Have a plan to help your family with your ham gear once you become a silent key.
Source: Do you have a plan to become a Silent Key? – Oahu ARRL News (https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com/2016/10/30/do-you-have-a-plan-to-become-silent-key/).
BIG ISLAND ARRL NEWS, 01 November 2016, 16:30 hrs, UTC, Post #30
Author: KH6OWL, PIO, ARRL Pacific Section, Oahu Island.
Please click link to read the full story.
Comment:
Sooner or later, all radio amateurs will become “silent keys” and go to the great antenna farm in the sky. What will happen to all of your equipment so carefully stored in the ham shack or garage? This article from KH6OWL addresses that problem in a forthright, sensitive way that will give peace of mind to you and your family.
By planning for your eventual departure now, you will reduce the strain on your family and friends when the time for passing comes.
Among the things you should do now:
Make an equipment inventory, listing serial numbers, model numbers, and fair market value. Attach photos to make equipment identification easier.
Contact a close “ham” friend to handle the disposal and sale of your equipment. Introduce that friend to your family so there is a relationship between your family and those handling your equipment after you die.
You could also donate your equipment to your local radio club to help new hams or those who can’t afford equipment for their shacks.
Be sure your ham contact and family cancel any memberships or magazine subscriptions after you die.
Be sure to have a will and an advanced care directive in place before your time runs out. Please consult an attorney to secure these items, so your family “won’t be left out in the cold” when you leave us.
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Thanks for joining us today.
Russell Roberts (KH6JRM)
ARRL Public Information Coordinator
Hawaii County, ARRL Pacific Section