I hold an Extra class Amateur Radio license, AEØMW and over the years my activity level as well as the specific activities have varied greatly.
Amateur Radio really is a hobby that you can have for a lifetime. The breadth of items and technology encompassed in Amateur Radio is phenomenal. The depth at which you can explore these items is limited only by your desire and willingness to explore.
On the surface radio communication seems very simple, and indeed little theory has changed since the days of Marconi, Tesla, and Popov. The exciting part is the application, expansion and creative manipulation of those theories. Mobile Phones, Radio Telescopes, Wireless Internet, Weather Satellites, and Space Exploration all have strong ties to radio theory and roots tied closely to Amateur Radio.
For many people Amateur Radio is a means to an end, and that makes Amateur Radio operators an extremely diverse group of individuals. Hikers and boaters, astronomers and spelunkers, urban explorers and country farmhands all find common ground in the application of Amateur Radio to their other hobbies.
For others Amateur Radio is the end, a license in and of itself to tinker and explore.
I am actively involved with many facets of amateur radio currently including:
- Board Member of Des Moines Radio Amateur’s Association
- Central Iowa D-Star committee
- ARRL/VEC volunteer examiner
- Polk County ARES
- HF Operation (Mostly QRP/Portable)
- HF Digital Operation (WinMOR, PSK-31, etc)
