time spent on radio

how much time do you guys spend actually working the radio?

i found when i first got into the hobby i was on lots but as i have found different things in the hobby i spend little time actually on it nowdays..

im in the shack everynight for an hour or two whilst the ball and chain watches the soaps.. but always get side tracked on the computer or fiddling around braking something or trying to make something..

iv got lots of homebrew gear here that iv had for ages and never used. i see something that interests me and i may have a crack at making it so this takes air time away. before i know it iv been in the shack for a couple of hours a night and been on the radio for around 2 hours in a week..

billy

sadly i dont get to spend much time on the radio . This is not because i dont want to, or dont enjoy the hobby but because like many people i used to work varying shift patterns without set hours so it was difficult to find the time because i could not plan anything and i used to spend what time i did have mostly listening whilst catching up on other work at home or because i was too knackered. It also affected my involvement with clubs, field days and contests etc so you begin to lose touch with whats going on.
I think it really sums it up when in around five months i put far less than even one hour transmit time on my pro 3.

I know people will say that you should make time for something you enjoy but in a job where you can work 12 or 14 hours and be on call as well it just sort of s***ws up any time you have.

Fortunatetly i have just started a new position which has a more structured work pattern and massive amounts of time off so i intend to get some use out of my station. I have also been lucky enough to get the bank holiday weekend off so will be playing HF :D


Like you Billy i also enjoy construction but have bought kits which now sit in a box in the shed awaiting construction at some point again due to having no time.

Time spent in shack..

Im in here all the time, great fun.....

.

.

Andy you could of been writing for me too as this is how i feel
I have down graded and the shack consists of a trio ts530sp,rotatable dipole (driven element from a tb3) and a full G5RV along with a tuner ofcourse.
i spend about 2 hours a night on 80m while the wife is watching the soaps but soon get fed up with the europeans splattering all over the plac with their killowatt.
Keith M1VHT

Most of my free-time is spent in the shack where my computer also is, whilst there the rig is always on.
I watch very little TV keeping abreast of current affairs through the internet, have a wealth of information at my fingertips and have put together a station that can still DX when most others are listening to whingers, hypochondriacs and tomato growers, thus my interest in the hobby if anything is evolving rather than waning ;)

I know Rob....."trust you Gerry":)

iv got a tomato plant..

i think my interests are evolving also which is good, getting on the air and talking or keying in my case is just part of the hobby as a whole i think.. ( for me) so even though i may only spend a couple of hours a week chatting on the air im still busy doing other things within the hobby..

would still like to do more on the air but ill have to move this pc.. its doing my eyes no good anyway watching all the naughties ..

billy

anyway back to cleaning mi motor...

whats wrong with tomato plants

You must be listening to the wrong people Billy. I hear a lot of technical chats on 80 that are very educational from an amateur stand point.

2 guys I listened to last night were talking homebrew amplifiers, the topic was fascinating and has got me wanting to build an amp.

didnt mean it like that . i dont go on so im only going by hearsay and what i read.. i get the impression there are little "gangs" much the same as you get on some repeaters with outsiders being blackballed..

i hear of old timers not liking newcomers or whatever and apparent regular bad language as a norm by some.. but as i say i dont personally know as i tend to stick monoband ..40m..

billy