Ham radio projects for 2020?

[n4joy]

Happy New Year!  What are your ham projects for 2020?  I made a New Years resolution to complete several works in progress on my bench.  Here are the ones on the top of my list so far:

1) Finish my partially completed 813 amplifier and power supply
2) Align my National NCX-200 and get the cabinet powder coated
3) Repair a Heathkit 2 meter AM transceiver that I picked up several years ago
4) Erect an 80 meter inverted V dipole
5) Build a new desk shelf to get some of my gear off the floor

[KK4YY]

I'm planning on taking my retirement in 2020. This will give me the time to do all the projects that have been piling-up around here for some years.

I should probably start with cleaning up...
Moving the piles of stuff around into more organized piles of stuff so I can have the room to work.

Then there are all the repairs...
Just because I can repair broken radios, doesn't mean that I like to repair broken radios, but I should try to get some of them off my plate — actually, off my "broken radio shelf" (the radios are broken, the shelf is fine).

Then, the best part. Building...
I leave this up to my whim, imagination, and the way the wind blows. Who knows what will come of it? Only time will tell.


Don

[w8khk]

I'm planning on taking my retirement in 2020. This will give me the time to do all the projects that have been piling-up around here for some years.

Yes, Don....  I have been retired now for 8 years.  I took early retirement from Agilent Technologies in 2012.

The good news is that RETIREMENT IS THE BEST JOB I EVER HAD!

The not-so-good news is that I am now busier than I ever was.  I have NOT had all the time to do every project I wanted to do, but I thought I would.  I probably have more unfinished projects now than I did when I retired! 

But on the bright side, I have had time to give back to community, and that is a better feeling than having unlimited time for ham projects.  For example, I will be spending the first two full weeks of 2020 with a STEM activity at a school in South Florida, the kickoff of the FIRST Robotics 2020 build season.  I will be mentoring high school students on mechanics, electronics, software, and above all, safety. 

When I return, I hope to finish an audio project, then get back to building my 3CX3000 series-modulated AM transmitter.  It will be the most in-efficient final known to man, but it will be a great shack heater.  Hopefully I will light it up before spring!  I also have almost completed a conversion of a large drill press into a CNC machine, to take the grunt work out of making chassis and panel components of the new boat anchor rigs.

Happy retirement, OM!

[Carl WA1KPD]

Now that we are settled in to the new QTH my plans are a mixture of finishing the station(s) set up and new projects:
1) When the snow leaves finish installing the crank up tower, 6 and 2 meter beams. 6'X4'X4' bse poured last summer, but needed parts took 12 weeks to arrive. Showed up after snow fall
2) Get the CE20 and 75A2 on the air
3) Build a small 100 to 200 watt amp for above
4) Get DX-60/HR-10 combo working
5) Also finish my partially completed 813 amplifier and power supply

[N0YXO]

I plan on finishing my Ranger 1 with WA1HZKs audio mods then building a 813 amp

[n4joy]

I plan on finishing my Ranger 1 with WA1HZKs audio mods then building a 813 amp

It appears several of us will be getting an 813 amp on the air this year!   

[N4DJ]

Retired here also means busier than ever!
Last years major accomplishment, after moving into a new house, was getting my Ranger II and Drake 2B set up on my operating desk next to my modern K3.
This year For a start I plan to:
1. Install the AM filter in my K3 as soon as it arrives
2. Continue antenna installation
3. Assemble all the parts from my old 813 amp in one place for eventual re building
4. Install a few Sherwood mods in my Drake R4C
5. Troubleshoot my 200 watt Viking Invader

I have no doubt that at least some of these may be on my 2021 list!

73,
Don
N4DJ

[KD2AZI]

Also a busy year!
1) Finish my AM station, add an amplifier.
2) Refurb and get my Swan 600 separates on the air, then sell the 500
3) Plan out the restoration of my "old buzzard" RME transmitter

[W4EWH]

I'm planning on taking my retirement in 2020. This will give me the time to do all the projects that have been piling-up around here for some years.

I should probably start with cleaning up...
Moving the piles of stuff around into more organized piles of stuff so I can have the room to work.

Wow, that's great news!

Not for you, though (Sorry!) it's great news for your significant other, for your place of worship, for your community organizations, and for the ever-so-eager young things who solicit contributions for your Alma mater!

For what it's worth, here's my advice: I retired last year, and found out that it doesn't always work out the way I had imagined, although that's not necessarily a "bad" thing.

First, the things to do a/o plan for right away:

• Talk to other retirees about all the items in your bucket list: some will seem a lot less attractive once you get advice from someone who's been there¹.
• Learn to take advantage of "senior," "veteran," and any other discounts if you're eligible, and (more importantly) to look for ways to splurge without breaking your piggy-bank. Admitting that you're reached a certain milestone can be surprisingly hard to do, so it's important to get in the habit right away.
  
