Rabbit Holes are Fun!

For the last few weeks—starting a bit before Thanksgiving—I have been falling deeply down a new-to-me rabbit hole: amateur radio.

I’ve been radio-curious for a very long time. I was an avid shortwave listener in the 90s, but never pursued things further than listening, and even then, only with some fairly straightforward off-the-shelf tech (the now-venerable Realistic DX-390).

At that time, my excuse was probably that learning Morse Code was more work than I wanted to do. All amateur licenses at that time required at least a 5 word-per-minute proficiency test in that most ancient arts of useful telegraphy, so I shrugged it off.

That requirement was dropped, at least in part, all the way back in 20001. Therefore, that excuse has not obtained or 23 years. Yet, here I was, merely at pool-side, wondering what the water was like.

Then, last month, for no reason I can actually discern…the bug bit me. Hard.

The upside is that I’m ready to take my Technician License exam, and am scheduled to do so, next week.

However, it’s been a long time since I’ve been this focused on a totally new activity. It’s been a little weird, and I’ve had to remind myself to make time for other things.

Including writing, because I haven’t just wanted to write endlessly about ham radio stuff, and that’s really most of what’s in my brain right now!

I figured maybe I should ask, so here I am, asking:

Anyway, everyone have a Happy Hanukah, and stay tuned for the next chapter of Things Fall Apart starting Monday!