What’s the Point? A Letter to Readers…

[Admin note:  The book has been written and published!  Thanks to my supporters for making it a success! .  It's called The Road Home, and is currently the only modern amateur radio-focused fiction in print!)]

Hey Everyone,

If I haven’t pitched this idea to you in person yet, here’s the deal.  This book is an adventure novel with a unique twist — while the story is designed to be action-packed and entertaining, it’s also intended to educate young people (and adults!) on a few, relatively-uncommon topics (at least, as far today’s fiction is concerned):

1. Ham radio!
2. Earthquake preparedness (and general disaster preparedness)
3. Some basic elements of first aid and wilderness survival
4. Other, more common, fun kid adventure stuff – learning how to drive a car, lumberjacking, rock climbing, etc.

On the ham radio side, I’m attempting to systematically integrate a variety of details on the following concepts, with the purpose of making basic ham radio topics interesting to young and old alike:

• What is amateur radio?
• The high-tech-ness of today’s small HT’s (using VX-8R as an example)
• What are some of the things you can do with an HT?
• Why do you need a call-sign?
• How the FCC is involved / licensing (without being interminably dull! )
• Simplex vs. duplex transmission
• Using repeaters (voice), including mention of tone and offset
• APRS, including texting (!) and Internet map position reporting
• APRS digipeating
• Linked repeaters
• Using the HT as a scanner
• Ham radio usage for emergency communications
• ARES
• ARRL & QST magazine
• How ham radio is handy when out of cell phone range
• Relaying emergency messages

(By the way, if you’re interested in other digital modes, HF and NVIS radio, CW (Morse Code), QRP (low-power), various antennas, home-brewing, and other fun ham stuff, that’ll be coming in book #2!)
If this sounds like a workable idea to you, and you have any answers or suggestions based on the following questions, please reply to this post!

• Does the basic idea – an action story full of ham radio (and other) tidbits – sound interesting to you?
• Are there any *basic* ham radio topics you think should also be referenced?
• Do you have any suggestions for topics aside from what I’m covering above that will help get new blood interested in ham radio & emergency communications?

Additionally, I’m publishing chapters in the Mike & Key Relay (the Mike and Key Ham Radio Club monthly newsletter), as a serial of sorts, just for fun, and also to get additional feedback.  You can find the newsletters here:  http://www.mikeandkey.org/relay.htm.  And if you live in the Seattle area, consider attending a meeting – it’s a great group of folks!

Please let me know if you find it interesting, dull, missing something in particular, or anything else that you think is worth saying.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that a lot of people think differently than I do, and have valuable opinions to offer.  I’d love to hear yours!

Thanks in advance,
-Andrew
AB8L