If you consider what literally happens in ham radio, it's all stupid. To turn up your nose at any one type of operating is a bit elitist - are the SSB guys accomplishing any more than the FT8 ops, vs CW vs DMR or DStar, contester or ragchewer? I did an informal Field Day saturday. Group of us had a cookout up on Sandia mountain just to the east of ABQ. Tall pines around 9Kft ASL, in the clouds for the whole day. Had a horizontal 40M EFHWA 50' up a couple ponderosas, and an elecraft K2 QRP rig. Tuned around and 15M was decent, so spent most of the afternoon there. 60%/40% CW/SSB. You know conditions are good when you can run QRP SSB on FD. Best DX (by FD standards) was Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Cypress, with the rest being pedestrian coast to coast US/CAN contacts. Nothing better than working portable HF with a breeze whispering through the pines and the birds chirping. Field Day is my favorite activity in ham radio. I'm not a contester, but I'll jump into the fray of a contest from time to time. Operating CW contests HF mobile is one of the most fun things I've ever done. I'm not a county hunter, but I'll work them when I hear them. I'm not a net guy, but I'll check in and give them someone new to hear. I'm not a SOTA guy, but I'll give them one for their log. I'm not a certificate chaser, but I'll work the lighthouses and museum ships if they're on. I'm in the camp that DStar/DMR isn't real ham radio, but I helped build 2 DMR repeaters. I don't operate satellites very often, but it's fun to put a rare southwest grid on the map and make some other op's day. Clearly some activities are more interesting to folks than others, that's what's makes the hobby so diverse and interesting. It's what's kept me enthusiastic about it for the nearly half century I've been a ham.
Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
