I Need a New Radio. I am sure this is something every one of us has said at one time or another. But in my house, the words “I need a new radio” are usually met with some resistance.
“Didn’t you just buy two last week?” my wife asks.
“Well, yes, but those were little HTs to be modified for CW.”
“Don’t you still have your radio in your radio room?”
“Well, yes, but I can’t take that one anywhere. It’s too heavy and is sort of ‘mounted’ in place.”
“Well, you still have your park radio.”
“My 891? Yes, but that one requires an external battery.”
“Well, the one you brought to my parents has an internal battery.”
“Well, yes… but that one is not one I would want to take out of the country.” This is my way of saying, “It’s expensive,” without actually saying, “It’s expensive.”
“Didn’t you put one together? That one only takes a 9-volt battery, and it was only $20.”
“Yeah, but that is only one band… and honestly, only one frequency on one band… you know what? Never mind.”
Now, before you start thinking that I have a radio problem, let me explain.
I know I have enough radios. In fact, I probably have more radios than I actually need. But here’s the thing: each one has a purpose. Some are better for the shack. Some are better for the park. Some are better for hiking. And some are small enough to throw in a backpack without thinking twice.
Some have internal batteries; some don’t. Some cover multiple bands, while others only one—and don’t get me started on modes! So, technically, I don’t have too many radios. I have a collection of radios carefully assembled to meet a variety of very specific needs.
And I’m sure you do as well.
The truth is, I have a radio that can do almost everything. But it isn’t necessarily ideal for any one particular situation. And I have radios that are ideal for one specific purpose, but they rarely do everything I might want them to do.
That, I think, is one of the great traps of amateur radio.
There is always another radio that does something a little differently. Maybe it’s smaller. Maybe it has a better battery. Maybe it covers another band. Maybe it’s easier to take hiking. Maybe it has a feature you didn’t know you needed until you discovered it existed.
And suddenly, you find yourself looking at another radio and thinking…
“I need a new radio.”
Now surely I am not alone in this… How about you? Are you thinking of a new radio? Leave a comment below and let us know what radio and why you need it… Maybe it will give others of us some ideas. 🙂
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