Ham Talk Live! Episode 153 - Ham Radio Dating Stories Wanted!

What are you gonna call it "As the rotor turns" ?

 

As my wife's college was in the same town as an engineering college her first few dates with electrical engineering students involved hams. She assumed all EE's were hams. I married her before she learned otherwise!
We are approaching 52 years together.

 

This is a great story, Curtis. Many hams got their start in CB back when it was decent. Those that don't like that just don't understand. Also, I have found that there are more marriages that last when people meet and marry very young. I wasn't that fortunate. But, I have several family members who married their high school sweethearts and are still together today. The only down side is none of them have any interest in ham radio... Those are great pictures on your QRZ page too! You have a beautiful wife too! Thanks to both of you for serving as "peacekeepers" too!

73, Paul Cavnar - K7IN

 

First of all Neil congratulations on your recent engagement. My wife, Cheryl got her ham ticket many years ago but is not active. Her call is N9KUO - N9 Kitchen Utensile Owner! We have been married 35 years! 73 and great stories, Denny WB9MSM

 

When the XYL and I were dating, I told her I was a ham, a radio amateur. She allowed as how she had heard of amateur radio and that it sounded nice. She later said that what she assumed ham radio was about was... You buy ONE radio and use it occasionally. Man, was she surprised.

 

The way I heard was..... My wife told me either the radios go or she goes... over.

 

I told my wife inside the house is hers - the roof and anything attached to the house in mine. Twenty three yers and still married so it works.

 

Great Story!!

 

the dating sites that are advertised on TV, they do not work! none of them do! I've been on this hunting and dating spree since the 80's. I've spent hundreds of dollars on all the dating sites known to man. Not one match ever came as to a date. I've heard all the excuses. I play pro golf and ham radio. I live and work in a hotel. I love to go out to dinner and been to just about every restaurant in a 100 mile radius of Fairlee,Vermont. I've into golf since I was 8 years old and got into ham radio about the same time. Used to have a second class FCC license. I thought if I put in my profile, that I play golf, that would attract women....NOPE. then put in ham radio....NOPE....Then outdoors,dine out,flea markets.....NOPE....I took advice from one my co-workers and he said " ya gotta lie about your self! make them think your a big shot! " so I did....they laughed at me after I told them I owned this hotel and the golf course......Even when I was a firefighter/EMT....i tried that route.......NOPE....oh well.......maybe some day....but I doubt it..mom always said..." ya gotta think positive ".....ya right.

 

This is not a dating story, but I married my wife in 1980, and she was first licensed about 82 or 83 I think. Anyway a long time. We are still doing fine together. I taught her about ham radio and how to shoot firearms, and she taught me about the value of cats as companions. We both learned some things. She is KAØNXI

 

My OM and I met *because* of amateur radio (I had been a ham and a contester for 16 + years when we met). 2-1/2 years later we helped found the Arizona Outlaws Contest Club (arizonaoutlaws.net). For the stories, check our QRZ.com profiles. Sandy N7RQ and Bob K8IA

 

most of the dating sites I've tried in the past 25 years don't work. I tried one this afternoon...." POF " ( plenty of fish ) After answering the dozens and dozens of questions and then it said " we'll go on to the next test " and they ask the same questions over and over again only word it differently. So I got sick of it and deleted everything. The advertisement was for people into HAM RADIO and after a few questions and then more and more and it seemed that the idea about matching you up with someone interested in HAM RADIO simply went out the window! There was another site a few years ago that was for golfing people ( I'm a part time golf pro ) and I tried that and that too like all the others, went out the window when asked 500 plus questions. isn't there ANY site that is devoted to radio amateurs,golf pro's, firefighters,etc,etc????? I would doubt it very much.

 

Ok, after all the nice stories, this is a bad one. It was the early days of cell phones. Even before "flip phones". I live(d) and worked about 50 minutes away from the gal I was dating. She had two teenage daughters; one of whom played in the high school band. It was a Friday football game night and I was supposed to be at her place by a certain time and the four of us would head over to the football field for the game. Traffic in my town was terrible that night. Stop and go all through town due to a couple of drivers that didn't want to play nice with each other and crashed on the highway. I was running very late and not wanting to mess this relationship up too badly, I figured I'd better let her and the girls know to go on ahead without me, I would eventually be there. I didn't have one of those new cell phones but I did have a 2 meter rig and could hit the repeater over in her town. I figured I would get into the repeater, dial up the autopatch, and call her cell phone. Remember autopatches??? Hey, what a neat way to showcase ham radio to three non-hams, right? Well she WAS impressed and I had a good grin on; that is until I met up with them at the football game. Seems as though the significant other (a ham) of a local ham was monitoring the repeater and mis-heard my call as her guy's call. She called him to tell him someone was bootlegging his call. This ham phoned my gals cell phone screaming, yelling, and using profane language. He also told her using a cell phone/autopatch connection was illegal crossband operation and he was turning her in to the authorities and she would be fined. When I arrived at the game she was in tears and the daughters were very upset. After calming the situation we had an "ok" evening but she advised me if this was the way hams behaved she NEVER wanted to become a ham and don't even think of asking. I did figure out who this character was but was forbidden to call him on it. A few years later their club was set up at a highway rest stop handing out coffee during a holiday weekend. Guess who was there, yep that guy. I relayed the story to him and the group of his ham buddies. Told him I was the guy that "bootlegged" his call and my call is similar to his but possibly his gal's station needed a new speaker. I also thanked him for alienating the possible new hams. I left him quite embarrassed in front of his friends. In the end I married that gal but she still says she will NEVER be a ham.

 

Some of our worst detractors are other hams.
I’m glad the relationship worked in spite of the atrocious behavior of the other ham.
In his possible defense some one may have been bootlegging his call sign. However, he should have been contacted about the mistake and a quick apology should have been made.