A little over a year ago, I earned my Basic with Honours amateur radio licence. Since then, I’ve enthusiastically tumbled down the amateur radio rabbit hole. I’ve discovered FT8, activated parks for POTA, built an end-fed half-wave antenna (thanks to OARC), chased DX on the other side of the world, and, perhaps most importantly, learned from my mistakes.
I volunteered to write this column for other beginners like me: the curious, those studying for their amateur radio licence, newly licensed operators wondering what to do next, and anyone who’s looked at a radio covered in buttons and thought, “Where do I even start?”
I’m no expert: I’m still learning, still making mistakes, and still discovering new corners of this broad hobby. My hope is to share amateur radio through the eyes of someone who’s still new, celebrating the successes, laughing at the occasional mishap, and hopefully making your own journey into the hobby a little less intimidating.
One of the first lessons I learned is that amateur radio operators genuinely want to help.
Just before writing my exam, I optimistically bought myself a Yaesu FT-70D handheld, figuring positive thinking couldn’t hurt. Thankfully, I passed!
After spending weeks listening to the local nets, I couldn’t wait to join one myself. Then reality happened. When the net control invited new hams to check in, I confidently pressed the PTT button…
…except my radio wasn’t programmed quite right, and I didn’t have a clear line of sight to the repeater. My signal was so weak that people could barely understand me. Several operators patiently tried to walk me through what might be wrong while I sat there wishing I could disappear into the ether.
I swallowed my pride, listened to their advice, made a few adjustments, and before long I was checking into nets without any trouble.
This humbling memory reminds me that every experienced ham was once a brand-new ham.
If you’re just getting started, there are some excellent resources available. Neil, VE3PUE, maintains the excellent New Hams Ottawa website at https://newhamsottawa.ca/. It’s packed with practical information, local resources, and answers to many of the questions that pop up during your first years in the hobby.
The Ottawa Amateur Radio Shack Discord is another fantastic place to ask questions, celebrate your latest contact, or discover that someone else has already solved the problem you’ve been wrestling with. Reach out to me at VA3PZA@gmail.com if you’d like an invite link.
One of the best ways to build confidence is simply to get on the air. The New Hams Net meets every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. on the VE2CRA repeater (146.940 MHz, -0.600 MHz offset, 100 Hz tone). Net control is usually Ken, VA2TXZ, although volunteers are always welcome to take a turn running the net.
No HF (10m – 160m) radio yet? Don’t let that stop you. The World of Receivers and Transmitters map at https://rx-tx.info/map-sdr-points lets you listen to receivers around the world, giving you a front-row seat to amateur radio without transmitting a single watt.
Once you’ve earned your licence, EchoLink lets you connect to repeaters and other licensed amateurs around the world using your computer or smartphone. Think of it as another way to get on the air — digitally! It’s a fun way to explore repeaters in other countries, make contacts, and build confidence while you’re saving for that first HF station.
Three things have served me well so far: Listen. Ask questions. Get on the air.
You’ll make mistakes. You’ll press the wrong button. You’ll forget the phonetic alphabet word for the letter R. You’ll wonder why nothing is working, only to discover the power supply wasn’t plugged in.
That’s not failing — that’s amateur radio.
Until next month, keep learning, keep experimenting, and I hope hear you on the air.
73!
Michelle
VA3PZA
Last Updated on 2026-08-07 by Eve