Another Kind of Sport

Not all sports require physical agility and prowess. I have been involved in Radio Sport for 63 years. We operate from a corner of the FCC licensed world of ham or amateur radio. For the older of you, you may have been exposed to Ham Radio in a dark basement full of huge radios and scores of wires. Ham radio operators have pioneered almost every development in communications over the decades.

For the younger, you may have not bee exposed to this unique avocation. There are 3 million licensed hams in the world and, at this point and around, 700,000 in the USA. Specializations within the hobby run the gamut from bouncing signals off the moon to emergency communications to building complex radio circuits and equipment. In the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the number of hams, basically because many computer aficionados have reached the limits of what it possible over the internet and how much more fun and challenging it is to put out signals over the airwaves.

A newly growing special interest group stuffs their radios, batteries, antennas and supplies into a back pack and climb to a mountain summit to operate. Others travel to exotic or extremely hazardous islands and sovereign territories to operate "new" countries. I have confirmed contacts with 374 countries. Obviously, there are not that many actual countries in the world. But it's fun to chase them to the corners of the globe. The photo is of St. Brandon Island in the In the Indian Ocean. A Ham Radio "Country."

In the picture on the masthead is Marshall Thomas of Santa Clara, CA. Over his career he has had many diverse jobs in electronics and computer science. He is currently retired and teaching Perl Software language. He has been a license ham radio operator since he was in high school.

As with many hams who live in apartments, condos and gated communities, his passion for Radio Sport is severely hampered with the inability to erect antennas. The November Radio Sport Sweepstakes Phone Contest, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League has been his favorite. In 24 hours of operating, he will have contacted approximately 1,700 hams in all States and Canadian Provinces. That is an average rate of 1.2 contacts a minute!

He has been attempting to attain first place in his class for the last 20 years. Since this event only runs one weekend a year, the competition is fierce, and success can depend on radio "conditions," which are as fickle as weather conditions. He apparently made the #1 spot in 2021. There is, indeed, every bit of talent and tenacity involved in Radio Sport, as in any other organized sport.

It may be obvious from the plaques and certificates on the walls surrounding the five operating positions at The Comstock Memorial Station, near Virginia City, NV, that other members also share our passion and some have been at the top of their chosen special interest operating mode. Our station is a 501c3 not-for-profit created to groom new and talented operators in the art of Radio Sport. We now also provide remote access to the station for operators who are in restricted communities, apartments, etc. One of our more prolific remote operators is a 96-year-old lady in Florida who claims we have extended her life by allowing her to operate Morse code from her retirement community every morning.

We chose this location in rural Northern Nevada to overcome the restrictions of suburban living. On 10 acres, at 6,500' elevation we have erected 8 towers and 33 antennas, as tall as 175', to support the technology inside the station. We have moved way beyond a hobby.

So what has all of this to do with the topics common to LinkedIn? For me it is attaining your best in everything that you do. I have been on this journey of personal excellence since I was 13 years old. I have won a number of these Radio Sport contests over the years. I have edited magazines and journals teaching others how to achieve their ultimate successes, which often translate to life skills. I have surrounded myself with the best-of-the best in Radio Sport and in their professional lives. I have been inducted into the Ham Radio Sport Hall of Fame.

At the pinnacle of my professional career, my lifetime achievements now have me writing a certification training course entitled The Masters-of-Quality Certification Program sponsored by Quality Digest, The Kaizen Institute and Exemplar Global. It combines my 30+ year career as a quality professional with my 20+ year career as an expert witness in products liability and organizational negligence to provide a brand new career path for quality professionals.

Without my passion for excellence in Ham Radio and Radio Sport, I would not have achieved excellence in my professional life. I encourage each of you to excel in your chosen callings in life, whether it be sports, fishing, golf or other competitions that require you to continually hone your skills until you achieve the top of your calling. It typically makes for a well-rounded and fulfilling life.