Ham needs Advice

[W4JJA]

I have been in Amateur Radio off and on, since 1955 when I was in college.
I have a complete station set up with a Kenwood 530s, a tower and rotor and a Butternut Butterfly antenna. All works well. Tunes up great.
I have had 3 QSO's in the last year.
How can I get back in to it? What can I do? How can I raise my interest?
Thanks,
Jack

[KE4KY]

Let's see...

DXing
Contesting
Satellites
County Hunting
IOTA
Worked All States
etc...

Maybe you just need to find a group of friends that meet on a particular frequency just for general conversation every other day or so.

[N5AL]

How about joining the Ft. Pierce Amateur Radio Club: http://www.qsl.net/w4akh/ and meeting a few hams living in your area.

[WA4BRL]

Find a mode, radio, operating technique, or some technical challenge for which you have or might develop a PASSION -- some facet within the hobby that simply brings you joy. For many of us, these things wax and wane over the years, and our interests often change as we learn, grow, and age. Search for that THING that works for you.

If it just isn't there, then what's the point? Move on to some other hobby.

[W6TMI]

I have the opposite problem, not really enough time to indulge. Plus I can't really setup a home station as I'm in a condo.

I can think of a ton of things I want to do - re-learn CW and engage in it, get some psk contacts, get some good DX contacts logged via any mode, do some remote location operating, some direction finding, and a ton of other stuff.

[AB2T]

I would love to get on the air but I haven't had a station for two years. The local college club is a repeater group :-( Two licenses and nothing's on.

I'll add homebrewing to the list. Nothing like making something that only works after 1,000 attempts. Think Thomas Edison.

[KY5U]

I have been in Amateur Radio off and on, since 1955 when I was in college.
I have a complete station set up with a Kenwood 530s, a tower and rotor and a Butternut Butterfly antenna. All works well. Tunes up great.
I have had 3 QSO's in the last year.
How can I get back in to it? What can I do? How can I raise my interest?
Thanks,
Jack
One CW contact a day will do it. Make yourself commit to making at least one per day. Within a month you'll be needing a "fix" all day.

[G0VQY]

You either have an interest in ham radio or you don't. If I have to go onto a forum and ask people how I can become interested in ham radio again, then it's quite obvious that I'm not interested in it any more and I may as well go and find something else to do.

[KK7EL]

Maybe you remember the good old days when propagation was good and got spoiled, so perhaps you just need a challenge: Try QRP SSB and/or QRP CW.

[WB2WIK]

I find having interesting conversations keeps my attention better than most other stuff on the air. Contests can provide 24 to 48 hours of intense stimulation, but then it's over. Trying a new mode can be fun.

But mostly I try to make QSOs "interesting," by asking lots of questions.

A lot of hams are terrible conversationalists. Those contacts don't last long. But some are terrific. I try to ask older guys about the early days of radio, what they used back in the 30s or 40s or whatever, stuff like that. Some of the stories are fantastic.

[KA4DPO]

One really great thing about the part of Florida you live in is that a ground mounted vertical antenna will actually work. I lived in Melbourne for many years and my ground mounted Butternut worked incredibly well.

The other great thing about being in South Central Florida are the thermal ducts that happen up and down the coast. Most of the time they happen to the West and Texas stations will come in on two meters like they are next door. Occaisionally they happen North to South and You can work into New York.

There are so many reasons to at least try radio again but you couldn't ask for a better location to do it from.

[KB2FCV]

Oh man, how I wish I had the room to squeeze a tower in! Too much tree coverage (which are supports for my dipole!). It sounds like you have a fantastic station to get started.

I'd defintely take a look at new modes and things to try out. Perhaps you'll find a new nich that really peaks your interest. As others said, there are so many facets of this hobby. I love it because there is always something new. I like to try everything, and I tend to bounce back around at things.. contests, dxing (always chasing..), satellites, digital modes, vhf ssb/cw, moonbounce, building stuff, qrp, the list goes on and on...

[NK2U]

I have been in Amateur Radio off and on, since 1955 when I was in college.
I have a complete station set up with a Kenwood 530s, a tower and rotor and a Butternut Butterfly antenna. All works well. Tunes up great.
I have had 3 QSO's in the last year.
How can I get back in to it? What can I do? How can I raise my interest?
Thanks,
Jack

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can't DO anything, it has to be there... inside you. You have to LOVE radio otherwise it's time to sell the kit n kaboodle and look for another hobby!

de NK2U
A Great American

[KI6DCB]

Buy low.
Sell high.
If it has tires or t!+s, sooner or later it will give you trouble.
Boats, airplanes, women: Don't buy when you can rent.
Never deal with family in money matters.
Never tell the sergeant you're bored.
Strangers are usually more honest with you than people you know.
Women are only after one thing. ;-)
Save ten percent of your paycheck.
Your boss is not your friend.
Never spend more than $6000 for anything that doesn't have a basement. (From my grandmother.)
No matter how "hot" she is, someone, somewhere, is tired of her $h!+.
Military recruiters might not always be completely honest with you. (Please, don't ask how I know. ;-))
Stay out of casinos; they don't get fancy because people win.
There is no way to underestimate average intelligence.
Most people will take advantage of you if you let them.
Some parts of town really are bad.
A Smith and Wesson beats a royal flush.
Always set the parking brake.
If you drive so that you save gas, you also save on tires, transmissions, brakes, suspensions...
Live well -- as though you are going to die tomorrow. One day, you'll be right...But you won't know until tomorrow.
Amateur radio is fun; there are so many things that you can do -- just jump in and have a good time. If you don't like what you hear, spin the big knob and communicate with someone else.

If this isn't enough advice, I have lots more.

[W5BIB]

Whatever you do,... Don't let your license expire... Someday, you'll "get the Bug again" and want to do something that requires a license...R/C aircraft, hf/cw, 2 meters >>>!!!??? whatever.. I stayed off-the-air for over 20 years...now I'm back on with "tubes" ...!!! And having more fun than I did back in 1962 !!!...Don't push it... It'll come back to you when you're ready...73 W5BIB... (cw/hf):)

[KB9LXP]

Keep your eyes on qrz for special events, Turkey day net, Pats event, Dayton events! I know some hams that had fun working these having a blast, and making comments as to that right here on the Zed. It is what you make of it I guess. Maybe buy a new modern Rig, that might help? It doe's for Me. Hi Hi.
Mike

[N0AZZ]

All I can say so many things to do so little time to do them all but I'm going to try. I'm a DXer so spend more time listening than talking. I do digital, VHF weak signal, and work some contests looking for a new DX contact or a new band country.

Must agree if you have to ask what to do then seek another hobby I have had many.