SBARC “Radioaficionados,"

As some of you may know, SBARC has a sister ham club in Havana, Cuba that was featured in an article that I authored in QST nearly three years ago (see attached photo of Cotorro hams wearing SBARC hats as well as a pdf of the QST article).

Many of the Radioaficionados de Cotorro are HF digital contesters. My friend Joel CO2YQ has an impressive collection of DXCC, WAS and other prestigious awards (see CO2YQ's QRZ page). Without regular broadband internet access, however, these hams often have the only outside links to the world in their neighborhoods. That can make digital log keeping and awards processes difficult. Sourcing repair parts is often nearly impossible!

Joel’s present hardware challenge is with his Icom IC-706. He recently obtained this radio used but the screen has a fairly common failure issue (described in Spanish below). This radio is out of production so parts are not available from Icom. I am hoping to find a replacement IC-706 screen for this for him. I know they are rare but if you or anyone you know has one that wouldn’t mind a trip across the Florida Straits, let me know, please!

Levi C. Maaia, K6LCM

Director at Large | Co-Chair, Telecommunications Services Committee

a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation

Levi,

Gracias mi hermano por todas las molestias que yo te ocasiono.

Alejandro está bien, trabajando que es importante. Está haciendo viaje para visitarnos, esperando el mejor momento para hacerlo.

Tu niña debe estar grandísima ahorita se te hace una mujer, disfrútala el mayor tiempo que puedas que el tiempo pasa rápido.

Te comento que un amigo de la radio aquí en Cuba, le costaba mucho trabajo operar el radio ICOM 706 MKII G, él tiene 78 años, me propuso cambiarlo por el Yaesu 747.

Acepte, mi amigo muy contento porque ese si lo entiende y yo también contento porque adquirí 2 bandas nuevas, 6mts y 70 cm.

El radio (IC 706) trabaja muy bien ya tengo hecho 30 estados para el WAS en 6 mts, solo tiene el display defectuoso en su parte inferior. El frente es desmontable.

Le estuve preguntando a varios colegas, pero dicen que ese frente no está a la venta pues ya no se fabrican.

Gracias por todo

Saludos a toda la familia.

Joel