This week on the 985 Roundtable, Ron (WA3VEE) throws out three simple questions that end up sparking a surprisingly deep and often hilarious discussion:

How do you prep for severe weather? What’s your favorite store or vendor? And would you show up to operate HF at the field day site if all you had to do was walk in the door?

The crew checks in with everything from whole-house generators and frozen water jugs to kerosene heaters, propane camp stoves, mulching leaves, and keeping the snowblower ready for duty. Favorite stores range from REI, Grocery Outlet, Brandywine Auto Parts, and Shady Maple to tiny local delis and Radio Shack in New Holland. A few die-hard operators share thoughts on showing up for HF operations—even if it means borrowing Ron’s call and braving the January cold.

Along the way, operators talk:

• Prep habits (or lack of them) for hurricanes, snow, tornadoes, and power outages

• Hidden-gem hardware stores, woodworking shops, and Mennonite bulk-food suppliers

• Running wells and fridges on generators, fighting stale gas, and draining equipment properly

• Coffee roasting from green beans, machining oddball parts, and keeping batteries topped off

• Digital access issues on Echolink/AllStar

• A full house of regulars checking in with humor, stories, and the usual good-natured chaos

A warm, community-driven episode with plenty of practical wisdom, local flavor, and classic ham-radio camaraderie—exactly what makes the 985 Roundtable feel like home.