“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night follows day,
That when you are not yourself, you cannot be true to any man.” ~ William Shakespeare
This is not exactly a common introduction of a blog post about amateur radio. Perhaps that is because this post is more than just about amateur radio. This post has more to do with self-examination and moving beyond the crippling enemy of self-doubt and seeking the approval of others. It is the type of reflection that comes from a life of dreams that are always on the cusp of realization but are held in abeyance by fear and doubt. Oh. Don’t worry. This is not a philosophical treatise. Well, maybe there is a whiff of philosophy, but a Plato I am not. I am reminded of a quote from a not-so-famous author…
“All of us carry baggage, it’s just that some of us simply carry smaller bags.”
Fear, doubt, and unrealized dreams have a way of becoming sizeable baggage. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of carrying Samsonites full of those three things. The weightiest of those three is fear. Fear of what others may think. Fear of failure. Fear of regret. Fear that is not faced turns into a kind of living paralysis. Don’t worry. How this has anything to do with amateur radio will soon be brought into focus.
Not long after I was re-licensed as an amateur radio operator I got involved in Parks on the Air (POTA). This was during the pandemic when everything was locked down. I spent more time on YouTube and other social media than I normally would have. It was then that I discovered the wonderful world of content creating. Almost anything we do in life has content creators. You want to learn more about cooking with cast iron? There are content creators for that. Is learning Italian on your short list? Plenty of content creators in that space. Tech reviews? Plenty of creators there as well. And in our hobby of amateur radio? We are second to none in online personalities sharing knowledge and experience.
As I began to rise in the ranks of POTA CW activators, I started to gain attention I was not seeking. My sheer number of CW activations and QSOs somehow elevated my standing in that portion of the hobby. Trust me when I tell you that that only reason I started racking up CW activations and QSOs was because I enjoyed it. For me it was a throwback to my time in the United States Air Force when I was a morse intercept operator. Also, as a portable operator, the ability to be on the business end of a pile up was kind of intoxicating. I live in an HOA and will never be able to compete with more powerful stations. But put me in an ATNO park and suddenly, it is like being on DXpedition! Thrilling.
A few years back I was approached by POTA and the ARRL to write a chapter on CW activating for the Parks on the Air book. I was humbled by the honor. It was shortly after that I started having other hams active in POTA suggest that I should become a content creator. Now, I had posted some videos haphazardly, but never with the intent of becoming a “formal” content creator. In my mind the reasoning was simple. The content creator space was already well represented by hams who had more technical expertise than me. Many of them had channels with high production value, thousands of subscribers, and held name recognition. So, I graciously declined those invitations believing I really had nothing of value to offer the amateur radio community. Still, I would be guilty of false humility if I said the desire wasn’t there. It was. But I kept coming back to, “What value could I add?”
Over the past year I started to answer that “What value” question. While a dedicated CW channel may gain viewer interest, the real value comes from the uniqueness of the individual creator. This became clear to me when I evaluated why I frequently watch certain content creators. In the amateur radio space, many of them cover the same material. When a manufacturer comes out with a new radio there is a rush to provide a features and benefits review. So, there’s no lack of technical content. For me it comes down to who I connect with. The creator’s personality and way of communicating makes the difference for me as a viewer.
Really, the question of “What value?” becomes subjective. Who determines whether a creator is offering value? The viewer. How will I know if my content helps advance the hobby? Well, engagement (clicks) and subscribers will help reveal that mystery. So, I decided the only way to find out if I can offer value to the hobby is to move beyond fear and trepidation and take Yoda’s advice. “Do or do not. There is no try.” I’ve decided to try.
My goal as a content creator will be to advocate for the growth of the CW mode. Learning Morse code, operating techniques, and equipment/product reviews will be part of it. There will also be real time activations – putting learning into action. I hope to have interviews with hams who are offering their own unique contribution to the CW part of hobby. But there will also be frequent forays into the hobby in general. Along the way I plan to use my charming personality to have some fun. When I told my daughter about my plans, she begged me not to tell any dad jokes. “Dad, that will be the quickest way to kill your channel.” Thanks, Bethany. Challenged accepted!
Stay tuned. And to quote the famous sages Frank Bartyles and Ed Jaymes, “Thank you for your support.”
K4NYM Radio 