The diversity of our hobby is breathtaking.

Foundations of Amateur Radio You've heard me say that amateur radio is a thousand hobbies in one. It's not my idea, but it speaks to me in ways that are hard to articulate. Today I found a way that might give you an inkling just how vast this community is. One place where our community gathers is on-air, but it's not the only place. There are clubs, websites, email lists, video channels and other outlets all catering for different amateur radio users and their interests. One such place is the social media site Reddit. In the so-called amateurradio sub with currently over 88 thousand members, there is a lively community discussing many of the different aspects of our hobby. Over the past 24 hours, 23 posts were made in that single community. "Thanks, K-2722 hunters", was a photo about activating Carolina Beach State Park, as part of an activity called Parks on the Air, or POTA. To participate you can either go to a park, set-up your station and make contacts, or you can stay at home and listen out for people who are doing that. "It's not high-high, it's hee-hee", a meme around the sound that the Morse Code generates when you send the letter H followed by the letter I, commonly considered laughter. "Why don't scanners have FM radio?", a discussion around the perceived lack of FM mode on scanners. "Help with TYT MD-380 CPS", a question from an amateur who purchased a new radio and is looking for software to program it. "Portable on the Space Coast. QRP on a speaker wire antenna.", a video of an amateur making an activation in Florida and showing off their set-up. "Could not hit DMR repeater", an amateur sharing that they figured out that they couldn't hit a repeater because they had their radio set to low power and wanted to share that with the community. "Antenna advice part 2", asking about how to set-up antennas for dual use, how to amplify the signal, use rotators and what kind of coax to use. "ISS SSTV Aug 6-7 145.800 MHz FM", linking to a news item announcing slow scan television coming from the International Space station in August. "FT-3DR APRS message question", exploring the specifics on how Automatic Packet Reporting System or APRS messages are sent. Think of it as global distributed SMS via amateur radio. "Is it okay to leave a handheld radio on while it's on its battery charger 24/7?", with answers to the question that's puzzling one owner of a radio. "Extra test question", asking about how to learn for the test and wondering if the techniques needed are different when compared with obtaining the "tech" exam. "Just got my first radio! Now to prep for the test, but first a question about saving time after I pass it...", asking about how to register before the test to speed things along. And that's just over half way there. "Maldol TMH-21 / TMH-71 handhelds - any info?", asking about a new to them radio from around 2007. "2021 Berryville, VA (US) Hamfest - any reddit community members going?", looking for others going to the first hamfest in their region for a long time. "CB Radio is Going FM! Why is the FCC Doing It?", linking to a video that discusses the changes on how CB radio is getting another mode. "What is the 'right' way to learn morse?", the age-old question, one that I'm still am working through. "Sidetone distorted on QCX mini? How do I fix this? It gets better or worse when I move the radio around, but the problem doesn't go away. Anyone else's QCX do this?", with a video showing the issue. "Aluminium roof trim + HF dipole", with a question on what kind of effects might happen as a result of the combination of the two. "Never owned a Radio be for please help lol. I got 2 of these on the way any tips for beginners? [sic]", excited new owner looking for advice. "I finally got my qsl cards printed!", with pictures to show the artistic prowess involved. "Legality of transmitting digital data over FM audio", asking about the specifics on how data may or may not be transmitted in the United States. "It's no pie plate on a kayak, but you gotta work with what you have, right?", showing off a frying pan as a magnetic base. If it works, it's not silly at all. "Very New Here", asking about how to explore radio waves. Those 23 different posts are all about amateur radio, from one single community, on one day. Each post from someone finding their way in the community, discussing something that's important to them, sharing their experience and contributing to that community. Reddit alone has at least a dozen amateur related communities, covering electronics, specific radios, amateur software development and more. The thing about this hobby is that it's different things to different people. For some it's about getting on air and making noise, for others it's learning about whatever comes their way. This hobby is so vast because it touches so many aspects of life, it innovates, leads and contributes in ways that are often invisible and that's why it's so engrossing. What's your latest interest in this hobby and what keeps you coming back for more? I'm Onno VK6FLAB