Chewing The Rag!
Best Hobby A Young Man In The 1950's Could Have!
My Solution To The Quickie!
Hello... Blaw... Blaw... Goodbye
An amateur radio contact, more commonly referred to as simply a "contact", is an exchange of information between two amateur radio stations. The exchange usually consists of an initial call, a response by another amateur radio operator at an amateur radio station, and possibly a signal report. A contact is often referred to by the Q code QSO. It is often limited to just a minimal exchange of such station IDs. Stations who have made a contact are said to have worked each other. An operator may also say that he has worked a certain country. Amateurs use the slang expression ragchew or ragchewing to refer to an extended, informal conversation, a variation of the common idioms "chewing the fat" and "chewing the rag". Sometimes, a contact in person, between two ham radio operators, is humorously referred to as an "eyeball QSO".
QSO's got to be borning!
Mom used to sit in my room four hours listening to this and asked why people didn't talk more.
She and I decided to get our Comptons Pictured Encyclopedia from the front living room and move in onto the ham radio operating table!
Mom was pretty bright! For years there after when I heard their location (QTH) Mom or I would quick find it in the encyclopedia and begin to ask the other person questions!
We would ask about the local univerity, about the local lakes, if they had gone to the local state of federal parts, what kinds of farms were in the area, and 100's of other questions we gleaned from the writeup of their town!
Wow what a difference. People loved to share stories about what they did. My QSO length when from 3 minutes to an hour or more and I learned a lot!
Burgin Dunn, K5YDD, Was Shocked!
Pber a period of several months, I talked to K5YDD every few days. We taled about the great ranches around Brownsville, the oil business, Disneyland, dimestore business, topics far beyonf my age! Mom assisted my at times.
He was a part-time professor at a Univerity of Texas campus as was coming to Los Angeles with a couple of friends. He invited me to dinner. I never thought it would happen!
One evening about 5:00 the door knocks and I answer it. It was four grown men in buniness suits asking for Paul Liles. I said "Hello, I am Pauil Liles". He said, "No young fellow, I am looking for Paul Liles Serior, your Dad".
I was confused so I called for Mom! Mom listened to their voices and said "Come on in and sit a spell".
Dad joined us and everyone had a great laugh. Anyway, Burgin told my parents they they were going to "Restaurant Row" to Lawry's Prime Rib and would be delighted to take Paul out for the promised dinner arrangement. (Remember they are in their 40's and I was maybe 13).
Those were different times. Mom said "Yes" and told be to put on a nice shirt and pants QUICKLY.
I was also bless to have parents that taught me how to behave, proper us of silverware, and how to act in a restaurant. Mom and Dad were Okies and Arkies but they had class!
When we returned I remember how Burgin told my parent that he had never been around a 13 years old going on 40! I will ever forget that incident. Burgin in gone now but not his memory in my mind!