Were you once a HAM, quit activity, let your license expire and never looked back?

[TexTAC]

I’ve been licensed less than a year but my interest is gaining and not decreasing. I got the Tech and General Class license at the same time and want to get an Extra Class by the end of the year. Enjoy DXing even with 100 watts and a wire, did that ISS SSTV deal a few months ago, occasionally like to join in local UHF/VHF nets, been slowly learning Morse code, etc.. I recently did a nationwide QSO contest and finished 1st in TX and 8th overall. Did the recent ARRL DX phone contest and finally reached Japan on SSB along with about 50 other countries in less than 8 hours. I’m one state away from having worked all 50 states. Really enjoy all aspects of it. No regrets here!

Edited to add: one thing I especially like is when someone takes the time to send an old-school handwritten QSL card via regular mail. Anyone who does that is a dedicated Amateur Radio Operator IMO!

 

[k5xs]

I don’t see how anyone operating a modern SDR radio or weak signal digital modes could suggest Amateur Radio is “not cutting edge enough.”

 

[iowajm780]

Have not been on the air for years. Don't have any amateur radios hooked up. My license expires next month and I renewed it incase I need it for having a scanner in the car. I did not realize there was no fee for renewing. I had to change my address and e-mail but that was it.

 

[Phil_KD0SCJ]

I came pretty close to what you are talking about. I always wanted to get licensed, too long of a story. I finally did get licensed and got involved with my local amateur radio club around 2012. But, life took me somewhere else and I'm just now coming back to it. I caught my license 3 months shy of expiring, now I'm good until 2032. I'm almost entirely SWL, but who knows, I'll be retiring soon and have some spare time on my hands.

 

[N4DJC]

Nope

 

[AB5ID]

Extra with code

Wasn't aware of that license class, is that like Technician-Plus?

 

[chrismol1]

I renewed my license last year. Wasn't active at all.... I think what really brought some life into it was SDR technology. I hate to be that guy but 10+ years ago it was really boring. The same old radios were in the catalog for 10-15 years...I know I know ham sales aren't like commercial radio but I was like geeze, it didn't seem so technologically advanced when it was the same old radios for a decade made everything seem......stagnant. There was no DMR breathing life into something else other than old analog FM with old farts or some hams selling an 80s HF radio as tho it was state of the art new and wanting the same price as 30 years ago. I know I'm "that guy" I know cheap chinese radios are low quality but they've made more progress in 10 years than traditional ham companies in decades of new products and interesting things. I can't get interested in the same old 20 year old radios. I mean christ the same kenwood I bought 15 years ago is still in their catalog..../I'm done shouting at the clouds

 

[Lauri-CoyoteFrostbite]

,

Fun Topic !
________________________________________________________
I will select question number one, Omega, for 100 dollars-----

Omega-TI says:

" Did the hobby no longer seem "cutting edge enough" for you? "

Lauri responds:

"For me ?... why, there are endless cutting edge things for me to explore. Like how many have ever experimented with pulse modualton ?
I have two C-Band big open-antenna array'd radars that I love to play with. From my home in the mountains I can look out +140nm--- aircraft, weather, even occasional space objects... "

(And yes, you can do high power'd radar with your ham license)

"----------plenty of cutting edge stuff there for me.................. "

Lauri

.

 

[mciupa]

In Canada, our Operator Certificates are for life. We expire before they do. Licensed back in 2013 and probably haven't been active for the past three years.

One of my non-Ham friends mock Ham's as lonely old men who want to talk to one another. Sadly, kind of true.

 

[BMDaug]

I got my license and then took half a dozen years off… For me it was my location that caused a lapse in interest. I moved up to Colorado and there is such a great network of repeaters letting me talk all over the state and beyond with an ht or my manpack setup. Tons of summits to activate (this will be my first summer up here and I can’t wait to do some SOTAing)!!

I will admit that using part certified LMRs make it even more interesting for me because I can monitor trunked systems and use p25 conventional in simplex. There’s even a p25 repeater in Golden CO! P25 is more interesting to me than other ‘amateur digital du jour’, maybe that’s just me, no offense. Using LMRs in conjunction with sdr to find iden tables and scanning trunked networks is fascinating to me! I’m just starting out with sdr but it’s really captivating to me at the moment and the usefulness in search and rescue and emergency relay is super cool to me! I’m only getting more interested and the internet lets me learn and research so efficiently!

-Brian

 

[K5mow]

I will never let my license lapse. Been license now for about 15 years and enjoy every minute of it.

Roger

 

[rescuecomm]

No, but!
My radio hobby has waxed and waned over the years, but I always keep the license up. Amateur radio hasn't been cutting edge since the equipment to build modern radio equipment cost multi-millions of dollars. Not something you'd keep in the garage. It is still a lot of fun.

 

[ladn]

(And yes, you can do high power'd radar with your ham license)

...And heat up a cup of coffee at the same time...

 

[snerd]

Became Tech+ in ‘95, General in 2001. Been QRT last 20 years, though. But I’m about to jump back in soon!

 

[RichardW9RAC]

In todays world, yes. But when I got my Extra, you couldn’t even get a novice license without code. So I had no choice.

Nothing wrong with knowing code, doing code. I'm on daily CW, great brain exercise not to mention tons of fun. 73 Rich

 

[relay99]

Interesting questions asked............
I myself been licensed 32yrs now and have never let my license laspe and actually upgraded a few years back as new technologies, more affordable equipment could be had and I always found the hobby intriguing. It certainly didn't start out that way as that period in time was when "no code" licensing was introduced and a new Ham was not readily accepted and even joining clubs to learn or get more involved you were shunned. Not a fun way to start a hobby.
But that was also the time other interests took hold like AOL dialup, computers and something called "Windows " and Amature Radio felt old and "stale". It isn't anyone thing but Life seems to take over at times and you can't just seem to juggle all the things you would like to do with the time you have available. Others that I know that left entirely came back to the hobby to enjoy the digital stuff putting computers and radio together so as with any interest or hobby they go full circle and if you liked it to begin with you'll eventually find time to enjoy it again.........I did !!!

 

[N4KVE]

Wasn't aware of that license class, is that like Technician-Plus?

No. It means I got it 40+ years ago when you had a written test, & a code test administered at the FCC office.

 

[6079smithw]

Have had mine for a whole bunch of years with varying levels of activity. Having traveled extensively for both employment
and pleasure, it's one of 2 hobbys that I'm able to pursue pretty much anywhere I happen to be with a minimal amount of
equipment. The other is geocaching, but I've only been doing that for about 11 years. Hope to maintain my ham
and commercial driver licenses until I assume ambient air temperature....

 

[alcahuete]

Nope. Was never a HAM and still am not a HAM. It isn't an acronym. Ham? Oh yes...I'm one of those. Been a ham for almost 30 years and have never lost interest.

 

[hamsexy]

My radio hobby has waxed and waned over the years, but I always keep the license up.

Yep, same with me. I'll always keep my licenses valid, but I may not always be active in the hobby.