Recently, my friends Doug and Carol Hutchison, who are also fellow hams, reached out to see if I’d be up for an interview about Amateur Radio to be included in the first issue of their new online magazine, Clearly Texas.

We chatted about a few things, including POTA and the significance of Amateur Radio in public service. One topic that stood out was the ham community’s response and my involvement when the space shuttle Columbia tragically went down over east Texas in 2003. That is an experience I will never forget!

They also wanted to video me making a contact with another station. I thought, hmm , it’s early afternoon and the bands are dead, but why not? No pressure, right?

LUCKILY, I quickly found a North Carolina 13 Colonies event station on 20 meters that had just activated, so there wasn’t a crowd yet. Plus, he was coming in strong at 5-9! The stage was set; I may only have one shot! I somehow managed to remember my new callsign, though I did have a tiny, awkward pause when I gave his signal report. Other than that slight hiccup, it was a success! Phew!

After that, Carol snapped a few photos of my station, and that was a wrap. Doug nailed the article, and Carol did a fantastic job with the photos and video.

My VE team might remember Doug and Carol since they had visited a few of our VE sessions to take exams. Doug is this mountain of a man who wears a big cowboy hat—if you’ve met him, he’s definitely hard to forget!

If you are interested in viewing the article and video, you can purchase the single issue or a yearly subscription at the link below.

https://clearlytexasmagazine.com/

73

Roger Bacak N5RCB