while Phil's partner was checking the logs with the ham operator, Phil noticed that the milliameter which was jury-rigged to the side of an enclosure did not have a glass over the face and the cover was also partly missing. Upon closer inspection he noted something attached to the needle of the meter. He gently flicked it off and then asked the operator to key up his exciter again, which he did. Ah ha... this time the meter went to 600 mils...   4500 watts !!!  Amazing what a little piece of lead will do in the right place ! 
      
   The operator was suspended from operating for a period of time but spent many years on the airwaves after that episode keeping North Bay on the map. I have spoken to people all over the world who have asked if I knew the guy "near the Beer store" when I mention that I had lived in North Bay. 
      
   Of course by now, many of you will have recognized Newt Bryer, VE3HF or "Haywire Fone" as he used to ID "near the Beer Store" as the owner of that station.  He was a true amateur, never missing a field day, or helping new hams along the way and always there if someone had problems with equipment. ....  May he rest in peace....

    I lost 42 pounds and am now a trim 180 pounds without any special diets or watching my food intake!
    
   This story starts back a couple of years ago when my family doctor, after a complete physical, asked me if I was still climbing my 72 foot tower. I told him that I was, whenever I had to make changes to antennas, etc. He suggested that I get someone younger to do it. I asked why and he said that at my age (only 68 at the time) I might have a weak spell and lose my grip and fall down. I did not think much about it and have been up and down the tower perhaps 12 times since.
     
   On July 8, 2001 I was at it again, putting a pulley with a rope through it at about 60 feet so that I could hang a Delta Loop (with the point down) from it. Came down and placed an aluminum ladder at a 45 degree angle against a 65 foot Spruce tree, climbed the tree, cutting away branches so that I could get to about 55 feet up.
     
   I was on my way down, to get the other pulley and rope, at about the 30 foot level, when suddenly, I either slipped or a branch broke under foot and down I came. It happened so fast that the only thing I recall is not being able to hold on.
     
   I landed on my left side on the aluminum ladder ( I had the parallel marks of the siderail of the ladder down my left arm and left leg) bounced to the ground and came to, on my hands and knees. I was unable to move, had severe pain in my left hip and leg, so I fell over to my right side. I shouted and hollered for Chris, my xyl, but she was watching a baseball game in the house and could not hear me. I managed to move towards the house about 10 feet but then got stuck in a bit of a depression in the ground.
    
   This happened about 8.30 p.m. and Chris finally came out to see what I was up to about 1/2 hour later. She called 911, an ambulance arrived about 30 minutes later and then shortly after the Air Ambulance helicopter arrived.
     
   The following day I underwent 8 hours of surgery to repair a shattered hip and a broken femur. Titanium plates, rods, etc were used to hold things together.
     
   The surgeon said that I was "one tough Finlander" and a lucky one as well because of the ankylosing spondilitis that has fused most of the joints in my back over the years. He told me that he has had patients ( with AK) that just fell on the sidewalk on ice in the winter and are paralysed as a result.
    
   I got out of hospital on August 3rd and am still on crutches, but using a cane around the house. Things are progressing slowly but surely.
    
   That is how I lost 42 pounds but do not recommend anyone to try the same thing !
     I have had lots of time to reflect on what happened and wish to remind everyone to be extra careful when doing antenna work....

     Make sure you have a buddy around in case help is needed.
     Use safety belts and lanyards as you go up and down the tower.
     Better yet, get a younger experienced person to do the work.

     I had 3 antennas on 40 already and have thought about how I screwed up my summer (and a trip to Finland) just because of another antenna. Also I have thought of what my doctor said and I must ask him the next time I see him if he had found something unusual during the physical to make the comments he did.
     73, Ted

 

     The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) were instrumental in training hundreds of wireless personnel across Canada in WW2. They provided important communications in several theatres of war. Without proper communications you do not win battles.

