I'm wondering what you guys suggest to regain my interest in this hobby. I got my certification last fall (live in US) and was excited to learn the concepts and start using a radio. But after passing that my interest has dropped.
I don't have a radio club nearby or much money to spend on equipment. I had a UV-5R for a while but sold it recently since I needed the $ at the time. I was thinking of getting a slightly better handheld, and the idea of building a mobile station in my car is appealing. When I scanned the air with my baofeng I picked up some chatter every few days but could barely make it out. I also have a SDR that I connect to my computer and pick up some local FM stations.
I've heard that a club is the best way to get into it. The closest club is farther than I can usually drive with my work/life committments but I want to start trying to go at least once every few month. Are there any projects I could do on my own that could be exciting?
Thanks for your help.
Amateur Radio is a niche hobby full of niches; most of them require a radio. Here's one list of things you can do with/in Amateur Radio:
๐ https://hamradiofornontechies.com/what-can-i-do-with-ham-radio/
Clubs are highly overrated. They are only beneficial if your interests in Amateur Radio coincide with a sizable segment of the club membership or with the club's purpose. In my case our club is `primarily a social outlet for disheveled old folks who are only interested in DXing and contests; not my cup of tea.
I'd second that amateur radio is way more than just chatting. There are so many digital modes, SDR, etc that can be explored. May be worth getting a mobile rig that can be pulled out and used in the QTH as well.
As a ham I'm helping right now to establish a backbone of Meshtastic radios across our city. It's not ham radio, but it is something I can use my ham experience to build out and support others.
Personally I've been enjoying VarAc on HF for long range comms on low power, but I see they just standardised on some 2m and 70cm frequencies too, which I still want to try out.