Saturday, December 31, 2022

2022/2023


2022 was a BigYear for us.

I retired and we moved from my tower-, Yagi-, high dipole-laden QTH in Texas to a "No antennas" QTH in Florida.

It was an easier decision than you might imagine, and one with no regrets.

Prior to the move, CW DXing was on the wane. It still is, with many recent DXpeditions focusing primarily on FT8. Forget That (now you know what the 'FT' in FT8 stands for).

CW is my thing, DX or no, and POTA picks up the slack, fills in the gap and lets me get my Morse fix. It's a decades-old addiction.

Our house in Texas sold 6 weeks before our Florida house's construction was complete so we were homeless vagabonds for the duration, staying at AirBnB's in AridZona and New Mejeeco, activating POTA's there, hiking, exploring, Mexico'ing.

No sooner had we moved in and furnished the new house, we realized we were retired with no schedule - so we hit the road air and went to Ecuador for a month. The IC-705 came along but the QRN of both Quito and Cuenca was an amazing thing to behold.

Later, our new Florida neighbors, from Boyne Falls, Michigan, invited us up to their Michigan QTH where we hung out with them for a week, seeing Mackinac Island, went kayaking and exposed them to a park activation & ham radio. They're here in FL now and are the best neighbors we've ever had, anywhere.

Plans for 2023 involve ham radio, Portugal and Spain - but are tentative at the moment. Yes, there be POTA's there; yes, the TR-35 (or a 'skinnier' rig) will come along.

Also, a new QRP rig is on the way, if ever the "parts availability" issue is resolved - it's been "due to be delivered in October November December" since September. I'm not hopeful, but we'll see - I've been wrong once (or was it twice?!) before.

I wish you all the best in 2023.

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11 comments:

  1. Happy New Year to you your wife, yes retiring does take some getting used to and one of the easy parts is the freedom to do what you want when you want. Looking forward to your 2023 post John!
    73,
    Mike
    VE9KK

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    1. Same to you, Mike. Best wishes in 2023!

      73,
      John

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  2. You already have the best QRP rig available with your TR-45L. Hope to work you TR-45L to TR-45L in 2023. Max -WG4Z

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    1. Hi Max - Winter Field Day is coming up the last weekend this month. Me and a local ham will be activating a park during part of that event and I'm expecting a lot of activity. I'll keep an ear out for that catchy callsign of yours! My TR-45L will be in attendance but so will a new rig that will be here at its new home by Friday (I think).

      73 and HNY,
      John

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  3. Aha that explains why you were handing out FL when I worked you in CW a few weeks ago. I saw your call appear on my screen and waddayaknow: I heard you, you heard me et voilĂ : another CW lovers' QSO in the log.
    On my side, 2022 was a total off year radio wise: storms, some idiots starting a war and most of all: tearing down the old shack and waiting to build the new one (it's more or less done now).

    Enjoy retirement, stay healthy and safe and may we work over and over again.
    73 DR OM JOHN ES BCNU DE ON5ZO / OQ5M

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    1. Thanks for the call, Franki - I was surprised to hear you during non-contest activity...I thought you were dormant during such periods! Parts are gathered here for the home antenna-in-disguise, now I just need to do the grunt work and make it happen.

      May 2023 be better than 2022!
      73 amigo,

      John

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  4. Yes, I knew you moved to FL. But it came very sudden for us readers. I guess you and yours already had plans long ago. Are you planning antennas at your new QTH? Al the best to you and yours in 2023 and enjoy your retirement. 73, Bas

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    1. Hi Bas - we'd been thinking about is for a while and made a few trips here to look around in mid-2022. We needed new scenery and a fresh "vibe"! Hope to get you in the log again in '23. Best wishes,

      John AE5X

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  5. Looking forward to seeing your "home antenna-in-disguise" ideas. We too moved to a Florida "no antennas" QTH and while I'm not active now I'm seriously considering returning to the QRP world.
    BTW, if your new QTH is near zip code 32163, we can get together for coffee.

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  6. oooops, should have left an identifier: Bob N2IPY

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  7. Hello Bob - drop me an email...my email address is on qrz.com (I couldn't find yours there). 73, John

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