A simple dipole antenna that club member Jim Andera, K0NK, installed about a year ago has enabled another club member, Mike Lane, KE0CIS, to both stay in touch with other members of the club and monitor weather-related traffic over the Johnson County Emergency Communications Service (K0ECS) even though he is a resident of Good Samaritan Society - Olathe, a nursing home located just to the south of the University of Kansas Health System Olathe Hospital (formerly Olathe Medical Center).

     Jim managed to put the antenna just inside the window in Mike's room, which allows him to remain in his bed by the window and use a handheld Baofeng, a Chinese product, to talk and listen to fellow club members during the weekly net on Tuesday evening. Mike, as many will remember, used to serve as net control for the net "back in the day," as they say, and always did an admirable job in that role. Jim attached the base of the antenna, which is designed to be mounted on a car or truck, to what is basically the ceiling for the window bay, and a black cable connects the antenna to the transceiver. Mission accomplished!

   According to Mike, the antenna makes it possible for him to communicate with other hams on both the 2-meter band (144-148 MHz) and the 440 MHz band. This antenna, by the way, replaced an oval-shaped antenna that is partially visible in the photograph accompanying this story.

     While Mike certainly enjoys being able to chat with club members and other hams on a regular basis with the assistance of the antenna, what he enjoys even more are in-person face-to-face visits with his friends from the wonderful world of amateur radio. Was that a hint?