December 2020
HAMsters look to 2021
06/12/20 09:54
As I sit here pondering the things that I am hoping to get accomplished before the end of the year with my Amateur Radio projects {Finish up the final projects in my new shack, replace my stacked 23cm antenna array} and prepare for the upcoming VHF/UHF Contest in January. I find my biggest hope that 2021 is a better year for all of us than 2020 has been.
I am extremely grateful that my immediate family and myself have so far come through the year undamaged by health issues or job issues and I pray for those who have suffered loss in one fashion or another with this pandemic.
But then I take a look back at our hobby for the past year, and honestly you have to admit 2020 has been pretty fantastic over all for our hobby. With so many people at home, unable to go out to eat dinner, head to movies, shop, etc…….Radio activity is at an all time high, combine that with some awesome new rigs out there and VHF/UHF Weak Signal Activity has picked up dramatically. Then for good measure toss in a rising solar cycle that is actually showing some promise of providing us with some excellent HF activity and hobby wise we really have not got much to complain about.
The HAMster Group has been growing, we are right on the edge of welcoming our 200th member to the UNCLUB, and that is pretty fantastic when you consider our start, and simple goals for the group back in 2006.
Then for an UNCLUB with no dues, no income, no officers, and no POLITICS we have I believe accomplished a lot and in many cases so much more than some big name clubs. Over the years our Remote Spring Break Field Day at our ranch was always a lot of fun and very successful, and then for the past 5 years until COVID put everything on hold, our lunch and Learns were very successful and popular. With our lunch and learn we were able to introduce many new hams to the excitement of VHF/UHF operating and most specially Weak Signal SSB/CW and slowly the new Digital modes.
With COVID and the need to cancel both of our HAMster lunch and Learns for 2020 we began looking at alternatives for the lunch and Learn and how to reach a large target audience. And with that the birth of the HAM Talk show was born.
With an initial cast plan of Samantha KE0LMY, M’Lisa KI5ICQ, Steve WA5FRF and myself we set about working out the how to develop and coordinate the show, specially during the time of COVID. Unfortunately Steve WA5FRF schedule dramatically changed for him and he was no longer able to be a full time host by the time we got the show launched.
However during our first show, we had as a guest Andrea Slack K2EZ who did a great review of her VHF/UHF Contest Roving vehicle and after some amazing feedback on her portion of the show, she agreed to join us as a regular cast member promoting VHF/UHF with future presentations not only on roving, but contesting, propagation and much more. So we are excited with our 2nd show episode to have her join the cast.
We are preparing to roll out the 2nd Episode of HAM Talk and hope you join us. We promise each show will get less rough and both the cast and subject matter will become more polished as we get comfortable with the project and also learn from trial and error how to put on a much better production.
The bottom line, 2020 was over all a very rough year for many of us….but I am proud to say that not only did the HAMsters adapt to and over come our obsticals and continue to grow within the hobby, but Amateur Radio in and of itself thrived.
So as we approach 2021, with all that waits us….I look forward to the new year with great excitement.
Check out the first episode of HAM Talk at :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5KItPKJXxs&t=159s
I am extremely grateful that my immediate family and myself have so far come through the year undamaged by health issues or job issues and I pray for those who have suffered loss in one fashion or another with this pandemic.
But then I take a look back at our hobby for the past year, and honestly you have to admit 2020 has been pretty fantastic over all for our hobby. With so many people at home, unable to go out to eat dinner, head to movies, shop, etc…….Radio activity is at an all time high, combine that with some awesome new rigs out there and VHF/UHF Weak Signal Activity has picked up dramatically. Then for good measure toss in a rising solar cycle that is actually showing some promise of providing us with some excellent HF activity and hobby wise we really have not got much to complain about.
The HAMster Group has been growing, we are right on the edge of welcoming our 200th member to the UNCLUB, and that is pretty fantastic when you consider our start, and simple goals for the group back in 2006.
Then for an UNCLUB with no dues, no income, no officers, and no POLITICS we have I believe accomplished a lot and in many cases so much more than some big name clubs. Over the years our Remote Spring Break Field Day at our ranch was always a lot of fun and very successful, and then for the past 5 years until COVID put everything on hold, our lunch and Learns were very successful and popular. With our lunch and learn we were able to introduce many new hams to the excitement of VHF/UHF operating and most specially Weak Signal SSB/CW and slowly the new Digital modes.
With COVID and the need to cancel both of our HAMster lunch and Learns for 2020 we began looking at alternatives for the lunch and Learn and how to reach a large target audience. And with that the birth of the HAM Talk show was born.
With an initial cast plan of Samantha KE0LMY, M’Lisa KI5ICQ, Steve WA5FRF and myself we set about working out the how to develop and coordinate the show, specially during the time of COVID. Unfortunately Steve WA5FRF schedule dramatically changed for him and he was no longer able to be a full time host by the time we got the show launched.
However during our first show, we had as a guest Andrea Slack K2EZ who did a great review of her VHF/UHF Contest Roving vehicle and after some amazing feedback on her portion of the show, she agreed to join us as a regular cast member promoting VHF/UHF with future presentations not only on roving, but contesting, propagation and much more. So we are excited with our 2nd show episode to have her join the cast.
We are preparing to roll out the 2nd Episode of HAM Talk and hope you join us. We promise each show will get less rough and both the cast and subject matter will become more polished as we get comfortable with the project and also learn from trial and error how to put on a much better production.
The bottom line, 2020 was over all a very rough year for many of us….but I am proud to say that not only did the HAMsters adapt to and over come our obsticals and continue to grow within the hobby, but Amateur Radio in and of itself thrived.
So as we approach 2021, with all that waits us….I look forward to the new year with great excitement.
Check out the first episode of HAM Talk at :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5KItPKJXxs&t=159s
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