HAM RADIO WIDOWS and HAVING A PLAN

Hello!

In the past few months I have been asked to help widows to remove their husbands' towers etc.
I have helped dozens of widows over decades and there has been one very glaring fact!....

They may have spoken about life insurance policies and "life after me"...HOWEVER.....
They did NOT have a plan on how to handle the HAM RADIO stuff.

Folks, this is a no brainer..>AND equally as important as the 'other" important issues that goes with the planning for death discussions. In fact, in all cases, the widows were under the impression their husband's efforts were excellent and their towers and "associated" equipment world class... Well, in every case they were NOT even close.

Installed correctly? NO! Installed safely? Most often NOT! In fact, these widows had zero clue as to what the REAL status of their husbands' station was. How or why would they? SO, after death, they need real help!

This what we can ALL do to help with life after we leave this earth. ---- HAVE A FREAKIN' PLAN !!!! and I mean a WRITTEN one! But before that ....it starts before that. It starts with when you install your tower, your equipment...anything that has to do with your station.

1. Install you towers per Rohn Specs!
    A. Proper spacing of guy anchors (Distance from tower AND type of guy AND tensions).
    B. Don't over tighten your leg bolts! THIS IS A PAIN IN THE ASS to get undone!
    C. LUBE your tower sections when installing putting them together...This is HUGE!!!!

Taking down a tower is EASY as long as it was installed correctly. When hams "CHEAP OUT" and try to cut corners, they are playing with fire. Yesterday, when we arrived on site to take down a tower.... 80+ feet of Rohn 45...Tilt over to boot, guys only out 37% of the tower height, rusted, guys all dilapidated, guy anchors WAAAY sub standard etc.... Had it not been for a fellow ham with me who said he would climb, I would have told the widow, NO HELL NO! And left..... but after a LOT of brute force etc.... we got enough sections down to cut the last 40 feet and let if fall. All sections good to use again...but his should have taken 1/2 the time.... So, efforts (or not knowing) how to put up a tower turned into an ALL DAY affair. Geez!

So...after you have done the right thing and installed things correctly... develop a WRITTEN plan on what EXACTLY your wife is to do after you pass.

1. WHO to contact about disconnecting your station.
2. WHO to contact about taking down your tower.
3. WHO to contact about selling your items and approximately what you paid for them.

If you ONLY have a plan for those items...YOU WILL BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE!!!

It is a terrible thing to see a widow crying because she feel so overwhelmed with about the HAM RADIO stuff that YOU left them with...

Does this sound good to you? God I hope not!

So, take some time and take some action....your wife will love you even more for it!

73 and God Bless,
Jose
N4BAA