ARRLWeb: You’re Never Too Old

Jim Aylward, KC8PD
kc8pd@arrl.net
March 29, 2007

Remember the thrill and sense of accomplishment that you felt when the examiners announced that you had passed your first Amateur Radio license exam? Now imagine that you’re 91!

Clarence Hollow, KD8ETS (center), happily displays his Technician CSCE with the Portage County Amateur Radio Service VE team of (left to right), Carl Capps, N4TIE; Russ Anderson, KB8DPN; Tom Parkinson, KB8UUZ, and Jim Aylward, KC8PD.

When you got your ticket, you were probably excited about all that was to come with your new hobby and relieved that the test was behind you. For many of us, that happened when we were adolescents or teens. The rest of us either came back to — or discovered — ham radio and were first licensed as adults. But very few of us heard, “Congratulations, you passed!” at the same point in life as Clarence Hollow, KD8ETS, did.

On Saturday, December 2, 2006, at age 91, Clarence passed the test for his Technician license. For Clarence, his wife Betty and the VE team there were smiles all the way around.

The American Radio Relay League was born in 1914; Clarence arrived the following year on August 25th in Akron, Ohio. Two months later, on October 20, 1915, the first successful transatlantic voice transmission was sent from New Jersey to France. Both radio and Clarence were in their infancy at the same time.

After high school Clarence first found work as a welder, and most of his working career involved metal work of some sort — everything from punch press operator to plant manager. For most of his life he worked in Ohio, with the exception of a few years in the early 1970s when he lived in South Carolina. He returned to Ohio when his first wife, Evelyn, passed away. They were married for 37 years and had two children: Gary, who lives nearby in Ohio, and Joyce, who resides in Colorado. He was married to his second wife, Laura, for 23 years until she passed away. Clarence met Betty at church, and they married seven years ago.

Clarence has faced some major health issues over the years, including triple bypass surgery and the loss of half a lung to cancer. Despite that, he has always been very active. After retiring in 1981, he was a volunteer at the local hospital in the 1980s and ’90s, amassing nearly 4000 hours of service. He also volunteered at a local non-profit medical clinic for eight years.

His working career was interrupted by service in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. Clarence was a boatswain, and earned the rank of Petty Officer. Because he was color blind, his service was restricted to stateside duty.

Radio in general and Amateur Radio in particular did not catch Clarence’s interest until 2006. During the summer he happened to see an article in a local paper about an upcoming hamfest and decided to attend. What he saw and heard piqued his curiosity about the hobby. He was disappointed when no one replied to the phone messages he left with the head of an area club.

Not easily deterred, Clarence called the Federal Communication Commission for assistance. The FCC provided him with the phone number for ARRL Headquarters. Staffer Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, spoke with Clarence and then sent an e-mail to Tom Parkinson, KB8UUZ, secretary/treasurer of the Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) to see if he could help.

As luck would have it, PCARS was offering a Technician license course that September at the Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna, Ohio, Clarence’s home town. Tom contacted Clarence with information about the class and arranged for his registration. Tom Parkinson, Tom Sly, WB8LCD; Russ Anderson, KB8DPN, and I taught the class as a team
Clarence was an attentive student, making it to all but one of the classes. Getting around is complicated by the oxygen he has to carry with him. But he takes it all in stride and with good humor. So good, in fact, that one evening during class he suddenly announced that he had to leave. When asked if he was okay he said he was fine, “Just running out of gas.” He found the technical materials, particularly Ohm’s Law, to be the most difficult.

The last night of class was set aside for the VE session. A special test was printed for Clarence in 36 point (0.5 inch) type to accommodate his visual limitations. He usually uses a magnifying glass, but the large type enabled him to read the questions without it.

It just wasn’t Clarence’s night, and much to his disappointment he did not pass the test. Fortunately, he is not one to give up, and neither were his instructors. Another exam session was scheduled four weeks later. During that time, Clarence continued to study and review the material, with assistance from Betty and his son Gary, along with some tutoring by Carl Capps, N4TIE, and Jim, KC8PD.

Needless to say, we were all a bit anxious when Saturday, December 2, rolled around — all except Clarence, who seemed relaxed. He took his time, reviewing each question carefully. One other applicant was sitting for the Technician test, and four were taking the Amateur Extra exam that day. Clarence turned in his exam, and one by one the three VEs graded it. Only after we had all finished, did we add up the correct answers. He had passed!

We were probably four of the happiest VEs you would ever find. Standing next to Clarence, was proudly holding his Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination, was a moment I know I will never forget. He said that he felt “great” when he passed, and Betty was very happy for him. So happy, that it was her treat to take him out for a lobster dinner.
Clarence had purchased a handheld radio in anticipation of passing the test, and Tom, KB8UUZ, helped him program in all the local repeaters. Clarence also decided that it was about time he was hooked up to the Internet so that he could try out EchoLink. On Thursday, December 14, all those who checked in on the PCARS Thursday night net had a chance to hear from Portage County’s newest ham.

We all find personal satisfaction from the hobby of Amateur Radio in a variety of ways. Whether it’s DXing, contests, working QRP, going mobile or portable, tracking satellites, ragchewing, exploring microwaves or building kits, there is something for everyone. But as an instructor and VE, I can tell you that all of those have a hard time matching the thrill of handing that CSCE to a brand new ham and saying, “Congratulations!”

Jim Aylward, KC8PD, was first licensed in 2001 and currently holds an Amateur Extra class license. He is vice-president and Public Information Officer of PCARS. Jim lives in Ravenna, Ohio, where he is Chief Magistrate for the Portage County Juvenile and Probate Courts.