Topband: Help for DU9/N0NM

[George Taft]

Hello Top Banders

Many of you have seen mail on this reflector from station new to top
band from the Philippines - DU9/N0NM.  Jon was previously 3DA0CA whom
many of us worked for a new one on top band a few years ago.

We have exchanged email with Jon - hoping to encourage him to persist at
160 M - as most of us still need DU on top band.  We found that Jon was
QRV with just 100 watts and he told me:

> BTW security at Colo. Springs airport yanked my amp.  Bob, W4DR, lent me an
> old Alpha
> 76 but because security (on Sept 29) was still giddy they couldnt 'see'
> through a 32# transformer and wouldn't let it on the plane...almost lost my
> Icom too but had the presence of mind to carry the PS and so could fire it
> up in the security area to prove it wasn't dangerous.  What a travesty
> because now I am not sure how to ship the amp.  It would cost me a second
> morgage on a house I have never owned:)  We have a homeleave in the summer
> of 2003 but that seems too long.  Oh well, I will see if any of the Manila
> hams have an amp to beg borrow or buy.
>

We figured that finding a way to air freight the Alpha amp to his QTH
might be the quickest and perhaps, least expensive way of getting him on
the air with power.  So we  are having Jon's parents ship the Amp to us
(we've sent shipping cartons to them that an Alpha 78 came packed in)
and  will be shipping air freight these two cartons to Jon - hopefully
next week.

By the time we get the amp to Jon, we will have probably $200+ in the
shipping costs - but we figure it is worth the trouble for someone
willing to put DU on the top band map during his 6 year assignment in
the Philippines.

We're certainly not begging - but if any of you care to assist in the
shipping cost, we won't return your donation.

His QSL mgr, Bob, W4DR will testify that Jon is a missionary
representative for Asia and just doesn't have the resources to handle
this expense.  Should we collect more than the shipping costs, we will
forward it to Bob to assist with his Amp of which he made a permanent
loan to Jon.

Thanks for any consideration.

Let's hope we all work Jon during his stay in DU.

73    The Battle Creek Crew
        George  W8UVZ
        Charlie  W0CD
        George  K8GG