QRZ???

I have held an amateur radio license for ~ 15 years, I started out with Technician plus (5wpm code test) and when that was about to expire, I opted to upgrade to a General ticket rather than just renew. BUT, I really have not done anything with it. Oh sure, I got on the 2meter repeaters on a HT and actually ran packet on it for a time. Every few years, I get the itch to get back into the hobby and maybe get on the air on HF. I never yearned to get a large full powered rig, rather I love the small low power (QRP) radios. I remember as a kid seeing small one tube rigs in magazines and thinking that was cool. The Heathkit kits, really appealed to me back in the day. For some reason, instead of a radio, the Heathkit kit, I ordered was a computer - an H8.... so computers may have been the substitute hobby

Now a lot of Hams will say that starting out with low power and simple minimal antennas is not the way to go, but again, for what ever reason, I am not attracted to full size/power radios.


Anyway a few years ago, during an itch, I finally built a radio a Small Wonders Labs SW20+, a great kit and fun! I really love building kits, I ended up building a watt meter and frequency counter from Oak Hills Research and some of the kits offered by Amqrp and other qrp clubs, so I have the start of my low power shack. Unfortunately, I did not get my CW (morse code) (the 20+ is cw only no voice)skills up to speed and eventually Ham ended up on hold for a while.

Well, the kids are older and I got the bug again, so this blog will track my progress on getting HF portable/ QRP.

See HFPack for the type of operation I am working towards. Especially some of the utube videos. This ties in with my love of outdoors, camping and hiking.
Stay tuned...... de N8Mac