Seth Jones is… a young ham from Maine with an old soul for radio. At just 14, he’s earned his Extra license, snagged the vanity callsign NU1D, and has already gotten a taste of much of what ham radio has to offer—from contesting to POTA, from sleepovers with Yagis to ARRL Field Day with an Elecraft K3 and a 30-foot trailer tower. Seth’s not here to be a trend; he’s here to operate. While grownups wring their hands about whether “kids these days” are interested in ham radio, Seth quietly builds DX contacts from his hundred-watt shack, learns Morse code, and imagines a future where ham radio leads to career paths in engineering or even the FCC. His journey started with curiosity and mentorship—and maybe a few YouTube videos—but it’s been powered by a deep fascination with reaching across borders and bands. If you think ham radio’s dying, you’re listening on the wrong frequency. Join the conversation and subscribe to W1DED Worldwide Ham Radio.
The Seth Story Continues Just days after our latest interview, Seth NU1D is already back in the game—and making serious strides. In his first real shot at a major contest, he logged 630 contacts across 82 different countries, more than doubling his goal of 300 QSOs in the CQ WPX. Working mostly search and pounce, with just a few CQs, Seth pulled in some impressive DX including China, Indonesia, and several African countries. His map of contacts and score snapshot tells the story of someone quickly gaining confidence and skill. Seth’s enthusiasm and steady growth are exactly what this hobby needs. The NU1D story is just getting started.
That's awesome you got on the show too, Seth! Great job! Glad to see you do so well in the contests. Keep it up, man! -Jake, WV4AM
Yes it's need of time to have young generation into our hobby. I always like to see young ones talking on Air! good luck. 73 Rajesh Vagadia VU2EXP
There’s a lot of youth interested in Ham Radio. Here in my home town there is a radio club at the middle school Rambler Radio Club W4LMS with anywhere from 15-20 members every year both boys and girls. The teacher Jody Carter W4LWC, Allen Padgett KN4FKS, Jack Thompson N5UOV, and myself WA4TW really enjoy working with the kids especially during School Club Round Up and POTA events. Always remember to have fun Seth ,73 WA4TW
