Tom Fuszard

B2B copywriter/content marketing writer dedicated to helping you and your business succeed. Click on the "Writing Samples" tab for a selection of my samples. Need help with your content marketing? Feel free to call or email me.

Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #4
Plan….and improvise

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Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. Adapted from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead,1998). Plan….and improvise. Some of the author’s comments: “In your own pursuit of spectacular results, start out by doing some “deep planning.” Anticipate as best you can. Make your very best guess about how the situation … Read more

Ham radio equipment for base and mobile operation

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In an earlier post, I introduced you to amateur radio. Here I’d like to review the ham radio equipment I own.

How much and what type of ham radio equipment to buy is one of the great mysteries–some say pleasures–of becoming an amateur radio operator. With so many models of radios and antennas to choose from, not to mention all the accessories available, outfitting your “shack” (ham radio room) can seem like a daunting task.

It need not be. You can enjoy ham radio with a bare bones setup if you wish, or you can go all out. It’s totally up to you. (Within reason, of course. Budget, space constraints, and even building covenants also play a part.) Your Elmer or another experienced ham can help you in this area.

I own two sets of equipment: An HF base station with a multi-band vertical antenna, and a VHF mobile radio whose mag mount antenna permits operation indoors as well as in the car.

ham radio operator, how do I get a ham license

This picture shows some of my equipment. The radio is a Kenwood model 820 (circa 1980). The black box on top is a power supply for the power/SWR meter to its right. If you squint really hard you can make out the telegraph key just behind the microphone. It’s on a block of wood, which is the brown item. The pink sheets are pieces of scrap paper. I was operating during Field Day that year, and needed lots of scrap paper.

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Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #3
Deliberately choose to do things differently

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    Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. The third in a series of seven columns highlighting some of the principles from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead, 1998) Deliberately choose to do things differently. Some of the author’s comments: “Don’t wait for innovation to happen by accident. Make it … Read more

Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #2
Let limitations guide you to breakthroughs

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  Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. The second in a series of seven columns highlighting some of the principles from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead, 1998) Let limitations guide you to breakthroughs. Some of the author’s comments: “Constraints and limitations can be more of a blessing than … Read more

Principles learned from Pathfinder mission, #1
Set goals that make you stretch

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  Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission. The first in a series of seven columns highlighting some of the principles from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead, 1998) Principle #1: Set goals that make you stretch. Some of the author’s comments: “The most important aspect of how to begin … Read more