(…and what I would say to myself a year ago knowing what I know now)
By W4MGZ
I can’t believe it’s been a year since I sat in the radio room at my local Amateur radio club and took my technician exam. I remember thinking “Am I even going to do anything with this?”
The only reason I had even gotten that far is because I had bought two Baofeng radios in case of SHTF and I needed to know what was going on in the outside world. However, I quickly realized that owning a radio and knowing how to operate it efficiently were two entirely different things. So, there I sat taking my exam… and passing it with a 100%.
I also remember thinking during my study time that I was just memorizing answers to things I did not understand. I quickly realized that DOING is what teaches you the most, not just memorizing answers. Trials and tribulations (which I’ll go more into detail about later), are the best teaching tools out there. After all that is what ham radio is about… experimentation.
After passing my exam, I decided to go a little deeper and my next purchase was a tough one, as there are so many choices and avenues to take in amateur radio. For myself, not knowing anything other than what I had used in the military, I decided on a VHF/UHF radio. Now that “WHAT” had been decided next was “which one “and what features? As a newer ham, I wish I had taken more time to sit with others and absorb more knowledge about what different things are. Your local club has people who use all sorts of radios, and you can find out what they have and what the club radios are, which will give you the ability to use their repeaters if they have them. One example of different options would be Fusion vs. DSTAR. Sure, there is the internet and YouTube, but talking with people face to face about what they like and why is invaluable information when it comes to choosing a path to start on. My advice to anyone thinking about getting into amateur radio is to go to your local club, sit, chat, and ASK QUESTIONS. The local club is not a bunch of mean old men who answer with short answers to “get you out of their hair.” Most if not all will be glad to answer any questions you have, and I guarantee there is someone there who has some level of knowledge on any question you may have. In a nutshell, no matter what path you choose, dive in and HAVE FUN!!
I ended up buying a great radio, exactly what I THOUGHT I wanted. Don’t get me wrong I use it almost every evening to chat with friends I’ve met on the radio both local and about 20 miles south of me. The club has a net every Wednesday which I participate in occasionally. It also has features for something new I’m looking into, which I had no idea about when first starting out. I pretty much knew about a week later that this was not the exact type of radio operating I wanted to do. I now know the term for what I enjoy doing is “DX’ing.” I began the hunt for an HF radio. It was around a month after I was licensed that I purchased my first HF radio. two days later I was on the air and made my first HF contact. It was to Ecuador on 10 meters USB. The moment I heard my callsign read back to me over the air, I knew THIS was what I wanted to do with amateur radio. At that moment, I became addicted to DX’ing. I would come home from work every day, grab dinner, and head into my “shack.” Then I would set everything up and see what part of the world is making its way to my speakers. I soon realized that having a technician ticket was very limiting on where I could work DX. The day after I passed my technician exam, I began studying for my General License. One week after making my first HF contact on 10 meters, I took and passed my general exam. Now my ability to operate expanded greatly. I can honestly say, every single day (except four days I took a vacation and four days due to Hurricane Milton) I have made contacts on my radios, and I enjoy making every single one.
The Conundrum
With every new technology, an older technology starts becoming obsolete.
I had seen a You Tube video talking about a digital way to make QSO’s called FT8. I was intrigued and read a few articles and watched a few more videos. Before I knew it, I was doing FT8 and making contacts a lot quicker. This would be a topic of many discussions over the next several months. With the progression of FT8, less “phone” was being used to make QSO’s (in a general sense). Many, say the use of FT8 will kill ham radio, which I do not believe. However, I DO believe that new hams that get their tech tickets never knew a time without computers. So naturally, digital modes in all forms will continue as a mainstay in ham radio, while phone modes will remain less prevalent as years pass. AND what’s worse is, I fear CW or (morse code) which isn’t required anymore will significantly drop off due to lack of interest from newer hams as well as the passing of our older hams in which CW was a staple. I do plan to study and become proficient in CW during my 2nd year as an amateur operator along with getting my Extra exam passed. I still love hearing my callsign called back to me. There is no better feeling, however I do also enjoy digital modes… and thus the conundrum…. I am feeding the problem by partaking in the progression of digital modes of ham radio while it slowly distracts more and more operators away from my true love, SSB phone. To be clear, I chose FT8 for this discussion, however there are many modes for digital communications utilizing amateur radio. One final thought on this topic. Any mode that lets you communicate effectively is a good one.
Modern Emergency Communications using an older technology.
I live in Southwest Florida the self-proclaimed Lightning Capital of North America… And basically, hurricane central as seen recently on the national news. Also seen nationally were the devastating floods in North Carolina, Kentucky and many other places. What a lot of people do not realize is that amateur radio played and continues to play a vital role in rescue operations. If a large-scale disaster whether natural or other occurs, power goes out, and in many cases cell service as well. It is well documented during the North Carolina floods that the local amateur radio operators were using repeater systems to handle logistics and rescue coordination into and out of the hardest hit areas. This side of amateur radio at its core, is one of the main reasons for its existence. ARES, RACES, SKYWARN, just to name a few, are programs for volunteers to help perform a public service on a local, regional or national level. If you want to contribute back, this is a great way to do it.
