Have you ever taken a 20-year hiatus from anything? Intentionally or otherwise?
I’ve got a couple of things I’ve given up on purpose for long periods of time. Diet Coke is a more recent habit I quit, but that’s for another day.
I can’t exactly remember when I gave up on ham radio but it was before the year 2000. I know this because that is the year my license expired and I distinctly remember intentionally *not* renewing it.
I only ever got involved in amateur radio in a failed attempt to cut the exorbitant cost of placing long-distance calls from Japan to the United State when I was in the Navy. In those days, a 3-minute call was something like 9 bucks and 5 dollars a minute thereafter. I can’t remember the exact cost but it was almost more than a young sailor could endure.
Enter amateur radio.
My father jumped in head first, got his license and bought some hardware and he was on the air.
it took me quite a while longer before I made the effort. Soon, I had my novice and then my general license. I can’t recall my first license and I don’t think I ever got on the air with it.
While I was still in Japan, I bought that great used HF rig. A handsome juggernaut from years earlier – a Kenwood TS-830S. It was as heavy, bulky and hot, but it was a real ham radio covering the most popular HF bands. I set up a few dipole antenna and did a few local contacts, but I have little memory of any of that. It was nearly impossible to get permission to put an antenna up in base housing. Still, I tried.
Once I left Japan in late 91, I went back state-side to visit my father before heading off to a second trip to San Angelo, Texas.