Befuddled Net

11/28/07

Welcome to the Befuddled Net Page

THE BEFUDDLED NET and how it began. By Bill VA3HS

It all started one morning at 8:00 a.m., back in the 1960's when LeRoy Blinn VE3AJQ of London Ontario, put his call sign out on 146.520. Without hesitation, he received a reply from Bud Freedy VE3KSA also of London. These two Hams arranged a sked for the next morning, and this would be when Alf Liscumb VE3EXJ of Hyde Park (near London) joined in, The Befuddle Net was now born.

LeRoy VE3AJQ was born in 1911, became a Ham in 1936, and a silent key in 1995. LeRoy, a farmer was very active in local club activities (LARC), and also repaired radios when he wasn't tending to his cows, which he milked by hand, might I add. Bud Freedy VE3KSA I understand worked for the London Free Press, this being the only information I have for him at this time.

Alf VE3EXJ also a farmer was born in 1910,became a Ham October 2 ,1934,he is now 97 years of age, and could be possibly be the oldest and longest licensed Ham in Canada ? VE3EXJ, is not Alf's first call sign, though he thinks, but is not certain, that his first call was VE3BJ ? During the Second World War, all Ham Radio stations had to be dismantled, it was after the war that Alf was issued his present call sign, the change may have been due to lost records?

In the late 1980's LeRoy and his wife Dorothy went into a Nursing home in Komoka Ontario. From there he was still very active ,using an FT 208r , which I have to date. This is when Alf was asked to be Net Controller which he did up until late 2000,if memory serves me, this being the time he handed Net Control to me. With LeRoy being in the nursing home, the net times changed to 9:00 a.m. (and is still today) and 4:00 p.m. ,these times worked well around the meals at the nursing home. The 4:00 p.m. net faded away over the past few years. The net still runs 7 days a week for the most part.

My son Will, holds Leroy’s call sign today. This came about due to LeRoy taking quite a shine to my son, and as well as his concern as to what was going to happen to his call sign once he became a silent key. With the approval of his family, I was able to hold his call sign until my son received his license when he was 13 years old. I will never forget when we visited LeRoy in hospital, as we left ,with all the strength he could muster, reached out and shook my son's hand for the last time, the following afternoon oddly enough LeRoy became a silent key at 4:35 p.m. this would be around the time that the afternoon net would close down, with everyone saying their 73.

Writing this is bringing back a lot of memories for me, there have been several hundred different stations check into the net, including our friends in the U.S. ,when the band has been up. Thanks to all Hams that have taken part in the Net, for keeping it going over all these years, as I am sure the founders would be very proud.

You know there have been a lot of great things said during the Net, some of which I have written down. I would like to print them all out, but I am going to close with only one, told to me by the late Bob King VE3LSQ 1934-2006 and that is "being a HamYou Can Go Anywhere in the World and Have a Friend, and That Would Be Another Ham. "