Autumn Projects

It is always hard to find enough time to make headway on one’s projects when you’re busy with work & family.

I had already started clearing my schedule of volunteer activities that either have poor personal satisfaction, or where I don’t feel I can be effective – a process I started a year ago, and I am now pushing even more to drop activities that don’t measure up this season.

The goal is to clear the time for a few simple projects:

• Finish the HF Portable Station
• Finish the Satellite Portable Station
• Build the Retro-75 75m AM QRP kit
• Revamp the Lightening Protection on my Main Station
• Get on the air at least 3 hours a week as a regular practice.
• Upgrade the Rubidium Station Frequency Reference by building an enclosure and protection circuitry
• Regain QSO level CW competency (practice practice practice)

All simple projects and projects I’ve left lingering too long.

As part of this season’s personal time clearing, I’ve stepped back from a number of activities.  This summer I substituted on Saxophone only about a few times – much less I usually would over the summer.  I only did two WI-001L Washington Island brief activations.  And I have stepped down as anything more than a rank & file member of our local radio club.  All of these free up a quite a bit of time.

In addition to the projects, clearing space will give me more on-air time.  This summer, outside of casual time on,  I worked part of one Sprint, a QSO party and one part of another contest, which is too little contesting to satisfy me!

Thinking a couple projects will be let go.  I’ve an Amp build kit I don’t think I can make time for, and a non-radio woodworking musical instrument project that has stalled completely.  Might just eBay them off rather than store them.

Given the choice between endless projects and getting on the air, the projects will wait – I’d rather light-up the station and be on the air!

Fortunately Amateur Radio is a hobby that is really an individual’s pursuit that the other side of the QSO – especially a DX QSO – is a someone who you usually first meet on the air, and through that QSO make a new radio friend.

73

Steve

K9ZW