[Elecraft] Suggestions for Introducing a 10-year-old to Amateur Radio and Electronics

[Edward R Cole]

I got started in 1958 (almost 60 years ago).

There was no Internet, google, personal computers, or even hand 
calculators (unless you include the pencil).

I was not introduced by a mentor (elmer) or any ham.  It was some 
neighbor kids family table Zenith Ocean-O-Graphic radio.  I was 
twelve and visiting a couple friends and noticed the radio had 
several bands and one said "police".  I asked if they ever listened 
to the police on the radio; they hadn't. So I suggested giving it a 
try.  Well we heard no police at 5-MHz but after tuning lower 
encountered a lot of people talking (it was below 4-MHz).  I later 
found out that was ham radio.

I suppose there was some books at the community library (I was kinda 
strange as I frequented the library looking things up in the 
encyclopedia and reading magazines).  I was building model rockets 
with stuff from the hardware store at least a couple years before Sputnik.

As I said there were no local hams in our little farm community.  But 
sometime later I found out about an evening class on ham radio at a 
nearby town.  I got my dad to drive me there over several weeks and 
the teacher was a young HS music teacher who became my elmer giving 
me my Novice Exam.

I had listened late at night to AM stations from far away so guess 
that also contributed to my interest.  But I had to build my first 
radio from a kit (Knight kit Ocean Hopper).  I saved up allowance for 
half a year and did not even have any tools (my dad bought me a 
solder gun for my birthday).  He also bought my first transmitter 
(DX35) from my elmer who wanted to upgrade to a DX100.  My license 
arrive Nov. 11, 1958.
http://www.kl7uw.com/1958%20HamStation.jpg

I built my first antenna from TV twinlead (40m folded dipole).  After 
we moved to a larger community (2000) there was a TV shop so I 
frequented that (owner and one of the technicians were hams).

The rest was history "as they say".  There were $15 WWII surplus 
radios, old TV towers, more HB antenna, and Heathkit.  My CW key came 
by mail order from a store in Connecticut called the radio shack (way 
before the chain existed).

So many more ways to get started these days.  In the end its the 
kid's own curiosity and interest that will bring him into ham radio.

73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
Dubus-NA Business mail:
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