Some of the advice may seem contradictory. For example, lesson #1 is to avoid being obsessed with amateur radio, yet one of the chapters is titled, “Commitment is king.” Life is like that, though, isn’t it? The trick is being able to resolve those conflicting ideas in our lives. In this case that means not being obsessed with the hobby while at the same time being committed to it. Without commitment you won’t get as much out of amateur radio as you might expect, but you still do need to be able to step away when you need to as well.
One of the chapters that really resonated with me is “Finishing Projects (or Not).” I have numerous half-completed projects on my workbench, and when I think about them, I feel bad that I haven’t finished them. DH7LM offers several bits of advice here, including choosing projects wisely, and to trick yourself into finishing them by postponing other ham radio purchases until you do complete a particular project.
New hams (and old hams) will find lots of practical advice in this book. It won’t help you operate the latest digital mode, or help you work more DX, but it will help you get more out of amateur radio.
John says
Dan
Thanks for posting this. I’m in sort of a lull. Maybe a different perspective will bring some clarity
Dan KB6NU says
Trying something different is always a good strategy. Try a new band or a new mode. Build a kit. Download some new software. That should get you out of your rut. Let me know if I can help you in any way.
Ed says
Let me suggest this podcast if you like soldering radios…definitely the best part of ham radio.
http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2017/03/soldersmoke-podcast-194-approaching.html
Oh, and buy a BitX kit from India
http://www.hfsigs.com/
Ed KC8SBV