New Ham Radio Movie Causes Controversy

By K5KAC, on the scene

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — “50 Shades of Grey Line Propagation,” a film based off of the now famous book of similar name, is raising cries of both outrage and pride in the amateur radio community. The book, written by Earl Glenn in 2007, was an overnight success.

“Hell, I don’t know. I just write what I feel. It’s very organic. If you’ve never gently probed the ionosphere with a QRP signal or wound your own ferrite by hand, you wouldn’t get it,” Glenn said before slamming his phone down.

The reclusive author is famously secretive of his process and has a P.O. Box listed on the ULS, making eyeball QSOs very difficult.

“It reminds me of my YL days in the college club back in ’62. I couldn’t tell you why,” said ham radio operator Vernard Rather of Skiatook, Oklahoma, adding, “it’s tame compared to last year’s club Christmas party!”

An excerpt from the book may give some insight to the controversy around the movie (used with author’s permission):

“Earl slowly pulled the dipole legs apart, each length gently quaking as it submitted. He studied his solid length of coax up and down. He marveled at the intersection of the dipole. Moisture barrier? Check. 1:1? Check. Now he had to feed it.

The faint red neon light from his Astron RS-35A flickered on and maintained itself. His rig came to life, moaning muffled static from the tempestuous afternoon sun. Out of his shack window he could see the lusty orb lowering itself to the horizon. Grey Line would be here soon. And with it would come DX.”

It is rumored that Glenn is currently working on his second work, “Power in the Shack,” an exploration of power relationships between exciter and operator.

### HamHijinks.com