I’m wondering what you guys suggest to regain my interest in this hobby. I got my certification last fall (live in US) and was excited to learn the concepts and start using a radio. But after passing that my interest has dropped.

I don’t have a radio club nearby or much money to spend on equipment. I had a UV-5R for a while but sold it recently since I needed the $ at the time. I was thinking of getting a slightly better handheld, and the idea of building a mobile station in my car is appealing. When I scanned the air with my baofeng I picked up some chatter every few days but could barely make it out. I also have a SDR that I connect to my computer and pick up some local FM stations.

I’ve heard that a club is the best way to get into it. The closest club is farther than I can usually drive with my work/life committments but I want to start trying to go at least once every few month. Are there any projects I could do on my own that could be exciting?

Thanks for your help.

  • Onno (VK6FLAB)
    5•2 months ago

    First of all, this is a hobby, your hobby, so there’s no “should” anywhere. It’s entirely driven by you. The fact that you’re here is a good indication that you’re still interested in the idea of what amateur radio means to you, but it appears that you haven’t found something that tickles your fancy.

    Listening with an RTL-SDR dongle or an online websdr are great places to start. There’s gobs of free software around for all platforms including mobile phones. These are “low barrier to entry” activities. Going to hamfests, subscribing to email discussion lists, reading newsletters, joining clubs as a remote member are slightly more involved.

    I’ve spent the past 13 or so years wandering around the hobby and playing with the things that come across my path. I started documenting it and continue to do so in a weekly podcast “Foundations of Amateur Radio” (previously called “What use is an F-call?”) They’re available as audio, video, text, email and ebook as well as on several social media platforms. I also document all the other stuff I get up to within this amazing hobby: http://vk6flab.com

    I host a weekly net where new and returning amateurs come for a chat, every Saturday for an hour at 00:00 UTC - called F-troop. You can participate without a radio, using software called Echolink or Allstar. http://ftroop.groups.io

    The point I’m making is that there’s literally thousands of things to do and people to ask.

    Ask yourself what “exciting” means to YOU. Perhaps that will give you some ideas for your next adventure.

    Welcome to the community. Stick around, it’s loads of fun!

    73 de Onno VK6FLAB