This morning, I’m catching up with email and posts as I’ve had less online time these past few days (not a bad thing). I’m also trying to sort out and organize some of the gear in my compact shack/office.

As I do this, I can’t help but think through some of the radio projects that await me in 2021–so I started making a list.

2021 Radio Goals

Portable DXing: I hope I’ll be able to travel again in the latter part of 2021 and take my portable SDR pack to capture spectrum recordings in the field. I really miss doing this.
Carefully go through my portable radio collection and “thin the herd.” I’ve no intention of letting go of everything, but I’ve a number of small, inexpensive portables I never touch and don’t plan to use for comparisons
Purchase a few more cables and a mic to complete my multitrack recording and receiver comparison setup. Massive thanks to my friend, Matt Blaze, who’s helped me through this process.
Finally replace that faulty keypad on the Drake SW8! (This might be the first thing I do in the new year.)
Antenna Farm improvements and upgrades:
It’s time for the remote tuner box to get a rennovation!
- I plan to re-build my remote tuner box (that’s served me so well for a decade–see photo)
- install all new connectors, components, and change the balun
- add a remote antenna switching device
- beef up lightening protection
- and replace all of the coax feed lines.
- I also plan to add a home brew 80 meter vertical and possibly a 20M delta loop oriented E/W
QRP EME: I still need to sort out a VHF amplifier, antenna, connectors and cables for my QRP EME station. I hope to have the pieces together by mid 2021.
Build my QCX+ and QCX Mini transceivers (really looking forward to that!)
Continue participating in Parks On The Air (POTA) and write up most field reports on QRPer.com
Activate at least ten sites for Summits On The Air (SOTA)
Tick off a few more goals from my “Social DX” list

In truth? I’ve more goals than this, but I’m trying to be somewhat realistic. The top priority is investing time in my antenna situation at home. All of the coax lines are aging and I know are no longer up to spec. I see cable and even connectors as long-term consumables and it’s definitely time to reinvest!