In amateur radio circles, we often hear of “jump kits” or “go kits.” These kits contain supplies and gear that amateur radio operators will find useful if called upon to provide emergency communications.
They include not only radio gear, but personal items, such as toothpaste and toilet paper. The idea is to have this stuff prepared so that in an emergency you can just pick up the kit and go.
In that same spirit, I’d like to propose that Elmers have their own jump kits. Some of the stuff you might carry with you all the time (or at least to all amateur radio events), and then the rest of the stuff you’d have on hand to help other hams when required.
For example, whenever I go to an amateur radio club meeting, I always carry copies of the K7QO Code Course on CD-ROM. You never know when you’ll run into someone that claims he or she wants to learn the code. You get the jump on them if you can pull out a CD-ROM and hand it to them.
You might also want to carry a General Class license manual around with you. Then, when you identify a Technician who is likely to upgrade with a little prodding, you can hand him the manual and tell him to get cracking. To keep your costs down, you can ask people who have taken your General Class courses to donate their license manuals to the cause after they pass their test. If they protest that they want to keep their license manual as a reference, steer them towards the ARRL Handbook, which is a much better reference and probably something they should have anyway.
I have also started collecting equipment that I can loan out or resell at very low cost. I think making available low-cost, but decent quality, gear could spur someone to try a new mode or even upgrade their licenses. For example, in March, I found a Bencher BY-1 at a hamfest for $40. I promptly re-sold this paddle (for the same 40 bucks) to a ham in our club who expressed an interest in working CW. I picked up another one at Dayton, and hopefully, it will find a new home soon, and help someone get on CW.
Earlier in the year, I sold my old Icom IC-735 to a guy who had been in my General Class license course. I made him a deal he couldn’t refuse ($250) with the proviso that once he upgraded, he sell it back to me for the same price. I have since used the money to purchase another IC-735 (I paid $275 for this one) that I hope will find its way into the shack of some other ham who has recently upgraded to General.
I think the IC-735 makes a great starter rig. It has a great receiver, is simple to operate, and if you shop around, the price is certainly right. Not only that, it’s a radio that the average ham can work on, and there’s a great mailing list on which you can ask questions.
Finally, there is some gear that you’ll want to have on hand for use in helping other guys get on the air. One of these is an antenna analyzer. I always encourage guys to get one, but if they don’t, then you can help them tune up their antennas. You might also want to have an EZ-Hang, or some similar device to help them get their antennas up into the trees.
I’m interested in what else I might include in my “Elmer Kit.” Any ideas?
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