  • Eating out is a nice break in routine, and you'll be able to do more of it now, but in addition to using "senior" menus at off-peak times, don't order booze or deserts: they're always the profit-centers for restaurants, and that's why the waiters push them.
  • Many entertainment venues offer no-cost admission to those who act as ushers before a performance
  • There are likely to be story-telling venues nearby, where you can enjoy "star" status just for telling the same old stories you've been telling your buddies for years.
• Learn about how to use all the "Accessibility" features a/o services in your computer, your rig, and your community. For example, if typing is getting to be a chore, try split keyboards, voice-to-text software, or having it done by a service: it's better to be prepared than to drag yourself toward them when you're unable to do things the old way.
• AARP has an excellent series of online lessons about how to adapt to driving with a reduced skill set and not-quite-as-sharp senses. Things like making a few turns instead of trying to cross a busy highway at an uncontrolled intersection, or planning for off-hours travel on major roads, will help you to ease into retirement while keeping your car and capabilities longer.
• If there's another person sharing your space, you may find an endless loop of paper attached to your refrigerator, which I call the "HoneyDo List." It's important to get in the habit of negotiating what you will do, and how long it will take, before it goes on the list! If you don't, then before you know it every day will be Saturday.
• Find a competent financial consultant, who is a Fiduciary, and get an accurate picture of what you can do and when.

Here's the list of longer-term "got to" and "gotchas" that I've found out the hard way:

• Resist the temptation to volunteer. It's really easy to over-commit, and then you're working for someone else again, without getting paid.
• Visit older ham's shacks, and take note of how they're set up, and think about "why."
• Do all the heavy lifting first. The physical labor required to set up your perfect shack or your perfect man-cave will be beyond your capabilities a lot sooner than you may think.
• Don't assume friends will always be available to help. Mine are mostly around my age, and they're used to setting their own schedules and goals and to keeping track of their own health and capabilities, so I've had to tune my ears to receive the implied "I can't" in the occasional "maybe."
• Establish a budget for hobbies: it's a good way to avoid becoming a vortex, and will also help you to pace yourself on rigs that arrive needing repairs.
• Prepare for the future: sooner or later, we all have to cut back, thin the herd, and make do with less. Your future shack will have to be tailored for your future strengths, and will probably need to fit in a much smaller area.
• Don't try to keep up with the Jones'. If you've always wanted to try moonbounce, mountain-topping, microwave, Oscar, Linux, Beverage antennas, or [whatever], the odds are good that someone you know can show you how it's done and explain what's required and how much investment you'll need in both time and money. A few times doing it with a friend will show you if you still have the bug, and prepare you for the effort and cost.

There are lots of other tips, and you're welcome to call if you care to hear me pontificate about the perfect solutions to any problems. After all, I've got lots of time now!

73,

Bill, W4EWH

1. My sister took a long-awaited cruise around the Caribbean, but she told me later that it was like living in a shopping mall for a week, with salesmen at  your elbow the whole time.

[W1RKW]

My projects keep stacking up and new projects get put on the back burner.  FIFO. Not enough time to do them.

-Rebuild the crystal radio set I started last year.  dropped it and broke 50% of it.
-Integrate the GFZ audio driver board into the 813 rig.  
-Hang 2 new wire ants.
-Finish building and coding the solar powered wireless tuna.
-run a new underground feedline(s) through conduit.
-etc.

[KD2AZI]

It's really easy to over-commit,

Isn't that the truth.

[KK4YY]

Rick, Bill,

Thanks for the kind words and advice regarding retirement.

I currently have two part-time jobs, each of which I can ramp up/down to some degree. The plan is to have SSA drop a monthly check in my bank while I still keep working — on a very limited basis. It looks like the numbers will work out but it will be a modest income. No problem, I'm not hard to please. If things get tough, I can always work more. This way, I hope to avoid some of the problems encountered by those who are fully retired, as well as having a back-up income if life doesn't quite go as planned (when does it ever?).

I spend the bulk of my free time learning. The Internet has made this easy. I study current politics, electronics related to our hobby, and a splash of human psychology now and then. During this time I typically have my ham radio on, listening to the AM activity here in the Northeast, which I enjoy very much. I've even been known to throw the transmitter on air once in a while!

The extent of my giving back to the community is pretty much done right here in this forum. While not an expert by any means, I try to offer what help I can. Ham radio, and the AM community in particular, has been a big part of my life since I learned of it in the 1970's. I'm remain in its debt. Thanks.


Don

[N4LTA]

Finish-Finish-Finish my projects!

Finish my PWM power supply - soon

Finish my class D 75 meter transmitter - Soon but a little later

Finish the Nico amplifier - soonest I hope

Possibly start a big rig tube amp. I have most of the parts. later

Build a series modulated 4D32 rig. later

Build two 2A3 monoblock amplifiers - have everything including walnut chassis and laser cut stainless steel top. Soon

I have already over extended.

Pat
N4LTA

[KD1SH]

  Well, not retired yet, but only a couple more years to go.  Sixty-three now, and I plan to live to a hundred (might as well start off over-committed right out of the gate).
   Radio projects for 2020:  (order subject to change on a whim)

   Recap and tune-up my newly acquired B&W 5100B, currently in process and going well.
   Finish home-brew analog series mod transmitter - started but got distracted by the B&W.
   Finish building a power supply for a 3CX-800A7 6 meter amp I've had for a while.
   Recap and tune-up my Lettine 242 6 meter transmitter.
   Recap, tune-up, and build power supply for my Gonset G-76.
   Recap and tune-up my Clegg 66'er.
   Start building a big legal-limit amp; got a huge power supply but still making up my mind         what tubes to go with for the amp.  Thinking either GS-35B or YC-156.
   Put an electric winch on my crank-up tower.
   Re-cap and tune-up my SP-600.

[kb3ouk]

Need to put up a better antenna, finish my link coupled push pull 813 transmitter, build some kind of bench for the transmitters and receivers to sit on, and get my DX-100B running correctly. Accomplished one thing the other day, got my Central Electronics 10B putting out power for the first time since i bought it 6 years ago, first hamfest purchase i ever made at the first hamfest i ever went to.