In article .com,
says...

snippety

I have found three clubs on the ARRL website within 30 miles of me.
Only one of those lists DX communication and none of them list
satellite or packet radio as one of the groups interests. I feel a
little uneasy simply showing up to one of the meetings with my limited
(read non-existant) knowledge of the subject. I know enough about the
physics and theory behind everything, but pratically 0 about the actual
application. I envision going to one of these meetings (the one
closest to me is held at a diner) and sitting around a table with a
bunch of guys who are talking ham radio jargon and not being able to
follow anything being said. I realize they are probably helpful to
newcomers, but I think they would expect a newcomer to be able to hold
their own, which at the moment I would be unable to do

snippety-two

Simply because a club doesn't list a given interest does not mean
that none exists among the membership.

As others have pointed out, you're overthinking and overplanning.
Pick a club you like the sound of, and go to a meeting. You could very
well be pleasantly surprised. None of us learned all that we now know
overnight.

Any books or websites geared towards beginners (possibly with my
interests in mind) that I might find useful? I've found a bunch, but it
would be better if I could get some recommendations from experienced
operators.

http://www.arrl.org has a wide assortment of publications designed
to help beginners make it into the ranks.

Happy hunting.


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Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR,
kyrrin (a/t) bluefeathertech[d=o=t]calm -- www.bluefeathertech.com
"If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped
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