[skip_region]

The latter. I don’t really consider it a charity since the people could easily pay for it (plus tube radios are so simple to fix). However, upon receiving it back, they are quick to realize the missing memories they might have given up.

Selfishly I do it to keep up my soldering skills when none of my amateur radio related radios need servicing. Plus putting a little good karma out there never hurt anyone.

[0ct4via]

73 to you, Sir.

[codetrotter]

And o7 as well :D (although o7 is IRC speak, not ham speak :P)

[chrisweekly]

73?

[tejtm]

It is a salutary morse code "prosign" on amateur radio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosigns_for_Morse_code

edit: I may be overstating that the token is precisely a prosign.

But if so it will be one of the closely related early electrical communication codes.

https://hamradioprep.com/what-does-73-mean/

[et-al]

It's proto-pager code: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_signal

https://www.pagercodes.com/common-pager-codes.html

[jimnotgym]

'Best wishes' but in morse it takes less time to write 73!