The other day I ended my day on the air with a Cuban and commented that I was glad to end my day on the air with a Cuban. I hope he didn't take it the wrong way and get offended.
I like Cubans because almost to a person they are some of the best hams on the air. They are the most enthusiastic and patient. They will go to great lengths to get you in their logbooks.
Much of the enthusiasm the Cubans bring into ham radio is probably because the Cuban ham Arnie Coro, CO2KK, has been a wonderful advocate of ham radio in Cuba. He was also heavily involved in the beginnings of Radio Havana, the Cuban national radio station.
Coro has had a program called DXers Unlimited on Radio Havana since the early sixties and as a kid I used to listen to it on an old three tube kit radio.
Ham radio can be an expensive hobby. On the other hand if can be done rather inexpensively if one has the talent to homebrew. I admit I don't have the talent. There are any number of Cuban hams out there that have probably forgotten more than I know about the hobby.
I do believe the requirements for a ham license in Cuba are far more difficult than they are Stateside. It tends to produce a more motivated and talented ham.
A while ago I looked up a Cuban ham I had worked on 'The Zed', QRZ.com. He was obviously a teenager and was sitting next to a beautifully handcrafted homebrew rig, beaming with the pride of a craftsman. I looked at the rig carefully and instantly knew this was not a factory radio, nor was it a kit radio. The rig was entirely homebrew made from whatever he could get his hands on. The craftsmanship was world class and it was obvious that he was proud of it as he very well should be! It was a piece of art and showed meticulous craftsmanship. It was nothing short of amazing.
Another thing I admire about Cuban hams is that they do humanitarian work. After any natural disaster they take to the airwaves and relay messages and help where they can. When the Carribean gets hit with one of their periodic hurricanes the Cuban ham community pitches in and helps out as they can.
After Hurricane Sandy clobbered Puerto Rico it was a Cuban ham calling "CQ Stateside" that I answered. He passed a message on to me and I was able to contact a Stateside family and let them know their daughter was OK.
It was some time after that I found out that the Cuban that relayed the message could have very well been sitting on top of a pile of rubble that had once been his home because that is when I discovered Cuba had been hit as hard as Puerto Rico. When I found that out I was humbled.
The Cuban hams had been hit as hard as Puerto Rico but still had the basic humanity to try and help someone else.
I have brought the subject of Cubans up to a number of American hams and every one of them agrees that they are great hams and wonderful, friendly people and are VERY well respected members of the ham community. Just about all of us hams would love to go to Cuba and meet the people we have worked.
I refuse to get into political differences while on the air. All I will say is that it is a shame that our governments do not get along very well and I am restricted from going to Cuba. I wish I could go and meet friendly people and visit a warm climate especially in the middle of a Pennsylvania winter.
Still, ham radio has made me some very nice Cuban friends.
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