Ham Radio Operators Hone Skills at a Cabin Retreat

The Hurst Stake’s ham radio operators recently embarked on a rewarding weekend retreat in the Oklahoma woodlands, where they enjoyed team camaraderie, delicious food, and radio skill development.

By Jim Pegram

Hurst Stake ham radio operators recently gathered for a short but fruitful retreat amidst the pine trees in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. This serene and natural setting proved conducive to camaraderie, working together, and sharing some of the finer points of ham radio operations among those licensed radio enthusiasts in the Hurst Stake.

After quickly unpacking their gear, the crew got busy preparing a dinner of grilled hot dogs, coleslaw, and other culinary delights, all lending a hand during meal prep and cleanup, making the work very easy and the meal that much more enjoyable. Afterward, the work began on the purpose of coming to this lovely area: learning how to become better ham radio operators. The lessons for the evening covered latitude and longitude positioning, along with grid orientation, building an antenna to fit a frequency range (which tested good, by the way), and proper radio protocol and professionalism. Then it was time to build and sit around the campfire, listening to the snap, crackle, pop of burning wood and burning— ahem, “roasting” marshmallows. Pretty much a perfect ending to a long and eventful day.

Up early the next morning, the crew continued their learning, through building a simple antenna with things that can be readily available, such as duct tape, a little speaker wire, and a bit of solder with a soldering iron. Actual usable antennas were constructed, and just about everyone who wanted to was able to make and take one home. That hands-on lesson was offered by the leader and event organizer, Brother Pat Autrey. In ham radio jargon, a person in Pat’s position and experience level is called an “Elmer.”

Hats off to Brother Pat Autrey for organizing this successful event, finding a place to stay, keeping the group focused, and generally being a good leader.

Participants:
Paul Cauthen, Jo Ellen Wagner, Bryan Rios, Cone and Kim Smith, Chris Seil, Michael Smith, Jay Patton, and Jim Pegram.