[Elecraft] Re: children and radio

[Roy Crosier]

While this has strayed a bit from the elecraft
topic, I wish to add a bit about getting kids
interested in radio.  (Which will possibly result
in the eventual selling of more K2s.)  

My 21 year old (third child) was never interested
in getting a license but he was very interested in
the physics of frequency, wavelength and such and
was always a ready helping hand when I wanted to
construct and erect an antenna.  When he was four
I had the radio on in the living room and always
kept it squelched on 29.6 FM when I was doing 
house work or babysitting.  I had been in the
kitchen and laundry area longer than I realized 
and I came back to the living room to hear the
radio say, "Does your daddy know you are using his
radio?"  I immediately got on the air and identified
as the "control" operator.  The OM on the other end
said that my four year old had given a beautiful
CQ 3X3 call and then started a conversation as if
he were a QCW member! 

While none of my kids ever got licensed, I think
the positive fall out of my being a ham has affected
them in other ways.  My daughter is a Harvard
graduate and works for a VERY large law firm. 
She makes more money at age 25 than I ever have. One
of their clients came in wanting guidance in forcing
a nearby city to act against a ham with a tower.  
My daughter questioned the client and the assigned
lawyer about what they knew about ham radio and
the proceeded to tell them "the rest of the story!"
My daughter frequently went with my wife (KB0DUK, SK)
on weather spotting assignments and assisted with
Red Cross call-outs.  After spending about 45 minutes
explaining our service to the client he agreed to
rethink his opposition to the tower.  The lawyer
in the case said that he felt the entire staff 
should be advised of what ham radio is about so the
rest of the firm could be aware of the full story.


While I would have enjoyed it if any of
my kids would have joined their mother and me
in being licensed hams, I am never-the-less quite
satisfied that they are willing to defend and
explain our service.

Now, about the discussion as to what age to teach
CW.  I say that the younger the better!  I think
it is a language skill and the young ones pick
up language faster than any other age.  My kids
learned CW because their mother and I would spell
out things that we didn't want to say in front of
them in CW.





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