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 Previous: ARRL Board Names Award Winners |  Next: ARRL Urges Improved RFI Immunity Standards for Consumer Electronics |
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
July 24, 2003
This time: Catch up on youth-related activities in June and July and learn the opinions of some of today's young amateurs on Morse code.
The Kona Amateur Radio Society (KARS) in Hawaii, which operated Field Day Class F at North Hawaii Community Hospital using the call sign NH7HI, enjoyed a visit from a group of youths from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). "The high point of the Field Day came with demonstration to the CAP cadets of a pair of the Altoids tin-mounted Knightlite SMITE 80-meter transceiver kits," says North Hawaii Emergency Coordinator John Buck, KH7T. Here, Jack Wheeler, KH6CC, makes some adjustments to the little transceiver while two of the visiting CAP cadets look on. Buck is in the background.--thanks to Pacific SM Bob Schneider, AH6J [NH6KE Photo] |
First HF QSO: At Field Day this year, I had the privilege of assisting James Greene, KG4ZZD (left), with his first HF contact. [KF4PWI Photo] |
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Getting on the Air: Joe and Nicole, both 8, make a Field Day contact on HF. [AA3JW Photo] |
 Kid's Day Participant: Here's Amanda Morgan, KG4WRS, in her South Carolina ham shack. [KG4VJW Photo] |
 Pro-coder: Jonathan Cullifer, KG4TVT, of Georgia believes the US should keep the 5 WPM code requirement. [KG4IUM Photo] |
All smiles: The Tampa Amateur Radio Club ham radio demo for the Gulf Ridge Council Cub Scout Day Camp '03 [Bruce Orand, N4ZXI, Photo] |
Son and Dad: Among those attending the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention were Kevin Cleveland, N2SON, and his father, Thomas, N2DAD. [KG4IUM Photo] |
Ham radio for the birds? Twelve-year-old Justin, shown here with Molly the macaw, is a prospective ham from Texas. He accompanied his grandfather to the ARRL National Convention/Ham-Com 2003 in Arlington, Texas, June 20-22. Molly and her pal Diego belong to Bill Christian, W5BC. [ARRL Photo]
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Each person's first ARRL Field Day experience is unique. Last month, I shared mine with you. Now, I'm pleased to share the experiences of others. Thanks to all who contributed--and if you have not yet, you're still welcome to tell me about your inaugural Field Day memories.
"I was 16 and had been WN0TAS for eight months when my first Field Day happened," says ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director Bruce Frahm, K0BJ. While he loved CW, his first contact at the Wheat Belt Radio Club Field Day ended up being on 15-meter SSB with assistance from K0IFI. He relinquished the microphone only hours later.
Frahm recalls what happened when a storm came through later that evening, "I'll never forget two scenes I saw in rapid succession. The first was ball lightning--something I've not seen before or since. The second was K0RXR's jaw dropping, allowing his ever-present cigar to tumble to the ground!"
Despite the weather, contacts continued. "I was so enthralled with the event that I QSLed all of my 15-meter QSOs with hand-typed club call sign QSLs," Frahm said. "I suspect postage back then was only eight cents, but still my parents must have thought my mailings were a bit excessive. It did vastly increase my fledgling QSL collection, however."
Although things have changed since this occurred in 1968, the same sorts of things make Field Day fun today.
A couple years earlier in 1957, Dave Thompson, K4JRB--then K5MDX--was experiencing his first Field Day. It began when he called CQ on a "dead" 10 meters. "A W8 answered, and it took me a couple of seconds to fumble with the mike and say `3A Mississippi,'" Thompson recalls. As a 14-year-old ham a year later, he managed to place third in the nation in his category in the ARRL November Sweepstakes.
How was your Field Day this year? If it was like mine, I'm sure it was excellent. Actually, I participated in Field Day outings with both the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society and the Gwinnett County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group. This year, I stayed up until 6 o'clock Sunday morning, then crashed until noon.
Andrew Kelly, K3ASK, who participated in the Anne Arundel Radio Club Jr's Field Day had this to say: "Field Day was great. I made 184 contacts." See the Ham Radio for Kids Web site for more information and photos.
If you're a young ham, tell me about your Field Day experiences this year. I'd like to hear from the not-so-young hams too regarding any youth-related activities at their Field Day sites.
Amanda Morgan, KG4WRS, reports she participated in Kid's Day in January--the same day she took her Technician examination. Her dad, Michael Morgan, KG4VJW, served as control operator until Amanda got her new call sign. "I really appreciated it, because I didn't have to wait to talk on the radio," she says. Amanda made about seven contacts.
If you participated, let me know how your Kid's Day went. I'd also welcome comments from veteran hams who sponsored Kid's Day activities.
As decided at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) that wrapped up July 4 in Geneva, it is now up to each country to determine whether Amateur Radio applicants will have to demonstrate Morse code proficiency to earn operating privileges below 30 MHz. This action does not eliminate the 5 WPM Morse requirement in the US. It appears that will require FCC action, prompted first by a petition and followed by an opportunity for the amateur community at large to comment.
So, what does the future of Amateur Radio--its youth--have to say on this issue? Here is a sampling of opinions.
