By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor

This week, Surfin’ metaphorically connects The Fab Four’s record releases and the ham radio experience.

Something New was The Beatles’ third LP on America’s Capitol label. It contained songs that already appeared on A Hard Day’s Night on the United Artists label, so if you had already purchased A Hard Day’s Night after its June 26, 1964 release date, Something New -- released on July 20 -- was not something new. But if you had not purchased A Hard Day’s Night, then Something New was new to you.

Just like the ham radio experience.

Ham radio has some things new that you can try, and it also has some things that have been around forever. But if you are trying them for the first time, they are something new to you.

Chasing DX on longwave is something new to me and I am having a lot of fun doing something that has been around forever. Similarly, I have not chased DXCC countries on the low bands in ages, but the new ARRL Diamond DXCC Challenge is intriguing and I am going to give it a go.

If whatever you are doing in ham radio today is getting stale, try something new (to you). There are plenty of items to choose from on the ham radio menu. You are likely to find an item on the menu that you never tried before, or an item you tried in the past and would like to revisit. It would be a great way to start the new year.

By the way, after sitting on 198 kHz for awhile, I did squeeze BBC Radio 4 out of thin air, as well as other AM broadcast stations that I have not yet identified between 150-200 kHz.

Until next time, keep on surfin’!

Editor’s note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, enjoys the unusual in radio. To contact Stan, send e-mail or add comments to the WA1LOU blog.