Depends.Yogimus wrote:Here is the thing about HAM operations... It is expensive, a pain in the ass to maintain, and provides no more entertainment than an AOL chatroom. (Ham radio operator since... 1996)
It's as expensive as you want it to be. Especially once you have the basic equipment it doesn't cost to operate (no airtime, user fees, data plans, internet service etc). Of course, like any hobby, it can clean out your bank accounts if you let it. By watching deals and buying used you can get on the air a lot cheaper than what a decent boom stick (for instance) costs. Until some recent financial windfalls I'd never spent more than $300 on a radio, most were acquired for around $100.00 or (much) less.
It's no more of a pain in the ass to maintain than tinkering around with cars, firearms, reloading, etc. IOW things a lot of folks enjoy in and of themselves. If the actual activity doesn't appeal to you, then you might need a another hobby. Me, I like playing around with antenna configurations, developing tools for field operations, tweaking settings etc.
I've gotten a LOT more entertainment value out of the hobby than any internet activity (with the exception of this community). Public Service Events, Emergency Drills, Field Day etc. get me out of the house, gives me time with my Daughter, and I've made many good friends.
And the ones I'm not so friendly with, well there's some entertainment value let me tell you!
YMMV etc.
