Contacts With Content

So much of the time in ham radio, people are making contacts just to make contacts.  And there's nothing wrong with that!  Whether it's to test out gear, "see how far," racking up points in a contest, or simply to play, it's a lot of fun to just get on the air and talk to a bunch of different people.  On the other hand...

It's nice to drop into a real conversation with a radio operator on the other end of the ionosphere, and it's especially good when somebody learns something that has little to do with ham radio.  A few weeks ago I mentioned seeing OCMS at Jazz Fest and the guy on the other end told me about how WPAQ plays a bunch of string band music.  That's led to all kinds of new listening, even if it does mean streaming over the internet.

Then this past Sunday I ran into a ham up in Ohio who's got an FT-817nd radio outfitted similarly to mine.  We started talking, and he recommended his book on hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail, A Wildly Successful 200-Mile Hike.  This is an especially interesting book because the author started serious backpacking in his 50's and had his own set of physical problems and is an MD.  Before turning in, I'd pulled a kindle copy and started reading.  While not exactly all pleasant topics, it is a practical guide to overcoming the big problems that knock people off the trail and back onto the sofa (mainly blisters, abrasions, knees, and motivation).  He next turns positive with advice to get your pack down to a weight that you can ignore – something in the 15 lb range including food – and just go enjoy the damn woods already.  Finally he wraps up with a recap to drive it all home.  Never would have found this without ham radio!

So the larger point here (beyond the book mini-review) is if you're going through the trouble to get into ham radio, you might as well talk to people while you're on the air.  With all these interesting and technically savvy people around, you never know what knowledge you'll pick up.