Some of you may find this of interest as Gerry makes the Quantum Loop:

RADIO PLUS+ DAMAGED BY HURRICANE IVAN

Gerry Thomas, 3635 Chastain Way, Pensacola, Florida 32504
radioplus @ bellsouth.net

Greetings from Pensacola, Florida, where God's wrath has hit us
squarely in the face. As some of you may know, Pensacola was savagely
hit by Hurricane Ivan several weeks ago resulting in catastrophic
damage to the area. My family and I survived fine but our property,
including the Radio Plus+ facilities, suffered damages in excess of
$10,000.

Every external antenna at Radio Plus+ was destroyed as well as some of
the RF testing equipment; some components also suffered water damage.
The towers of every radio station in town (with the exception of WUWF-
FM) were downed by the storm, as were the facilities of the two local
television stations. The local police and other public service
organizations had to abandon their trunking and repeater systems
(which were destroyed) and had very limited comms with their point-to-
point equipment. Of course, all power to the city was also out all of
which provided a rare opportunity for DX. Unfortunately, the situation
was such that very little time was spent at the dials --- somehow the
tragedy of the circumstances didn't really lend itself to hobby
pursuits.

Life is now approaching normalcy for much of the population but the
recovery is far from over. Hundreds of businesses and residences were
totally destroyed and numerous apartment complexes and condos have
been condemned. Among the businesses that were destroyed were my local
suppliers of plexiglass loop housings and screenprinting.
Unfortunately, the screenprinter had a run of loop cabinets to screen
print in his building when it collapsed; I am unaware of where those
cabinets now are or their condition. Both business owners have decided
not to rebuild and are now out of business. This has resulted in an
additional delay in the resumption of Quantum Loop sales; I'm hoping
to begin shipping loops again by late November (there is a waiting
list, however) provided I can get more cabinets in and find a new
screenprinter. The only major product I am presently shipping is the
Quantum Phaser; details are available at http://www.dxtools.com

On the local scene, a new AM station is now on the air; it's WNRP-
1620, IDs as "AM 16-20" and its slogan is "Classic Country." Some
nights it broadcasts Pensacola Ice Pilots hockey games. I hope this
finds you all in good health and that you enjoy some great DX
sessions. I also deeply appreciate your continued support of Radio
Plus+ products and your understanding during these challenging times.
73 (Gerry Thomas, IRCA Soft DX Monitor via DXLD)
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dxAce
Michigan
USA