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

[Brad J. Butler]

Hi everyone,

I've wrestled with this too.  My 9 year old son really enjoyed learning how to send his name perfectly in CW while being graded by the KX2's decoder.  He wouldn't stop until he got it perfect - no spaces or anything!  But my 11 year old gave up sorta quickly.  I drag them on SOTA activations and they quickly get bored at the summits, and they don't quite enjoy the hikes yet (less entertaining than video games).  Even the super tall ones.  I'd try a couple different aspects of the hobby and see which one sticks.  The Raspberry Pi idea is great, the CW thing took for one of my kids (could maybe sell it as a code you can talk in that nobody will know) but not really the other, contesting might grab an older competitive kid, and other kids might dig amateur radio satellites.  They're all different.  In the age of smart phones, Skype, and email, it can be hard to compete.  Skip's comment about getting friends interested too is pretty smart.

As far as other hikers during SOTA, I always try to operate out of the way with a small footprint (AlexLoop and KX2 with earphones).  I get more questions and probably do more good PR for ham radio than bad PR.  Lots of folks I meet while doing SOTA think it's interesting.  I usually mention how much power I'm using and which states/countries I reached.  Never had anyone complain.

-Brad Butler
W6BJB/JS6TQS

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred Jensen
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2017 8:38 PM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Suggestions for Introducing a 10-year-old to Amateur Radio and Electronics

www.sotawatch.org is the main site.  Like everything else, one size does not fit all.  The programme [it started in the UK] offers a number of awards which attract some but not all folks.  Some are just outdoor folks who would be hiking/camping anyway.  Some don't hike but derive pleasure from working the QRP/antenna challenged stations from home. They're called chasers and I am one, old injuries plus the accumulation of birthdays that followed tend to restrict me physically.  There are drive-up summits and I've done a few of them.  One very active summiteer runs up the mountains.  Another [WG0AT] uses pack goats.

In all the times I've been on a summit, I've met a number of other hikers.  I'm CW only, but I've activated with others on SSB and none of the "visitors" have been upset.  SOTA almost universally takes place on the summit itself, not the trail.

But SOTA was just an example for Ted.  The primary point was that success with his grandson, if success means the kid getting interested in ham radio, will likely be enhanced if he can couple the radio part up with some interest the boy already has and enjoys.  Double points if his grandson can include his friends in the activities.

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 10/15/2017 2:21 PM, ab2tc wrote:
> I hate to be a wet blanket, but I am not sure if I understand the joy of
> activating peaks on ham radio. How do other hikers react to this? I know I
> am extremely annoyed by people gabbing on their cell phones on the trail. Is
> ham radio that much different?
>
> Knut - AB2TC
>

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