If you get the chance, talk to Ward Silver, N0AX, about his experience with the K7C dx-pedition to Kure island in 2006. The talk he gave in Tacoma was fantastic. Ward has a couple of books out, “Ham Radio for Dummies,” and “Two-way Radios and Scanners for Dummies.” Despite the dummy in the title, the author is no dummy in the least. Recommend the Two-way book to your non-ham friends and they may get hooked. Emergency communication is a nice introduction to the need for amateur radio.
Amateur radio: radio-sport, building, CW, and fun