KOTA

Hey good deal on getting the Radio Club started. I was reading through the entries in the forum and I saw a great Idea. Have a youth net on the HF. We have about 10 hams around here that are pretty active. We have a youth net on the local club repeater. We ought to get together all the youth and start a lil something. Well 73s

KD5OHW Mike Wood
Age 15

 

Hello to all the young hams.

I was first licensed at age 15 as WN9ICB (in 1971). Before that I'd been part of a group of teenage CB operators, but eventually I began longing for bigger game ... as in worldwide DX. We had about six to eight active members of our little CB group, but I was the only one who went on to get his ham license.

My point is this: As a fellow OM has already pointed out, ham radio has always been a niche hobby. Was then, is now. And in my case, my friends were people already interested in radio ... yet that didn't mean they had the desire, the motivation or the determination to study as hard as I did. I really wish they had -- it would have been more fun if they'd all joined me.

But there's no sense in getting discouraged. Instead of lamenting the fact that very few high school kids share your interest, change your expectations. Realize that getting an amateur radio license is like any goal that's difficult to achieve: Some have it ... and most don't. No reason to get down about it -- just concentrate on making new friends, young and old, on the airwaves. Continue to talk it up among the non-hams you know. And don't be afraid to ask us older guys for a little help now and then. If one of your pals just got his ticket and can't get on the air, maybe the adult ops in your area would help set up his antenna.

One more thing about being one of "the few, the proud" in your high school: Getting a ham license as a teenager puts you in very select group. So take pride in that. As a former teenage ham myself, I know what you went through to get that license.

Let me close by saying I'm proud of all of you; you're all very well spoken, and I have no doubt you'll be successful as hams, as well as in life. So please, do us older hams a favor and stay with this hobby -- amateur radio needs a future populated by people like you. Best of luck with your club, and I hope to work every one of you someday. Be sure to say hello if you hear me on the air.

73 ES GL,
Brian, W9IND

 

Hi Dan,
My name is Bob, W8CRO. I am the trustee for an elementary school radio club in Cincinnati, OH. We have four students who are licensed and about 13 more who have just started preparing for their Technician Exam. If you, or anyone else on the board, would like to set up a sked to get on the air with some of our students, feel free to e-mail me at: w8cro@arrl.net
We are one of the Big Project pilot schools for the ARRL and I'd love to hear from anyone who had taught or tried to teach license classes for elementary school students.
THANKS and 73!

Bob, W8CRO

 

Hi Dan, I am very proud of your efforts to get our young folks involved in Ham Radio. You should also consider Echolink as another mode to get the younger hams to work each other. Keep up the good work. I have had the honor to test many under the age of 18. Many of these outstanding young Americans have won FAR scholarships.
I suggest you write an article and send it to ARRL Hqs.

73 John B. Creel, Jr
WB3GXW@ARRL.NET
Chairman NCVEC

 

Hi..


Great to see continuing interest in ham radio from the kids..

Another great "tool" to use for KOTA would be EchoLink.

Maybe someone could setup a conference server specifically
for this group to help break the geographic limits for those that are not licensed for HF...

Just a thought..


Keep up the good work,

73,

Tony

 

Hi Dan, I know what you mean. I was 5 when I got my license, about 26 years ago. There literally was no one my age.... anywhere. The next youngest at that time was 13. Even teens were hard to find back then.

Anyway, I sponsor a ham radio club at the high school where I teach chemistry. I was wondering if we might be able to get together on the air somehow. The all schools net is on 10m usually in the mornings when we are in class. We need someplace to meet after school. Could we come up with a net on HF or meet on VHF via EchoLink? It would be a great opportunity for everyone to get on the air and meet each other.

Neil WB9VPG
neil@w9ear.org

 

  Well good job dan,I also am 13 and i am a member of two clubs and in one they have a kids group like your group but its not to active i would like to bring this up at the next meeting.I am a ham for 9 months and i have only spoken to two hams that were around my age .Well keep up the good work

                           73,
                             Anthony Petraglia
                                    KC2JHX

 

Dan KC9AIE and all KOTA

On JAnuary 17, 2003, I will have been a ham for forty years(40).  And I love it as much today as I did when I first started.  Ham RAdio influenced my career as engineer and I think that's another reason I stayed active.

I also have taught several ham radio classes and have gotten quite a few people liscenced.  I finally got my son interested, and he's is licsenced now.

The main focus of Amateur Radio, ARRL, and every organization should the bring as many young people into the hobby as possible.   If we don't do this, amateur radio will die and commercial interest will take over the ham frequencies.

Keep up the good work and pray for the survivble of Amateur radio.

73 es CUL

Hank Dean, N8DOE

 

Well seems like there is more young hams out there than I thought. That is good, how about an HF net? I sent an email to those of you that posted to this thread and have HF privleges.
Here is the message I sent out:

To:
kb1fwn@arrl.net, kb9vno@hotmail.com, wg4y@arrl.net, jstevens1855@aol.com, kb3fkj@aol.com, KC0LFV@iceng.com, kc2fdq@arrl.net, tornadochaser215@houston.rr.com, KC9AIE@Arrl.net


Hi All, I have read through all the posts about the KOTA and many of
you expressed the thought of a net of HF, well I don't know of one and
no one came up with an idea. So I decided to email those of you that
have HF privileges that posted to the QRZ.com forum.
The age here is 17 and am extra class. I would really like to see a
youth net on HF, would be kind of neat. So how about it, what is good
for everyone. 20m? on Saturdays maybe in the Afternoon. Comments are
welcome and maybe we can get something started here.
We can then post it on QRZ and hopefully get a good turnout. There
seems to be more young hams out there than I thought.

Please press REPLY TO ALL so that everyone I sent this message will
get your replys. I will post this to the KOTA thread on QRZ also.

73


___
Anyone else have comments on an HF net. Like to see it start. let me know , email me or post reply.

Jason
N4DSL

 

I earned my technician license in 1995 when I was 10. I've been involved in an attempt or two to get a club together, nothing that was too strong. I'm jealous that you guys have friends in school also interested in amateur radio. A school club would be cool.

For those of you who are newly licensed I have some good news. I never ran into a ham who wasn't interested in talking to kids. I hope you don't either.

I'm interested in any HF nets. Especially those around 20m (my antenna system is a little messed up but it works good in that area).

Good luck with your clubs!

73
Nick k9nl

 

Hi Guys/Gals,

It's a good idea you all have, you all want to communicate and share with kids your age, then perhaps you should take your KOTA idea to ARRL, maybe they could help you make it nationwide, like a kids branch of ARRL, you could have KOTA clubs across the country, introduce KOTA to Boys/Girls clubs and to the Scouting organizations. In this case you wouldn't have to be an adult to run a local KOTA club, you'd just have to be a Ham to run it, or have an interest in Amateur Radio to join.
Good Luck and keep up the good work, 73 John KD5INM
KD5INM.COM