A little less than a year after first transmitting on the Magic Band, I qualified for VUCC. This was a goal of mine, just to see if it could be done on FT8 and using the same EFLW that I use for HF. If fact, it is possible!
Next, I want to try my hand at SSB on 6m, as FT8 is getting a little old. I've been brushing up on my Morse and hope to jump into that again soon.
Field Day is just around the corner; this is such an awesome hobby!
When I began to get back into amateur radio in the late fall of 2019, CW was the initial focus. I had enjoyed working code before becoming inactive and it was fun reawakening those neural pathways. Within a month or so of working on the code, my speed was in the 13-15 WPM range -- a far cry from my previous 22 WPM, but good enough to get back on the air.
I think there were a small number of CW QSOs before I discovered FT8, which seemed pretty cool! True, FT8 isn't a conversational mode, but it makes a lot of sense in the nadir of the sunspot cycle. Also, when combined with tools like pskreporter.info, you rapidly gain an understanding of propagation, power, and antenna directivity. It's a lot of fun.
This week I qualified for WAS and DXCC on FT8, and the shininess seems a little less now. Having proved to myself that these milestones are obtainable with a little discipline and thoughtfulness, there's a definite sense of "now what?".
Besides still aiming for VUCC on 6 meter FT8, on HF I'll probably head back to CW. I like dittybopping more than talking, although SSB on Field Day was a whale of a lot of fun. For sure FT8 will be a staple, because variety is the spice of life.
When I was active in ham radio earlier in my life, I wasn't a hardcore contester or award seeker. I didn't keep track of states or countries for Worked All States or DXCC, and while I occasionally did participate in contests, the awards were never of interest.
Now, I find myself actively seeking a few more countries to complete DXCC, that elusive Alaska QSO to complete WAS, and various WPX endorsements. In doing so, my appreciation of different facets of radio has increased significantly. It's forcing me, for example, to understand propagation trends and patterns; how radios and computers interact with one another; and different practical antenna designs and why they work, among many other things.
Other people may or may not be interested in such parts of the hobby, and that's okay; different things appeal to different people. That's part of the greatness of Amateur Radio: Others continuously develop things to discover and participate in at some point.
