7Ps of Amateur Radio - be prepared

Foundations of Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio is as much about having fun as it is about learning. Sometimes they go hand-in-hand, sometimes not so much.

The 7Ps of Amateur Radio are as valid today as they were 100 years ago, Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Amateur Radio Planning can take many forms, but the basics include creating a permanent checklist. The notion of creating one every time means that you forget every time what you learned last time, so if you create a permanent one and then revise it from time-to-time, you'll be able to incorporate lessons learned, like "bring the radio face-plate control cable", and "bring the quarter inch jack adaptor", so you don't end up repeating the same lesson over and over.

Test your gear at home. Not just turn it on, but set up the mast, check that you have guy wires and anchors. Check that you have enough coax to connect your antenna to your radio, spare batteries, etc. One trick I learned recently is to have a red and green label or elastic band. Attach the appropriate colour to your batteries, so you can instantly see if the battery you're lifting up is charged or not.

Look at maps, bring instructions to get to places, look at Google Earth and remember that power lines might not show up on a satellite map, but they're sure going to annoy you when you get on air. Street view is handy to check out power-lines.

Try different antennas. Verticals are easy to setup, but sometimes depending on your location they can be noisy. Dipoles need two supports, but an inverted V only needs one. Wire antennas can be simple to make and cheap to get bits for and repair, but they're not like the yagi you left at home.

A really helpful comment I read from Julie VK3FOWL and Joe VK3YSP is that you shouldn't be embarrassed by your hobby. Be seen, be visible, talk to people. You'll be amazed at the amount of interest you get, people are curious, they'll sticky-beak whenever they can.

Amateur Radio is not the only thing you can do when you're out and about. Go for walks, go hiking, fishing or drink beer around the campfire, whatever floats your boat.

Just like you can see stars at night in the bush, you can hear radio when you're away from interference. You'll hear stuff you never heard before and likely you'll get hooked into either astronomy or radio in the bush, or both.

There is much more to discuss about planning, but the basic premise is that it pays to think through the activity, the process of packing, driving, setting up, operating, living on-site, packing up and driving back. Think about food, safety, emergencies, fuel, and remember, Amateur Radio is not worth dying over, this is a hobby. Laugh, have fun, be merry.

Yes, in case you're wondering, the 7Ps don't come from Amateur Radio, but just like the US Marine Corps Antenna Handbook, search for "r3403c", we can learn lots from them about both antennas and planning.

I'm Onno VK6FLAB