@MatStace Excellent. KA2ESK here

@MatStace I see from your QRZ page that you've also got an 817 and and MP1. They make a great combination; I've worked some serious DX with that exact setup!

@filkerdave I've really struggled with the MP1 at my QTH, the noise floor in central London has to be seen to be believed, and I'm too lazy to have followed through with my plans of heading out on my bicycle.
I've also picked up an AlexLoop walkham now, and have managed to work out Russia on JT65 from my balcony.
Now that the weather is improving, I'm determined to make more effort to get out and actually use my radios though,

@MatStace Yeah, same with me. I can operate at home with limited success, but I like to head out on the trail whenever possible.

@filkerdave
I feel like Mastodon and #HamRadio both represent an interesting sense of Independence and community development: there are easier ways of communicating with people, but the process of getting it all set up, meeting new people, and the #opensource nature of it all are some of the things that make it more fun than simply using the tools built by massive corporations.

@jimfenton #NPOTA came along at just the right time to suck me back in!

@filkerdave I'd be more likely to get back on the air if I could power up my HW-101 without (probably) blowing up all the electrolytics.😯

@jimfenton Plenty of easy to use kit out there for not too much money.

@MaggieL All these people who managed to get 2x1 and 1x2 calls!

@filkerdave All you needed was Extra Class and not be picky. My lifepartner is NG3P.

@MaggieL I'm not too picky, but they're hard to come by here in 2-land. (OTOH, I have the original call that I was first licensed under back and it's pretty good for CW)

@filkerdave Yeah well, I got this call back in the early 2000's, they're probably pretty sparse in 3-land now too

@MaggieL There's been an unfortunate (in my view) habit of some people trying to snap them up them up so that the "undeserving hams" (i.e., ones who can't copy CW at 20+) don't get them.

@filkerdave Well, I'm pretty sure W3QV/R can't copy CW at 20+, but it probably sends that fast. :-) Our club also holds W3AA (museum/educational station; currently retired) and W3EM (field day).