Jonathan Cullifer, KG4TVT, of Georgia believes the US should keep the Element 1 5-WPM code requirement. "It's a heritage thing," he said. He also believes that Morse code helps with proficiency. He passed the General written examination before the code, but he says the Morse requirement pushed him to learn the code, and now he's glad he did.
A ham who didn't want his name published expressed the opinion that the FCC should let amateurs have most frequencies but yield "the really good ones" to those who have passed the Morse code element. It would motivate people to learn the code. "Morse code has saved several people's lives," this young amateur said.
Another anonymous ham believes Morse code can come in handy in emergencies and should be retained as a licensing requirement for HF work. "One girl in distress flashed `SOS' on her back taillight and was saved," she pointed out.
Nicole Bagwell, KG4YDA, in South Carolina also believes the Morse requirement should continue because it keeps one interested in Amateur Radio. "I also think that Morse code is a tradition that should be kept in Amateur Radio," she said, adding that it's also useful in identifying repeaters with CW IDs.
Amanda Morgan, KG4WRS, also of South Carolina, says, "I am in favor of the 5 WPM Morse code requirement. That way, if you are talking to someone in a different country you can still communicate if they speak a different language."
Another amateur who declined to let us publish a name had this to say: "Morse code is a `hook' for young hams-to-be. When introduced to digital modes, many will turn away with a `That's what chat rooms are for' attitude. When introduced to voice, they think about their cell phones. However, most kids really like CW, but without the requirement, they may see no use for that either."
This unscientific sampling of opinion suggests that at least a few young people favor keeping the 5 WPM Morse code requirement. Let's hear opinions--pro or con--from other young amateurs or prospective amateurs. In the not-too-distant future, you'll more than likely have the chance to express your opinions for real to the FCC, so it's not too early to be thinking about it. If you are a young ham or prospective ham (ie, younger than 21 years old) and have an opinion, do let me know!
My thanks to Georgia ARRL Section Manager Susan Swiderski, AF4FO, for suggesting this discussion topic.
Have you tried EchoLink? There is an EchoLink youth net--the Carly Net--Sunday evenings at 7:30 Eastern Time. It's on the N1TUP link, which is the W1AW repeater. Stop by the Carly Net the first Sunday you can and meet some hams your own age. Thanks to ARRL Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, for this information.
Are you familiar with the ARRL Youth Sked Database? Would you like to talk to hams your own age around the country? Check it out on the ARRL Web site.
ARRL Field and Educational Services had introduced the Harmonics Web pages as a way to intrigue young people about ham radio. ARRL Educational Programs Coordinator Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, said the mission of the new Harmonics kids' pages is "to expose children to the possibilities of Amateur Radio, not clobber them over the head with a pile of technical information." Web visitors can play games, download informative printouts to color, read news articles about other kids involved with ham radio, work puzzles, click on live links, listen to audio samples of Morse code and space station contacts and much more.
Harmonics invites youngsters aged to 15 to get acquainted with the basic concepts of Amateur Radio through immediate personal interaction and by discovering how other kids are using ham radio for personal communication and to expand their exploration of science and technology.
"This is just the start, the first incarnation of the pages," Wolfgang said. She said that in the near future, the pages will add more games plus a QSL card template with a drag-and-drop interactive design.
From the West Central Florida Section: "He'd told an Ohio ham on 20 meters his favorite color and favorite sports team. Using portable radios he learned are called HTs, he'd talked to his buddies on 2 meters across the field. And he'd used a Morse code oscillator and a chart of the alphabet and code characters to send his name to his partner, and listened as the partner did the same," wrote Warren Elly, W1GUD, in the West Central Florida Section E-News. The Cub Scout he is referring to was one of 168 others who participated in the Gulf Ridge Council summer day camp. Amateur Radio was one of the many activities at the camp, thanks to 10 years of support from the Tampa Amateur Radio Club (TARC).
From the Georgia Section: The Lanierland Amateur Radio Club in Gainesville, Georgia, sponsored the Southeastern Division ARRL Convention July 12-13. Many young hams attended.
"In Brief" (July 9, 2003) contains a few youth-related items.
The stories "ARISS Logs Two Successful European Contacts," "Tang--or Something Like it--Still a Space Drink" and "Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Logs 100th School Contact" convey some of the excitement of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program of school group contacts.
If you're into emergency communication, you'll enjoy the Boom, Boom! Out Go the Lights! "Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler" for July 5.
If you're an expert at units of measure, you should have no problem with the June 20 "Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler".
An overview of the 2003 ARRL National Convention in Texas--including a mention of how the first "Big Project" pilot school thanked Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, for his donation to the program--is on the ARRL Web site.
If you know of a young ham or someone who Elmers young hams, know of a youth-related-activity or have something you'd like to submit for this column, please contact me awextra@arrl.org. I'd also like to hear about any young hams who serve as net control stations or who are involved in Amateur Radio public service work.
Until next month, 73!
Editor's note: Fourteen-year-old Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Her Amateur Radio activities include public service, kit building, hamfesting, and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with youth-related news and photos are invited to contact Andrea via e-mail with the subject line "Youth Column."
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