I'm wondering what you guys suggest to regain my interest in this hobby. I got my certification last fall (live in US) and was excited to learn the concepts and start using a radio. But after passing that my interest has dropped.
I don't have a radio club nearby or much money to spend on equipment. I had a UV-5R for a while but sold it recently since I needed the $ at the time. I was thinking of getting a slightly better handheld, and the idea of building a mobile station in my car is appealing. When I scanned the air with my baofeng I picked up some chatter every few days but could barely make it out. I also have a SDR that I connect to my computer and pick up some local FM stations.
I've heard that a club is the best way to get into it. The closest club is farther than I can usually drive with my work/life committments but I want to start trying to go at least once every few month. Are there any projects I could do on my own that could be exciting?
Thanks for your help.
First of all, congrats on being able to sell a used UV-5R. They're worth literally nothing used, so you must have some mad salesmanship skills.
But since you had to sell your 'Feng to make ends meet, you might want to just sit back a bit before getting back into the hobby. It can be done very inexpensively, but that's relative, and someone who is hurting enough for an extra $5-10 to sell their Baofeng definitely can't afford what it would take to get more active in amateur radio.
I know this probably isn't what you were hoping to hear, but other than showing up to club meetings there isn't much you can do that won't cost more than the $20 to buy another UV-5R. Even homebrew projects like building antennas for your SDR will cost at least that much.