What use is an F-call?

New Amateurs arrive on the scene every day. They turn up because they bump into the hobby in unexpected ways. From all walks of life, with infinite variation in experience and outlook, they come to journey along the path of Amateur Radio.

It's easy to see the lure, a technically challenging hobby with fingers in all manner of pies, with a long and lauded quest for invention and development, a history in firsts, making the impossible happen, achieving daring feats of wizardry.

I've been on this journey since November 2010 when I first heard about Amateur Radio. I achieved my license a month later and have not looked back, though I should admit that the original purpose of joining the fraternity was to build something that's still on my to-do list today. Not because it's unachievable, but because there are so many other fun things to learn and do.

There have been some mile-stones, for example, this marks the 100th edition of "What use is an F-call?", but it's one of many exciting things I've done in the intervening time, from making my first contact with a station in Japan, through making several QRP or low power contacts with stations around the world, participating in and even winning contests, socialising with Amateurs, building antennas, camping out, eating good food and laughing a lot.

The Amateur Radio creed, written in 1928 by Paul 9EEA, still as relevant today as when it was penned considers a Radio Amateur to be Considerate, Loyal, Progressive, Friendly, Balanced and Patriotic.

There are many people from many backgrounds in Amateur Radio. Some would say that the population is as varied as a random sampling of people in the main street of your local shopping district.

I like to think of Amateurs as a group of people who go about communicating with others. You too can do this. I took a month to get my license; it doesn't matter if it takes you longer. I'm still learning Morse and I've been at it for some eight months; I know amateurs who did it in a fortnight. Everyone is different.

Take part. Don't be shy. It's your hobby too.

I'm Onno VK6FLAB