[HCRA] KB6NU's January 2014 Column: Ham Cram: good or bad?

[Larry Krainson]

Hi, all--

Here's my January 2014 column.

73!

Dan KB6NU


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Ham Cram: Good for amateur radio or no?

I've been teaching one-day Tech classes, often referred to as "ham cram" 
classes for several years now. As a result, a couple hundred people now have 
amateur radio licenses. I'm proud of that, but sometimes a doubt or two 
creeps in. The doubts come from whether or not I'm teaching the students 
enough.

I also sometimes think about whether or not, my No-Nonsense study guides 
(www.kb6nu.com/tech-manual) should have more technical content. Recently on 
my blog (www.kb6nu.com), I've been posting sections of the next edition of 
my No-Nonsense, Technician Class License Study Guide. One comment reads,

"Oh my, now I see why my beloved USA is falling behind in 
math/technology/university on the world stage. Lack of rigor brings down 
real world knowledge and this sad trend plagues our country at every level. 
Your book helps students pass the exam but not learn proper physics."

The commenter is right about my study guides not trying to teach students 
about math or physics. There are many other books out there that do that. I 
disagree, though, that my study guides and my one-day classes are part of a 
"sad trend."

For one thing, an amateur radio license is not a degree in electrical 
engineering. Not only that, the Technician Class license is the very first 
rung on the amateur radio ladder. So, the question is how much knowledge 
should we require of someone just starting out in our hobby/service?

Secondly, I always stress that an amateur radio license is really a license 
to learn, and getting a Tech license is only the first step in a lifelong 
learning journey. I've been a ham a long time, and I'm constantly learning 
new things. And, I'm learning them because I have an amateur radio license. 
Without the privileges that my license gives me, I wouldn't be able to do 
the things I'm doing to learn them.

I sometimes regret that I can't teach people more during my one-day classes, 
but when you get right down to it, there's only so much you can expect. I 
know that a lot of my students have gone on to get General Class and Extra 
Class licenses and have turned in to great amateur radio operators. 
Presumably, they've learned a lot in the process.

Having said all that, I'm curious as to what you think about this? Are ham 
cram classes good for amateur radio? If not, what else should we be doing to 
help people get involved and enjoy amateur radio?

===================================================

When he's not teaching class, Dan, KB6NU enjoys working CW on the HF bands 
and building kits. For more information about his operating activities and 
his "No-Nonsense" series of amateur radio license study guides, go to 
KB6NU.Com or e-mail cwgeek at kb6nu.com.


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