Returning to Ham Radio and Exploring Some New Avenues

Way back in 2017 I obtained my Ham Radio License. I spent a bunch of money on all the ’toys’ that go along with that hobby and actually spent a good bit of time working some of the digital modes over the HF frequencies. I routinely hit South Africa as well as a bunch of places in Europe.

Then we moved.

After we moved I had so many irons in the fire that I didn’t set up my ham gear again. In fact, I actually sold my HF rig because, to be honest, I didn’t feel like I was getting enough out of the hobby to continue it. Not to mention that it is expensive.

My original interest in radio was piqued by two factors:

• A book I read as a boy about a boy who was a Ham operator and had interesting conversations with other boys his age from around the world. This, of course, was before the internet so the idea of talking with others from around the world was both exciting and mysterious.

• The other factor was that I had an uncle who had gotten involved in the hobby after retiring and he made it sound interesting, as well.

I wanted to have those experiences.

But times have changed a lot since those early exposures and the allure of amateur radio isn’t what it was when I was much, much younger. The internet has changed the hobby in some positive and negative ways.

On the negative side, it has made it easier for folks to talk to people from around the world without the need for licensing, expensive equipment, and specialized knowledge. The result is that there are fewer people on-air¹.

On the positive side, it has opened up new ways of communicating that the internet alone may not be able to provide. And this is where I come back to radio. I want to begin exploring some of those newer approaches.

Amateur radio doesn’t rely on an intact infrastructure like the internet does, so it has always played a significant role in emergency situations, relaying critical information when needed, allowing people affected by natural disasters to let loved ones know that they’re okay, getting help to areas that need it most.

In this post I’m not going to get into specifics on the different technologies for one simple reason: I don’t yet know enough! to give details. I’m learning. And, as I learn, I’ll share what I’ve learned along with my experiences playing with those technologies.

I am excited to get back into the hobby and build my understanding of the current technologies. And I"m excited to take you along for the ride.