This Is The Hard Part Some time ago, I wrote a post about the mechanics of getting your license. I got a little ping from a fellow operator mentioning that it was probably time to talk a little bit about step 8 in my list of steps to getting licensed. That step is Getting On…
Why? If there is one good reason to put down some goals for the coming arbitrary time period, it’s to give a list of things one might do when one has time for the hobby but isn’t really inspired to engage with anything in particular. Sometimes, there’s a radio and some free time but spinning…
First, Goals for 2024 First, a review of the goals I set for 2024 and how I did. Kilo at US-1999 – This goal was completed in April of 2024. That felt pretty good and it went quickly. Given that it was my park of choice for most of the winter, it wasn’t exactly a…
Circumstances It’s mid-November and that happens to coincide with my birthday. In my semi-retired state, I have most days to myself after the kids are off to school. Sure, I have chores to do and things to address, but there’s always a little time for radio. On my birthday? On a day with no snow,…
Ah, The TR-45L… I will go out on a limb and say that if we were to poll every person who purchased the Penntek TR-45L and those operators were honest in their answers, 90% or more would say that they bought it because it looks like what a ham radio should look like. It has…
The Deep Thoughts Documentary films are my favorite form of visual entertainment. There is nothing better than settling in to watch a deep dive on something like a particular ecosystem or concept or literary movement. Naturally, I’ve seen most of Ken Burns’ oeuvre and it would follow that I have watched The National Parks documentary….
On Being Invisible Late last week, I was made aware of some concerns that the POTA team were having relayed to them by various official agencies about the poor behavior of activators in parks and on public land. This led to a great post by Thomas K4SWL and some good discussion over in the ham…
Radio Goals for 2024 Laying out radio goals last year seemed to work really well. It provided a place for me to look as I moved through the year to compare what I said I wanted to do with what I was doing. It all seemed to track pretty well. I got deeper into CW,…
2023: The Year In Radio 2023 was a really, really great year for me with Ham Radio. I was able to get on the air and spend time investing in the hobby. It was a continual source of rejuvenation and energy for me. In short, it was exactly what a hobby should be. Parks On…
How Did That Happen? There were a lot of things stacked against doing an activation on the 27th. First and foremost, it’s my wife’s birthday so she sets the tone for the day. Having a birthday after Christmas isn’t fun. Most people are just celebrated out by that point and no one wants to eat…