As I begin to usher in a new year, I wanted to reflect on the outgoing year and how my involvement within the amateur radio hobby has fared over that time. Although I was first licensed in 2014 as KM4EHD and have held a general class license from the beginning, it was not until earlier this year that I actually became active in the hobby.
I have to give a shout out to my cousin Mike, W4ISB, for his recommendation to investigate the HF digital modes. If it had not been for that suggestion, the rest of the year might have looked drastically different in terms of my radio involvement. Soon after I was introduced to the WSJT-X modes, I purchased a magnetic loop antenna so that I could operate more easily from my QTH, which has antenna restrictions barring permanent or “unsightly” outdoor antennas. Using the loop antenna and my only HF radio at the time, I found myself spending several hours day after day fiddling around with FT8 and FT4 and finding it fascinating that, with my modest HF station, I could communicate with another station at some DX location on the other side of the planet.
My interest in amateur radio grew ever stronger after that. I had learned of the Parks On The Air (POTA) program and began activating local parks using FT8. It was fun to put together a battery-powered portable station capable of communicating with other stations across the country and world. Having been a ham for quite a while, I was aware of amateur radio clubs and their importance and benefits, but I had not joined one. I made it a point to change that and began a search for a club that matched what I wanted to get out of the hobby (and a club that offered opportunities for me to contribute to the hobby). I eventually joined the Vienna Wireless Society, which has been quite rewarding to me. It was at the club’s Field Day exercise over the Summer that I made my very first CW contact, which changed the way I operate my radios. I have worked no other mode than CW since that day and I’m loving it!
Having started learning CW back in early Spring, I realized that I needed formal instruction if I was going to become proficient at communicating in the Morse code and so I signed up for the CW Operators’ Club’s CW Academy program. In my first class with the CWA, I had a fantastic advisor, Steve (WJØC), who helped usher me onward by providing me with the tools I needed to reach Morse proficiency. I also met and befriended Bryce (N9WF) during that class, which has been a rewarding friendship. Bryce has become an expert CW operator and was inducted into the CWops club soon after he completed the Intermediate CWA class in the Fall. By the end of the year, I too would secure an invitation to join the prestigious CW Operators’ Club, which was a major milestone that I had place before me early on in my CW education efforts.
Another milestone I hoped to reach was to participate in a “real” amateur radio contest. As I became more skilled with the Morse code, I naturally started drifting toward CW contests. While my head copy skills are not, in my opinion, great enough to run in a contest, I’m fully capable of searching and pouncing at 25+ WPM. I have a few major contests now under my belt–the North American QSO Party, the CQ World Wide DX CW contest, and the ARRL 10-meter contest. I’ve also participated several times in the K1USN Slow-speed Test and a couple of times, I came across contests I didn’t know about, like the LZ DX contest, which I decided to jump into and hand out some Qs.
Activating parks in the POTA program has been a load of fun. I now have many different antennas all because of POTA and the desire to find the best antenna for the operating situation that I can use to get on the air. The most fun thing about this hobby, for me, is experimenting with different antenna deployments and the Parks on The Air program gives me the opportunity to do that. That is until Winter started to come around and I realized I hadn’t thought about how I could stay active in the program when it was too cold to sit at a park bench or picnic table. I now have a couple different options for operating from the safety of my vehicle and it was an enjoyable time doing the research on what antenna options are possible for a new-to-me operating situation.
Through all of this year, I’ve tried to keep some momentum flowing between on-air radio activities because I am prone to drop a hobby if I don’t stay sufficiently active with it. This blog has been a big help with that, because it gives me motivation to keep amateur radio on my mind each day and encourages me to continue learning as much about the hobby as I can and then to put that knowledge to work, whether it be building an antenna or improving my soldering skills. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to write more articles on various hobby-related topics that may be of interest to others.
I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable New Year’s Day celebration this week. Don’t forget that the ARRL Straight Key Night is Thursday. Also, the North American QSO Party – CW is the second weekend of January. Look for me participating in at least that one. I may participate in the straight key night, but my manual key skills may not be up to snuff. Either way, keep an ear out for me in either event.
K2MAS.net 