Know your Limits
Know your limits, keep your band plan handy and do not operate where you should not and only use the power you need to operate successfully and legally.
As with any hobby/sport/endeavor, equipment is not cheap. I need to listen to my own words here….. Do not overspend your budget and leave yourself short financially. Set a budget and stick to it…. that new shiny 200-watt radio will still be there when the time comes.
Know your duty cycle. not just for your equipment’s sake, but for your health and well-being. Pulling an all-niter because propagation is great on 40m is one thing. Spending all weekend running constant ft8 @ 1kw power probably isn’t a great idea.. But I’m sure someone will beg to differ with me…
A few random do’s and don’ts that I learned during my first year
DON’T: Assume that if it’s not written into the specifications of a product there aren’t limitations for it. IE: Antenna PEP ratings mostly (although some are starting to) do not state the digital FT8 (full duty cycle) max power rating for their antennas. 1kw pep for an antenna on SSB phone = somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-30% of that for FT8… Baluns and antennas were harmed figuring this out.
DO: experiment…. it’s actually written into the definition of what an amateur radio operator is.
DON’T: Get mad or upset when someone does not confirm your QSO. There are SEVERAL platforms out there and not everyone will use the same one as you, also some do not have internet access that we take for granted, and lastly and to me most importantly, YOU know you made the qso…..and you don’t need to prove it to anyone.
DO: Read all instructions…. they are there for a reason. Especially for newer hams, amateur radio equipment isn’t cheap, and neither is shipping it out to be repaired.
DO: your own research… from many different sources…. for every person that says “this is the only way” there is another person swearing this other way is correct and better.
DO: Learn the proper etiquette for the mode you are working. Each mode has some common etiquettes that you should learn and follow. Not everyone will, but continue to stay the course, and do the right thing.
DON’T: think that you need a 1kw linear amplifier to be able to communicate worldwide. The best thing you can do is get the best antenna you can afford, that fits your particular situation. A good antenna as high as possible does the trick… almost every time. QRP (low power modes) are very popular and use as little as milliwatts to communicate long distances.
DO: Take the first step, you will not regret it. You do not have to be heard in Japan to have fun with amateur radio.
Expectations (Goals) vs Reality (Accomplishments)
I started this not really knowing where I would be a year later. I had hoped that I would enjoy this, and it would be something I enjoyed until the waning years of my life. I set myself up to be as successful as I could. What I found out was, that with each passing day and QSO, I loved this adventure more and more. One year in, and I still rush home and see what far off land i can hear. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to communicate with so many people from around the world. I have now made contacts on HF bands 80 thru 6 meters using PHONE/RTTY/PSK/FT modes. I’ve made contacts on both vhf and uhf with voice and digital, I’ve downloaded slow scan tv images from the space station and even sent email over the radio with Winlink. I am proud that in these first 12 months, I’ve made over 6000 contacts with over 3000 confirmations, with 200 countries of which 199 were DXCC entities. I am proud of how far I have come in this first year, and I am really excited to see what lies ahead in year number two.
It sounds like I have done a lot and learned a lot, and I have, but I am humbled knowing I have learned only a fraction of what I can learn, and that drives me forward. Amateur radio is not a hobby that you can complete like a jigsaw puzzle. Amateur radio is a journey, filled with fun, enjoyable people, and events. I’m glad I took that first step and I look forward to each and every step ahead.
Notes from the Elmers
After writing this, I reached out to my local club and asked for each person’s #1 best piece of advice they would offer a new ham, or someone thinking about getting into amateur radio. Some of it may have been mentioned earlier, but I look at that as validation of my thought process.
“Joining a local club with Elmers makes the Amateur radio experience more satisfying and fun.”
“While there is a serious side to Ham Radio that focuses on Emergency Communications, the most gratifying aspect is that it is a hobby that can be enjoyed by all races, colors, and creeds on a global basis and offers everything from basic meet-and-greet to contests, games, and a wide range of technologies. So, it’s about the people we meet, get to know, and grow with in knowledge, that makes Ham Radio such a great activity!”
“If you’re building any kind of radio station at home, in the field, or at a clubhouse, pay lots of attention to proper power, grounding, and lighting protection, especially important here in Florida, the lightning capital of North America. The ARRL has a lot of good information about those topics. As do those in local clubs who have been operating in the local environment for years.”
“My one piece of advice is to join or associate with a local club. People in the clubs are always willing and ready to help, teach, advise, and lead by example. There is so much to amateur radio you really need multiple views and sources to draw from. Subscribing to a radio related magazine also helps, as well as joining the ARRL.”
“For sure, you can argue about using new equipment vs old gear… or obtaining your HF/Extra license… or buying new monitors/PCs to assemble a ham shack, etc. But the lesson I learned quickly was to get the best antenna I could. If I could hear the other station — I could work them.”