An Amateur Radio License....In Just 50 Years!

Growing up on the west side of Los Angeles, I was a "nerd," before nerds were nerds. I was fascinated by science and "technology," if you could call it that in the '60s and '70s. Between aspiring to be a marine biologist, a radio broadcaster, an astronomer, an airline pilot and an astronaut, among many other stunts, I wired a complete telephone PBX system in my bedroom, to the horror of my parents. I wanted to get my "Novice" amateur radio license. I built a straight key Morse code sender in "Electric" shop in junior high school  (which was more of a "metal" and "wood" class in those days). My friend Rick Stratford and I picked up a phonograph record to learn and practice Morse code from Olsen Electronics in Inglewood, a grueling bicycle ride from Westchester. Try as I could, I was just too spastic, un-disciplined, and adolescently, criminally insane to develop the skill and dexterity to send and receive code. My Morse code keyer was ultimately swept off my desk in a whirlwind of Pink Floyd music, and my new emerging, urgent interest...girls.

Coming of age in the seventies was chaotic and exhilarating. Societal drama notwithstanding, in high school and college I was deeply engaged in electronics, even doing a stint as a computer mainframe assembler and as salesman and eventual manager  at Lafayette Radio Electronics selling radio and Hi-Fi equipment. I also survived a fleeting brush with CB (Citizen's Band) Radio before they made movies about it. One of my best friends, Joe (WB6ENV) and my brother Doug (N6BCH) got their General licenses, but I left my own amateur radio aspirations in my rear-view mirror.

Fast forward a few careers and too many years later. Joe and Doug repeatedly suggested I get my license, but I never got around to it. Over the course of time, I moved to Malibu, California, a very beautiful place to live, but where I have often joked that the wildfires of autumn are extinguished by the mudslides of winter (and their consequent road closures and national headlines). My life, professional and personal, has been disrupted with countless evacuation orders, road closures, and power and communication outages. 

Far and away, the most pervasive threat to safety in Malibu are wildfires, which have recurred with nearly certain historical frequency. Between the two locations I have resided in here, I have been exposed to seven wildfires, two of them involving direct, personal hand to hand combat. The serial wildfire encounters invaded enough of my DNA that I ensured that my second home had numerous contingencies for fire defense. Sited with fire resistant construction, several hundred feet of brush clearance, two fire hydrants, a pool draft hydrant, pool pump and professional fire fighting gear, we managed to successfully defend the house even when it was under construction and extremely vulnerable from the "Pacific Fire" in 2003.

On Thursday, November 8, 2018, Southern California was under the influence of a classic, seasonal "Santa Ana" weather event; High temperature, low humidity and gusty northeast winds. One of two brush fires that afternoon, the "Woolsey Fire," ignited near Chatsworth California. Spreading rapidly, the fire was propelled eventually by 70 MPH dry, hot wind gusts into parched, dense brush, some of which had not burned in decades. The enormous inferno made its predictable, destructive, deadly march from the mountainous Ventura and Los Angeles County border some 22 miles southwest, all the way to the Pacific Ocean, consuming 97,000 acres, destroying over 1,500 structures, and claiming three lives. 

As the blaze approached my neighborhood, the firestorm spanned 14 miles in width with flame activity reaching 60 feet high. Fortunately, we were well equipped, experienced and careful. Assisted by my wife Brenda, and son William, and employing 750 feet of industry standard, high pressure fire line and fixtures (including having to revert to pool water suctioned with a gasoline powered pump when city water and power failed), we were able to protect our property. Despite the loss of most of my neighbor's homes, and the first fire engines arriving at our address 24 hours AFTER the flames had passed, we emerged largely intact.

Surprisingly, more impactful than the dramatic physical firefight, was the aftermath. 

While the fire was still smoldering, we realized that we were without power, water, cellular/text service, internet, and landline telephone service. I had dutifully paid, over decades, to maintain my nostalgic fax telephone "Copper Hard Line." I powered the house multi-line phone system with one of the generators, eagerly selected the fax line, and found it to be deader than yesterday. There were no first responders, human contact or communication of any form. We were not only unable to inform our friends or family of our status, we had no means of calling for assistance, emergency or otherwise. We further underestimated the concern and stress of numerous relatives, friends and business associates, who having some familiarity with our location, had in some cases seen the nearly complete destruction of the area in vivid, high definition news coverage. Ultimately, worried friends and family imposed on the LA County Sheriffs to respond to our home, whereupon, surrounded by still-burning residences and hillsides, deputies physically climbed over our driveway gate to pound on the doors and windows of the darkened house to ascertain and report back whether we were alive.

Restoration of basic utilities and communications was glacially incremental, with water after about seven days and full electrical service about 45 days; telephone, internet and cell towers FAR beyond that. Needless to say my ham radio brother and friend "persuaded" me (practically at gunpoint!) to get my ticket. Fortunately, in the passage of many decades since my ill-fated Morse code effort, that skill was no longer required, and I became licensed in 2019.

Obviously, as a product of the foregoing experience, my equipment is constituted and installed primarily for redundant, emergency communication. However, I do find the hobby to be fascinating and intensely rewarding, and I thoroughly enjoy meeting and making radio contacts with all of the wonderfully interesting amateurs.

73's and hope to talk to you soon,

Steve (K6BCH)