Motivation

Often, at search scenes, when it is time to go home, we get a verbal thank you from a representative of the agency we worked with, which is always nice. Understandably, sometimes things can be a bit hectic and we just go home.

From time to time, the agency we worked for sends a thank you letter to the team, and most teams pass copies to their members, or participating members.

It is much less common to receive personal letters from the Chief of the agency involved in the search. It has happened to me a few times in the past but it is always nice and motivating to get such letters. Here is one I just got today:

Yet below is one of a kind, the only hand-written note I ever got from relatives of a missing person. This is definitely not the run-of-the-mill, very unusual and what more, we never even found the victim (was found at a later date outside the search area). That kind of note to is very invigorating, very motivating to say the least!

New DXCC awards

Well I just checked my ARRL LoTW account and low and behold I have a second and third DXCC Awards waiting for me to apply for. I knew for a while about the phone award, as I am sitting on 109 QSLs but I was inching along on the 20m award getting very close but now I've got it too, 100 QSLs!

It sure makes me happy and more energized and eager than ever. I'm doing ok on RTTY and 15m so I will concentrate my efforts there, the bands allowing of course.

I have now to figure out the LoTW application process which should not be too hard as this one is a pure LoTW application. While I have more cards, I'll keep them for when I really need them and work at getting more from QSOs I've made but not send cards, waiting for LoTW confirmations.