QNEWS - SEPTEMBER 10 2023 - VK4 ON AIR

Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking.

When we look at the many things that we enjoy in life we seem to find the most satisfaction in those that provide a challenge. Sports are a good example where the individual has the thrill of beating their last performance whether as an individual or as a member of a team. When we look at the myriad opportunities that a recreation called amateur radio provides the chances of finding that involvement are multiple.

Many operators enjoy the thrill of contesting where the battle is to use the bands and radio conditions to amass a score and a memento that signifies success. Others look to increase the tally of exotic contacts that we call DX. When the natural world grants the opportunity to contact someone remotely with the power of a butterfly’s beating wing in their antenna, that is a challenge which when it succeeds is a thrill that spurs a person to try again. Likewise, when a ham tackles a new and different project and succeeds in creating something that improves their station, there is the satisfaction of knowing the challenge was taken and won.

We can look at our club’s activities and see the various opportunities that arise to be challenged in filling roles that privately just don’t come up at home.

Field days, public displays and so many more items are there and getting them set up and run the best you can is a challenge with its own rewards and recognition amongst the members. Even the mundane things can have the reward of having helped our fellow members get more from their involvement.

As we move towards JOTA/JOTI this is something that members of the scouting movement practice as part of their personal development. Scouts and Guides are helped on the path to growth in ways that many find outside of the normal routine. The shoulder patch and the blanket full of patches tell a personal and group story of challenges undertaken and opportunities that have been enjoyed.

Amateur radio is in many ways providing a similar pathway for people to learn and try new things that spur mind and body to engage in new and interesting things. The one difference that I see is that once a ham passes the first licence test, there is no true road map to follow. Like the explorers of old we peer into the distance and cross the mountains and streams that our pursuit provides. Yes, some people do give up but many more continue to find contentment and excitement in the engineering, technology and science that are the foundations of amateur radio.

The biggest opportunity is perhaps the challenge to try oneself in the contest. And like the follower of a sporting code, you may find you are not a player but better suited to the role of spectator. That role has its own level of thrill and satisfaction and you go forward better prepared than someone who never tried.

I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think....how about you?