Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Ham Radio: My thoughts after 365 Days

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  1. Ham radio clubs, like bars; have their own personality. If you stroll into the wrong one for you, your instincts tell you right away. Keep looking for a club that fits your interests.

  2. The hobby is as cheap (or as expensive) as you want it to be. 

  3. Plan on spending a great deal of time untangling wires. And...

  4. If you get a HF rig there will be a big knob on it. Enjoying spinning it because you will do that a lot also.

  5. Asking for an opinion on an antenna is like asking which beer/religion/truck/etc is better. There is never a consensus and everyone knows best. 

  6. The FM satellites are fun to work even if you don’t make a contact. Eventually you will and will be stunned that you communicated via a “spacecraft”.

  7. Morse Code (not required) is a fun challenge. You will make mistakes on the air, but since it is impossible to YELL in CW the operators on the bands genuinely seem to enjoy newcomers. This is not universally true of HF phone or repeaters. 

  8. Call CQ and don't be frustrated if nobody comes back. That's the way it works, but keep trying. 

  9. I am continually amazed at the generosity ham radio enthusiasts have towards helping promote their hobby.

  10. Ham Radio has been called “1000 hobbies in 1”. Find the few that interest you today and focus there. Enjoy the diversity as your interests change.
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