Planning for the Future, Part 2

As I stated in my previous post, my XYL and I agreed that we need to save money in order to do the things we want to do in life. (Read the original post to get the details.) I have finally figured out a way to get money into savings, PayPal, and my change tin (a Christmas popcorn tin I finagled from work).

This means that I have to get a bit creative in how the money is to be saved, but I have devised a plan that will work. That and the fact that we have been able to get a couple of bills paid down and reworked to our advantage will make this plan work. Mary doesn't really know it yet, but in time this plan will have some serious money stashed away. Between my savings account, my PayPal account and my change tin I should plenty of money to reach the goals I have set for myself as well as doing some things for the XYL that she wants to eventually do. This will make the household a pretty happy place! The only downside is that I may have to slow down on the purchases of postage stamps for my stamp collection, especially the mint Amateur Radio stamps I have found through a great dealer on eBay.

Now all I have to do is just watch the plan work and stick to it for the next year and see where this leads. The ultimate plan is by Christmas of 2009 or January 1, 2010 I will have the shack of my dreams...to be able to do whatever I want to do in Amateur Radio, and however I want to do it.

The shack will consist of multimode capability from 80 meters to 70 centimeters. Modes used will be SSB, CW and digital, with possibly some SSTV thrown in for kicks. I highly doubt I will use DSTAR. 222 MHz will likely be just FM, but if I have a multimode 222 rig drop in my lap I won't turn it down! The antennas will be Yagis or quads for 50 through 440 MHz, and I will likely use loop antennas for HF. Of course this will depend on the size of the yard and what the XYL might want to do.

If I can do this, I plan to have a great mobile setup in the vehicle I would be driving in all the time. (There might be a second vehicle purchased that would be in good consition in order for this to happen.) HF and maybe 6 meter capability would be available there, along with 2 meters and 70cm FM. If I can get another Yaesu FT-857D along with a dual-band FM mobile and the needed antennas, that project will be done as well!

So there are the plans. Of course they can change, but this would be the ideal setup if I knew I could get it done! We'll see what happens over the next year.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on my website, especially the STORM SPOTTER CENTRAL section. There are still some more additions and corrections I need to make, but I think I should have everything ready by mid-June I think. Why so long? I just want to make sure the available information on those pages are current and viable, just like the rest of the website. It's actually pretty easy to put everything together; it's just a matter of making time for it all and making sure there are no mistakes. I have also figured out that I will have to add one more page to the website, and that is to showcase my Amateur Radio stamp collection. This is something that not very many hams are doing, and I have been working to really enhance my stamp collection with these special stamps. One of these days I will have a program for clubs that will consist of QSLing and postage. The Amateur Radio stamps will add a very nice touch, I think.

Stay tuned...there's more to come!

WR1TX