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.
Amateur Radio is a niche hobby full of niches; most of them require a radio. Here’s one list of things you can do with/in Amateur Radio:
🔗 https://hamradiofornontechies.com/what-can-i-do-with-ham-radio/
Clubs are highly overrated. They are only beneficial if your interests in Amateur Radio coincide with a sizable segment of the club membership or with the club’s purpose. In my case our club is `primarily a social outlet for disheveled old folks who are only interested in DXing and contests; not my cup of tea.
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if your club sucks, contribute and make it better!
That’s an idiotic, and more than a little bit insulting, kneejerk response.
You have no idea what I do for my club.
Not strictly amateur radio but RTL-SDR projects are cheap and fun.
Some clubs meet in person and on zoom simultaneously, does your local one? I’d get in contact with them anyway, someone might have a loaner rig you can use to get on the air and see what interests you the most.
Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air are popular an a lot of fun, but you’d need a radio first.
With some basic tools you could build your own radio from a kit.
I can only recommend that you try new things within your budget. Some people like to ragchew. I don’t. The most I’ll do is QSO only digital. Turns out, I like building radios. Don’t force it. It’s supposed to be fun. Explore. And it’s OK to take breaks and go do something else for a while.
