Announcing the QRZ New Ham Jumpstart Program

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS why QRZ.com is the premier website for amateur radio?

 

I find this offering fantastic for new hams. It sounds like an entry level radio, but should be perfect for new hams to get on the air. Hopefully it is easy to program from the front like the ft 60. That would be a plus indeed.

I congratulate QRZ and Gigaparts for putting this program together

 

I am trying to get my 10 and 12 year old grandsons to pass the test. I don't think they have a picture ID. How can this be handled.

 

Your QRZ page logbook shows you've somehow managed to get on the air and make some contacts. You could always start a GoFundMe account to help fund the $59 to buy the HT.

 

Thank you

 

Wow - sounds like a great program. Another QRZ home run.

Thanks Fred & Company !

 

At the risk of being labeled a cranky old man I have debated posting this but decided to anyhow. I have read ALL of the comments on this issue and clearly the vast majority support it. I don't. Not so much because as a 12 year old new ham many decades ago I mowed lawns all summer and did any other job I could to save money for my first piece of ham gear. But working for it made me appreciate it all the more. And not so much because I see the recipients pretty much being shack on the belt types who will soon tire of what V/UHF has to offer. Believe it or not, not every newly minted ham aspires to work only 2/440. Some have interests in other aspects of the hobby. And not for political reasons I am not a real fan of products made where this give-a-way HT is manufactured.

IMO a better approach would have been to award a gift certificate equal in value to the cost of providing the HT. The newly minted ham could have then spent the money to buy that radio if that is what s/he wants. But they could also buy a study guide for an upgrade to a higher class license, or a book on antennas, or a book on station grounding, or towards some piece of equipment for their ultimate goal which just might be HF related rather than V/UHF related. Nice gesture, good promotional advertising for Giga-Parts and QRZ but IMO could have been done better. That which is free is not as appreciated as that which one has to work for.

 

Pleasse take no offense because I say this in pure jest: I am reminded of that old song..."Every Party Needs a Pooper thats Why We Invited You...Party Pooper, Party Pooper."

Like I said, please take no offense--just having a bit of fun.

 

Oliver - then you advocate for giving out these radios, without any instruction, that includes the local repeater channels, CTCSS tones required, where the local "community" is likely to listen and respond when a new ham gets on the air? I think that you may take for granted that this knowledge is acquired over time, building on knowledge and skills. In the end, the awarding of these radios is a wasted exercise if all of us who monitor these channels all day don't reply when a new ham makes a first call.

 

We all sounded like idiots the first time. I remember in 1973, when I first got my General class license, I was on a transmitter hunt with a ham friend in Los Angeles, and made my first call on the PARC repeater. My "signal check". The reply back to me was "WA6VHV, you are full quieting". Hmmmmmm........ What is "full quieting"? I later learned this and more from the great mentors that I had in ham radio. Find a local ham to mentor you.

 

My grand daughter is 15 years of age and passed the tech exam on the 18th of this month. Just heard about this program and will tell her about it. I am sure she would appreciate the package and get on the air as soon as her call sign is issued.
Excellent way to get new hams on the air. Congrats to who ever thought of this program.
Jerry K2MD

 

Yeah, I got introduced to HF by a grateous ham who let me use an old transceiver until I can buy a new one for myself. I'm very thankful

 

Got my application processed with my Student ID!
Really generous of QRZ to do this.

Thanks!