     This story is about one of their Signallers or Signalmen, a young 19 year old from the Montreal area name Bob McGee. Bob was posted with RCCS to Germany after the war with the peace keeping forces. When a bit of leave came along, he rented a car and took off to fulfill a dream visiting  Switzerland and the mighty Alps.

     Regretably there was a car crash and this young fellow was seriously injured with a severed spine. Many long stays in hospitals in Europe ensued and eventually he was returned to Canada and admitted to a long term care facility in Sherbrooke, QC just south of Montreal.

     The local RCCS rallied around and installed a complete amateur radio station with exterior " hard wires" so as to avoid interfering with the hospital's electrical systems into Bob's room where he was confined to bed. They then aided him in obtaining his amateur license and he was issued the call VE2DNH ( darned nice hobby ) is what Bob smilingly says.

     Now several years have gone by.. he is now 61.. and he has enjoyed several thousand thrilling contacts on the air in this marvellous hobby even though he has little use of his arms and legs and requires daily shots of morphine for pain.

     I hooked up with Bob one evening a few years ago on the Sandbox Net, 7063.5, 6.30-8.30 p.m. daily 365 days a year.When he briefly told us the above story, I asked him if he might have fun seeking VEs across Canada for the CANADIAN PROVINCES  AWARD also known as Candians Talking to Canadians. When he said an enthusiastic  "sure ", I mailed him an information package as our club has done to over a thousand VEs from coast to coast to coast. His only problem would be logging the contacts, but he said  he would record them on a tape recorder and mail in the tape for attestation. A couple of years go by and I meet Bob again on the SANDBOX NET. In answer to my enquiry, he regrets that it was a difficult task recording these QSOs even though he was remaining active on the air. My reply was what an Canadian ham would say; " Forget the tape recording. We know you have made more than enough VE contacts to earn the 300 points necessary for the GOLD Award. "

     Therefore, the club computer under the expert guidance of Larry VE3LGH and his lovely BMW (beautiful married woman .... better than  XYL? ) Vicky, punched out the GOLD Award on their computer beautifully inscribed with this tribute:

     "Let it be known Bob McGee, VE2DNH is being honoured by his peers in the Canadian amateur radio fraternity for an excellent operating endeavour, contacting by radio several amateur radio stations in various Canadian provinces earning 300 points. " 

     We are proud to have Bob as a member of this coast to coast Canadian fraternity.

     Heritage Amateur Radio Club Cobourg/Port Hope On.
      Awards Chairman  Eric Olsen VE3GGO

        Some years ago on a return trip from a Ham flea market with my friend Gerry, he (Gerry) recognized the name of one of two Hams chatting away on two meters. Gerry said this one chap whose name, or call he recognized, had just recently acquired his license and had purchased a two-meter rig from a friend of Gerry's named Butch, who lives in Sturgeon Falls.

         Gerry was driving and I thought I would see how knowledgeable the chap who just bought the radio was. So at an appropriate moment I broke in and identified my station as being mobile.

          I then asked the young chap if by any chance he had purchased his two meter rig from a guy in Sturgeon Falls by the name of Butch and he replied why yes he had indeed picked the unit up from a Ham in that town and how did I know that?

         So I told the young chap that I had heard the radio many times as I live in North Bay and I recognized its tone and good qualities and the overall ambience of the unit. 

         He responded that he was unaware that you could do a thing like that; he asked  "can you really do that?"  I then assured him you could indeed, I had just done it!

          I then said my 73, said I had to get back to both hands on the wheel then sat back so Gerry and I could listen to the ensuing conversation. 

         Well the other chap obviously with more experience as a ham and he was not buying. The lad with Butch's old radio kept saying  "yeah but that guy knew where I got the radio, he definitely knew it came from Sturgeon Falls, how could he know 
that ?"

         The two of them discussed the possibilities of this being possible 'till we were out of range. I would imagine by this time the young fellow has realized he was "had".