There was a popular book published 25 years ago titled, Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow. The blurb on Amazon says, “Here is the book you’ve been waiting for–a-step-by-step guide to finding the ‘work’ that expresses and fulfills your needs, talents, and passions.”
Of course, it’s not that easy. Even if it weren’t illegal, I doubt that I could find someone to pay me to operate 40m CW. Even so, I’ve been trying to make money from my amateur radio addiction for the past ten years or so. I’ve even had some moderate success selling my amateur radio study guides and other amateur radio books.
Now, however, I need to pick up my game. I just lost one of my biggest website clients (the magazine whose website I was maintaining was recently taken over by a company that wants to “bring in their own guys”), and I’m going to have to do something to replace that income.
I could step up my efforts to acquire more web-development work. It looks like one of the companies for which I do PHP and database programming is going to need more of my time, and I could be more proactive in finding other clients to work for. I could also actually do that premium WordPress plugin that I’ve been threatening to develop for the last year or two. Now that I don’t have to work on the magazine website, I’ll have time to work on that.
What I’d really like to do, however, is work more on amateur radio projects. I am sure that I have at least a couple more books in me, and I also have some other ideas for amateur radio products that I think that I could sell. Going full-time in amateur radio would be more of a risk than continuing to develop web software and write blog posts and articles for high-tech companies, but the upside is that it would be a lot more fun, I think.
At this point, I’m open to any and all ideas. Do you think that I have any chance of making it full time in amateur radio? Do you have any ideas for amateur radio products or services that are not currently being offered? Might you be interested in partnering up to offer those services? Let me know what you think.
Neil McGrath G7AQK says
Have you considered the professional radio game. Companies are crying out for antenna designers, system planners, network build specialists and RF circuit designers. If you do not fancy becoming a full time employee, there is good money to be had doing short term contact work.
I currently work on the UK railways, although I have also previously worked for the emergency services as a radio systems engineer.
Most people regard work and play as two separate entities but if they are the same thing you can play at anytime! Go for it.
Dan KB6NU says
Hmmmmm. That’s an idea, and I do have an EE degree. I wonder, though, how I’d find that kind of work, and whether or not, they’d be hesitant to hire me because of my age. I certainly know that I’ve been discriminated against when going for certain web-development contract work.
Neil McGrath G7AQK says
Most companies will not worry about your age for contract work as long as you have the skills they need. I think that it would help to keep the cash coming in and leave you the freedom to also do the Amateur Radio work that you obviously love.
Koos van den Hout says
I would caution a bit against combining work and hobby too much: being active in different subjects is good in my opinion. I was very active in a computer club but I also got a career in system administration. Eventually this clashed a bit (it took years) and I decided to leave the computer club and started doing something with amateur radio.
Dan KB6NU says
I hear you, and yes, that’s a concern for me, too. I don’t want making a business of ham radio to affect my enjoyment of it.