>>Anything more serious and I get on the horn and call in the pros.

Well, the point of First Aid training is to make sure that when the pros get there, they have a live body to work with and not a dead one. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Basically, after 4 minutes without oxygen, irreversible brain damage sets in. After 10 minutes without oxygen, death sets in, and that's also irreversible. What's the average response time for an ambulance in your neck of the woods? Even if the ambulance averages 5 minutes, that's long enough for you to end up with a loved one who sits in a wheelchair and babbles. (Sorry to be crude, but that's essentially how my dad spent the last five years of his life after his stroke.) <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Another advantage of a FA course is that people who've taken them tend to have fewer accidents, and when they do have an accident, it's on the average less serious.

And it's a bargain - you could take 5 First Aid courses for the price of a personalised Sebenza. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

GAR

I just bought two Icom T90a HT's (only one here now). These are 6m, 2m, and 70cm transmit, with wide receive from .5Mhz to 999MHz with cell frequencies blocked.

It literally just arrived 3 days ago so I cannot give much of a report on it. I was running a 2m Icom 2GAT for the last 12 years and was more than satisfied with that, but my new radio with spare battery is smaller and lighter than one of my batteries for the old one!

I will give some sort of report later on about this radio, but like all new things it is vastly more complex than my old one. Audio of TV, AM, FM commercial radio is very good in such a small package, programming is fairly intuitive after a couple of tricks and the software for programming on the computer is decent, and I would recommend it.

I have ordered but not yet received 2 additional antennas for these, one a gain antenna the other a decent stubby. The supplied one seems much better than I expected.

I also took the opportunity to buy a decent car antenna and Mirage amplifier, both still in their boxes.

Around here both my emergency groups use 70cm and 2m frequencies for all work with some 6m, so this looked ideal to replace my 2m only radio.

If you are thinking of serving in a local group, you may want to check with them about their common use frequencies before you buy anything, but 2m served me very well around here and I am only moving my old HT to the car not retiring it.

I would definately consider a dual bander with wide receive instead of 2m only. The price differential is not too bad.

BTW I do not consider a no-code HAM a low skill HAM. I just barely passed the 5WPM and instantly forgot it. Now 5WPM is all that is needed all the way to Extra class. I considered upgrading to General while my wife was working on Tech, but did not do it. Some of my Seattle ACS work uses 80m where I do not have rights.

I also carry my wallets in my two front trouser pockets. Yes, two wallets. One for ID, credit cards, and some money, the other for money only. My wallets can't possibly fall out of my front pockets. I like that. Anyone else carry their wallets up front rather than in their back pocket?

My chiropractor banned the use of my back pockets for anything! But I cheat. I carry a balanced load now with wallet on one side and flat spool of twine same deminsions on the other side. So far the chiro hasn't noticed any damage due to that.

Yep. I have for many years.
Stay safe,
J.T.

i have always carried mine wallet in front, mine backpockets get rarly used, feels kinda weird wenn your sitting.

In my left back pocket, I have my comb, SwissTech MicroPlus, and a packet of Pocket Duct duct tape.

In my right back pocket, I have my "official" Start Trek black matte bullet space pen, my Retro51 Tornado Elite pen (both pens are quite small), and my Arc AAA LED (clipped to the pocket's edge).

Is your wallet by itself or do you stuff in other gear next to it?

Balance is important -- in some cases, critical -- regarding back pockets as well as life in general.

Wallet Up front? Yep, since I was a kid