In the 80 Meter Foxhunt tonight, I was able to work one of the Foxes, Jim NØUR in Minnesota. He was 569 in New Jersey and made for easy quarry. Jim KGØPP in Colorado was "a whole 'nuther story" as they say. He was 219 in New Jersey at best. I was going to tough it out and listen for him until the bitter end (hoping that his signal would increase); but someone really loud came on his transmit frequency and started calling CQ. I had turned off the AGC in an attempt to hear KGØPP better and my "N7" CQ'er almost blew the headphones off my head!
As Monty Python would say ...... "Now for something completely different".
Word came on QRP-L through Ron Polityka WB3AAL that Ken Louks WA8REI had a stroke a few days ago. Ken is a QRP CW fixture. You can hear him in a lot of the QRP Sprints. You can also hear him operating portable QRP on many of his trips. Ken and I QSO from time to time; and he is always a pleasure to talk to. He is just "good people" plain and simple.
The good news is that it looks like Ken is doing pretty well, all things considered. As per a telephone conversation between WB3AAL and Ken .... Ken has been transported to a Physical Therapy Center and is already giving the therapists a whole bunch of "trouble"! Yes ..... that would be Ken!
It would be a nice gesture for those of you who know Ken (and maybe those of you who have never met him) to drop him a QSL with "best wishes" for a speedy recovery. I think Ken would enjoy hearing from all of us; and knowing that we haven't forgotten him in his hour of need. Ron reports that Ken's brother drops by Ken's house everyday to pick up the mail and bring it to him; so a card to his QRZ address should definitely make it to him.
That's what Ham Radio and especially QRP is all about - sticking by each other and making lifetime friendships!
73 de Larry W2LJ
I went to grade school with Ken Louks if this is the same Ken Louks from Freeland Michigan. Tried to send him an e-mail this morning and it came back at me as a failure. Can someone give me any more scoop on Ken Louks such as where he is at or any further updates in his process. I would like to know more about this as Ken and I have kept in contact over the years and even ended up at Fort Dix at the same time.
ReplyDeleteDarryl Marcoux, ddmarcoux@yahoo.com