Yes friends it has been a long time since your keyboard worrier has graced the Lounge. 2020 has been quite a year for everyone. I am one of the privileged ones, living in a safe place and not affected economically by the virus. Not everyone is as lucky as me and we have several family members who have been enduring lock-down in Melbourne for months. Some of them seem exhausted by the whole experience. Friends overseas are in some countries where the virus has killed many thousands. Anyway, everyone blabs on about the virus so I shall share a bit of what I have been up to in the months since the I last fired up the engines here in the Lounge.
First, after studying on and off for about 18 months, very half heartedly I must admit for most of that time, I sat and obtained my advanced amateur radio operator licence in March just before the whole shebang. Wassat you say? Does this mean Lounge has a radio show playing all his favourite music? I wish! No, it does not and if you look at earlier posts you might have noticed a few technically nerdy oriented radio themed posts talking about aircaraft signals and other bits and bobs. It just means that I am able to transmit on the radio frequency spectrum legally and communicate with other amateur radio operators around the world.
I won't attempt to explain amateur radio to you. Just go to Wikipedia and look it up. It's just a hobby like any other hobby where people pursue different aspects as they like. Some people are into the technical side, some like to compete in contests, some collect awards for speaking to rare and distant stations. I like to do a little of all those things, but I have to admit, I am at the lower end of the amateur spectrum. Not very good at any of it. But it is fun learning new stuff and it keeps the brain active (kind of).
Okay, that's my first installment in the back in the Lounge phase of my life. Let's see how long it lasts before I wander off again. Until next time, peace and love.
