Anyone can contribute.

What use is an F-call? To be a HAM means different things to different people. For some it's an excuse to have a radio or it's a reason to participate in competitions. For others it's a reason to invent new contraptions in the shack, but for most, being a HAM is about communication. The obvious communication is that heard on-air across the Amateur Bands, but that's not the only communication that is occurring. Many HAMs are members of clubs, or find like-minded individuals where they make their experience a shared one. What ever your bent in Amateur Radio, you're participating in this hobby to get something from it. Of course, if everyone only ever took something without giving something back, there would not be a hobby at all. For me, giving back is in the realm of the things I do, making this segment, hosting F-troop on the local repeater, participating in my club, writing articles, sending email feedback and making myself available for others to talk to. It's strange to me, but I've heard many new licensees say that because they only have an F-call, or because they've only been licensed for a small time, they're not able to contribute. Worse still, even if those excuses are not used, there seems to be the idea that they have no right to speak up, or that they have not enough knowledge to contribute in any meaningful way. I'd have to say that this makes no sense to me. I know that I'm not backwards in coming forward, some would say I've got more front than a Mac truck, but I try very hard to make my contributions in the realms that I understand and one of those is that I'm a beginner, so I'll spend lots of time asking questions and reading articles. At some point someone will say something that runs contrary to my understanding, so I'll ask why? Asking "Why?" is in of itself a contribution, but you can expand on it by doing something with what you learnt from asking the question. You could write an article for the local newsletter, send an email to your local mailing list, or post a story on your website. You could go on air and talk about it, or sit around the BBQ and share. Contributions can be made everywhere. Having a Foundation License, or being new to the hobby is no excuse. What did you contribute to your hobby today? I'm Onno VK6FLAB