As many of you know, our family has been traveling quite a bit this summer.
A few weeks ago, I received a couple of surprise items in the mail that each gave me a good chuckle—for entirely different reasons.
Big Badge, Bigfoot
The first item was especially unique. One of our community members here, Ken (NQ9T—formerly AH9C), let me know in advance he was sending a parcel with a personalized gift inside.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I opened the package, I was amazed.
Ken had crafted a wooden sign in the form of a large name tag featuring my name, callsign, and a National Park Service badge:
If you look closely at the NPS logo, you’ll spot the Easter egg that made me laugh out loud:
Thank you so much, Ken! I absolutely love it!
RadCom
I also received the June issue of RadCom. I’ve been an RSGB member for many years, and once or twice a year I’ll contribute a feature or review. I’m always chuffed and honored to see my work in RadCom.
My KH1 review is featured in the June 2025 issue—and one of my photos even made the cover!
But when I saw the cover, I immediately noticed something that made me laugh.
Every time I do a proper pedestrian mobile activation with my KH1—logging contacts on the built-in logging tray—my handwriting is…well… barely legible. And that’s on a good day. When I’m using a tiny pencil on a tiny pad while walking? Forget it!
And now that chicken scratch is front and center for all RadCom subscribers to see. 😆
Oh well—hopefully it didn’t spoil the cover art too much!
Next time, I’ll try to pay a little more attention to my penmanship before submitting something to a print magazine!
P.S. That feature image at the top of the post? Yep—that’s exactly how I hold my pencil when operating the KH1 pedestrian mobile. Not a pretty sight!
Not only is it your name and call on a snazzy NPS themed badge, it’s also your time honored and unique YouTube intro line. 😂
Golly! Until you mentioned it Matt, I hadn’t even noticed that! 😆
Your hand writing is better than mine. For pota I have tended to use ft8 so no writing required. On my outing this week technology let me down and I reverted to ssb and planned to log on my phone but when I had a mini pile up I found pen and paper was easier
Congratulations on your RadCom article.
That’s a beautiful plaque – fantastic design and superb craftsmanship.
Big Foot must be aware of your POTA/SOTA wilderness activities…
Great badge. But I can’t find the Easter egg even after blowing up your badge. Nor can I see it in the patch. Your handwriting isn’t bad at all.
For a clue, go back and reread the post title then look at the age again.
If Ken ever decides to comercialize his Parks pin please let us know. I certainly would pay the asking price. Very nice!
Pete WK8S
That’s better penmanship than mine at my best. Congrats on the accomplishments!
Brian ve3bwp
I consider Thomas to be my ‘Virtual Elmer’. Through his excellent YouTube content, I discovered POTA. After a 25 year hiatus, the spark has returned.
The closest I got to handcrafting the gift was placing the order on eBay! Yes, it’s his opening line on each video. Seemed fitting!
Brilliant, Ken, and so fitting. Store-bought or not.
Thomas’ work is delightful like a virtual Elmer should be.
Well done, sir.
– Joe/W9NVY
I absolutely agree with you!
Try chewing gum, answering your XYL’s frequent texts, with an affectionate dog on your lap, all while trying to play radio. And women say we can’t multi-task!
Congrats all around, Thomas. Fitting recognition indeed, your ‘work’ (if our relaxing hobbies are work 😉) is inspirational.
– Joe/W9NVY
P.S.: I missed you in PE last month, but was glad for the QC QSO. I look forward to a coffee opportunity on down the log/trail.
“Yep—that’s exactly how I hold my pencil when operating the KH1 pedestrian mobile.”
The photo looks like Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry”.
I know what you’re thinkin’, did I send three dits or two. To tell you the truth, in the excitement of the pileup, I kinda lost track myself. Do you seem logged? Well, do ya?
Thomas:
This past year or so, I have been following with keen interest your adventures with the KH-1….I was so impressed with what an experienced OP can do with this radio, that I purchased one as a 71st birthday present….After all, you can never have too many radios, right?
I received my KH-1 two days prior to Field Day, but due to lack of familiarity with the radio’s menu , I only had one QSO on FD. But it was very exciting to work a FD station in IN with 5 watts and a 4 foot whip..Since then I have worked stations a 13 Colonies SES in NC and a DX station in Puerto Rico , as well as POTA stations in WA and OR…All while I was sitting on my back yard patio with the KH-1 in my hand….
Summing it all up, this radio is loads of fun to operate and provides oodles of excitement….
Keep up the great work! 73 / 72 KW6G
PS….Will we ever be able to read your RadCom article w/o having to join the RSGB? I’m guessing probably not! HI HI