LAZY OPERATOR

2020 has been a real lazy year for me. I have not been out playing radio for many months and I've started to lose interest in playing radio in the shack with 10W. Although I enjoy the challenge of QRP from home, it sometimes gets a little laborious trying to be heard amongst a pileup of QRO operators.

If I had a big beam on an equally big tower, I'm sure I'd be a lot more successful, but all I can use at my home QTH is a couple of wires (an EFHW and a G5RV). These work really well - especially the end-fed - and 10W has got me thousands of miles, but in a pileup it's almost useless.

My biggest successes have come from outdoor locations where my tiny signal can reach out much further. About half a mile from me is Winter Hill which is 1500ft above sea level and there's no excuse for not going up there - apart from laziness. 

I think the Covid Lockdown in March was the start of it I think. Stuck in the house, snacking and dossing around has turned me into a couch potato LOL. I was talking about it today to my wife and it was at that point that I realised how lucky I am to have a wife who would readily agree to have a day out somewhere playing radio.  The idea of going to the beach or climbing a hill and sitting for hours with a picnic, a flask and a book suits her down to the ground which means I could play radio and not be a saddo up a hill on my own 😂 

So I've decided to make a concerted effort to get off my backside and get out there working outdoor QRP which is what inspired me to get my licence in the first place. People urge me to study for the intermediate and then the advanced licence so I can use 400W, but that is of no interest to me whatsoever. I love QRP and the 6W of my FT-818 - I just need to get back to finding better places to work from instead of struggling in the shack.