Virtual: Elmer

Throughout my life, I have always aimed to be helpful. I believe that the best way to help myself is by assisting others. When I started learning Ham Radio, it was an excellent opportunity for me to expand my reach and continue helping others.

My family background involved a lot of relatives who hoarded stuff. As a kid, I had an uncle who would constantly "loan" me things but always had a condition of getting them back. This used to irk me. I remember a time when he gave me a CB Radio to use, but the day came when he asked for it back, just when I was beginning to upgrade and modify the setup. Despite having a lot of conversations, my parents encouraged me to return it, and I never forgot it. I made a vow that in any hobby if I had an abundance of something, I would share it or pass it on to others so that they could experience the same joy that I had, where they might not have been able to afford it directly.

After coming back to the hobby, I have had the opportunity to bless others by passing on equipment, antennas, and other things. It's kind of a selfish thing because by sharing these things, I get back the opportunity to go out with these folks and play radio or have a companion that I could talk to on the repeater frequently. If I gave them a mobile 2m rig, for example, it would also open up the opportunity for them to encourage others to join the hobby, which brings goodwill and life to it.

So, I came up with an idea that I'd like to share with others. This post is titled "Virtual: Elmer" because YouTube has been a great resource for others to learn about the hobby and get quick answers to resolve a problem. But, there isn’t a resource where someone can go to get how-to guides, procedural steps, or technical manuals on solving specific problems.

The end goal is to make it community-contributed, where folks can submit a guide, and it's "vetted" through the lens of making sure it's thorough, clear, and concise. All with the benefit of helping others grow.

So, what do you think? Is there a need for that type of stuff? Should I just build it and let it loose into the interwebs to see what traction it gets? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.