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    • Portable HF.... >
      • Pedestrian Mobile >
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      • POTA - Parks On The Air >
        • Thots on POTA Activations
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        • POTA - Lizard Mound State Park k-9704
        • POTA k-3383 Bald Mtn State Rec Area
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        • POTA K-4429 Coronado National Forest
        • POTA K-4491 Superior Nat. Forest
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      • Ham Radio Field Days >
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    • Going Mobile HF & VHF >
      • 2020 Mobile Installation
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    • Miscellaneous Ham Radio Topics >
      • Baluns, Ununs, Etc.
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  • Backpacking/Camping
    • 2020 Backpacking/Camping Season >
      • 2020 Oct Boundary Waters Trip
      • July 2020 Koehler-Andrea St. Park Birthday Camping Trip
    • 2019 Backpacking/Camping Season >
      • September 2019 High Sierra Camp Loop
      • August 2019
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    • 2018 Backpacking/Camping Season >
      • Oct 2018 Boundary waters
      • August 4-5, 2018 Wisconsin River Canoe Trip
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      • June 28-30, 2018 Backpacking/Camping
      • June 2018 ARRL Field Day Camput
      • April 2017 Ice Age National Scenic Trail
    • 2017 Backpacking/Camping Season >
      • July 2017 Camping at Timber-Lee Christian Campground
      • Cancelled Ice Age Trail Backpacking Trip
      • June 2017 Hiking/Backpacking/Camping >
        • Cave of the Mounds and Blue Mounds State Park
      • May 2017 Backpacking/Hiking/Camping >
        • May 19 Ottawa Lakes Campground
        • May 4-7 2017 Porkies Backpacking Trip >
          • Porkies Backpack Trip Day 1
          • Porkies Backpack Trip Day 2
          • Porkies Backpack Trip Day 3
          • Porkies Backpack Trip Day 4
      • April 2017 Backpacking/Camping/Hiking
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    • 2016 Hiking/Backpacking/Camping Season >
      • December 2016 Hiking/Camping
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      • May 2016
      • April 2016
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        • Keeping Warm in a Hammock >
          • Lite Top Quilt or Bag Liner
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    • Glacier National Park 2015
    • Training for Glacier National Park Backpacking Trip
    • Backpacking Stoves >
      • Trangia 27-3 UL Stove >
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    • Backpacking Food >
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    • Other Gear
  • Adventures
    • 50th Anniversary In Alaska >
      • Day 1 Sites in Fairbanks
      • Day 2 Morning River Boat Cruise
      • Day 2 Afternoon travel to Denali
      • Day 3 Denali History Bus Tour >
        • McKinley Wilderness Princess Lodge Photos
      • Day 4 Coach ride to Anchorage/Whittier
      • Day 5 Ship Cruise at Yakutat Bay and Hubbard Glacier >
        • Photos of Yakutat Bay
      • Day 6 Galcier Bay
  • RC Planes
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    • Other Planes >
      • Flite-Test FT-Cruiser
      • Micro Fokker Eindecker by Dave Robelen
    • Things I've learned....
  • About
    • July 12, 2017 Flood
  • Other....
    • Remembering Charles & Eva >
      • Feist Family Photos
  • KW4JM Contact Log

Think Basic and Simple

2023-03-09 Whenever I get into a conversation with a new or newly active ham I'm impressed with how complicated it all seems to them. Take antennas, they are often paralyzed by thinking "I have to get it just right." Most of my 60+ years as ham I thought the same way. And that often kept me from doing anything other than cut a dipole. Then, with the wire in hand I was afraid I couldn't get it up high enough, or flat enough or something. The result was severely limiting my operating experience and fun.
The thing that has helped me the most over the past couple years has been getting involved with Parks On The Air (POTA). POTA provides a reason to go outside and operate portable. It provides a simple structure, pretty much guaranteeing success. And it provides a pool of operators who want to make contact with you, whether you are out in a park (activator) or at home (hunter). Those things are important for keeping you motivated. And by solving the problems of operating portable you learn a lot about gear, antennas, batteries and environmental considerations. In my experience it is one of if not the best program to help you learn and enjoy ham radio.
There are three primary topics to address in all of ham radio. 1) Gear or radios. 2) Antennas. 3) Power source. Those three topics are heavily influenced by an overarching question, Why are you interested? What itch will ham radio scratch for you. That's a changing and multifaceted thing. For me, technology has always been an interest of mine, particularly electronic/communications technology. A string between two cans fascinated me. Next it was the carbon mouthpiece in the old wooden wall phones and the ear piece. I still recall the lights coming on in my head when I saw how simple each was and and how they transmitted and received an audio signal between them! For you it may be the mystery of communicating with someone many miles away via radio. What it is doesn't matter but you need some sustained "reason" for playing with radio to help you overcome the challenges along the way.
Gear or Radios. 
Antennas.
Power source.
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