Ham radio club honors father-son connection
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Amateur radio has been a longtime passion for Altoona resident Byron Sell.
His father, also named Byron, was an amateur radio enthusiast as well, and they bonded by communicating with others across the globe before the elder Sell died in 2012.
To commemorate the passion that the Sell family has displayed in amateur radio, the officers of the Horseshoe Amateur Radio Club presented young Sell on Thursday with the very card that started a lifelong passion for his father.
He was given his father's first QSL card, which was sent out 80 years to the day.
"It's such a crazy coincidence, but this is really special," HARC President Kevin Lear said. "The chance of this card coming back 80 years later is beyond conceivable."
Sell was presented with the QSL card, which is a postcard-like confirmation of a two-way radio communication.
The elder Sell, who was designated by the call sign W8VPF, sent an 8MHz message at 8:07 p.m. on April 8, 1941.
In the message, he reached out to Fred Habermehl of Corona, Michigan.
The QSL card includes the transcript of the transmission the elder Sell sent out, and he told Habermehl, "You are my first contact."
Lear said the card surfaced last week after Michigan card collector John Kroll donated the card to HARC.
"It's real special," Sell's son said. "My father and I spent a lot of time together working the radios. We did a lot of electronic stuff together. He really enjoyed it."
The younger Sell has been a long-standing member of HARC after first joining in 1998.
His father first introduced him to amateur radio at a young age in the 1960s.
"It's a lot of fun," the younger Sell said. "We've made a lot of memories along the way."
The QSL card also displayed the logo for the American Radio Relay League.
HARC originated in 1938 as part of the ARRL, which is now the National Association for American Radio.
"It speaks a lot about our program," Lear said. "This establishes our long commitment not only locally, but nationally as well."
Amateur radio, commonly known as ham radio, is a popular pastime that connects people from across the globe.
Enthusiasts choose to be referred to as "hams," and while amateur radio is a hobby for many, HARC takes it one step further.
The organization aids first responders and the public, and it holds partnerships with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Red Cross.
Recently, the HARC completed a simulated emergency test with the National Weather Service and Army Corps of Engineers, and members have also had opportunities to communicate with the International Space Station.
"We are very proud to serve the public, and we have fun communicating with others from around the world as well," Lear said.