Posted: 2/8/2014 1:07:30 PM EDT
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Not only that she already got her tech last year when she was 8, my little girl just upgraded to General and to the best of my knowledge the youngest Amateur Radio General licensed in AZ. Way to go little girl. |
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Quoted:
Not only that she already got her tech last year when she was 8, my little girl just upgraded to General and to the best of my knowledge the youngest Amateur Radio General licensed in AZ. Way to go little girl. Very nice! Congrats to your little girl! My 8 year old son has started to show interest in radio as well so I am hoping that we can get him headed down the road to technician one of these days. You should be very proud of your daughter! 
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Congratulations to the new YL!
Get her on HF. Young voices can punch right through pileups and QRN. She might be interested in the YLRL: http://www.ylrl.org/ |
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Thanks guys, and thanks for that link Frank_B. I didn't know about that. As of bragging, of course I'm going to brag. And brag about it here because, well no one else understands or appreciates what it takes and that it is a significant challenge for a young kid taking a test in which there are no other kids and very little is orientated to kids at test time, which is a positive learning experience. I don't mention about it on my wife's FB, or put stickers on my car, but deserving recognition is warranted. I will say, if you guys have kids, grand kids, nieces and nephews, any kid receptive to do so,make the time and get them on it! It can be done and I'm no teacher. I taught "the test" to my daughter when she was about 7, off and on until we got serious about it last year. I've always know that she caught on to learning experiences really quick (I have 5 kids so i do notice the difference and I will say I wasn't as bright as she is at that age). Getting her Tech last year really has made her blossomed to her learning capabilities. I'm convinced most, if not all kids are capable of the same. This had directly reflected on her school work. I have that "learn the dang test, and then learn as you use the radio" mentality. And that is what she did. I have 3 older kids (15 to 19, only my 19 y/o Marine is a Tech at 17) and it is a different deal. Once you lose that "window of opportunity" it's hard after that, or a complete different deal. You are dealing with a young adult with other interests. And getting my then 8, now 9 year old into ham tickled the interest of my youngest son who is 6 y/o who wants a ham radio license like his sisters'. And yes I started teaching him so my next brag will be about my 6 y/o getting his tech. But even for those moody teens you can take advantage of windows of opportunity. Bribe them if necessary. My oldest son used the QRZ on line practice test and failed his first 2 tries and had to go to another test session. My daughter used the iPhone/iPad app by Dela Systems, Roy Watson N1ZTL. The app allows you to do section quizes, it mixes up the answer orders so they at least know the answer and not A. B, C, or D, and it's instant feedback when they take the sample tests. My girl failed her first try and did great on the second try. She was doing great on practice tests but the morning of she failed 5. It was just nerves but she did great once her nerves settled. |
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Quoted: Honest Question: Does she really understand the Material, or does she only know the answers to the questions? Just as I would ask, honestly how much of the test does the average ham actually apply on day to day radio ops? As I assist her in her studies I tell my self when the heck will I need to use a wire wound resistor in a RF circuit? Or, if a receiver mixes a 13.800 Mhz VFO with a 14.255 Mhz received signal to produce a 455 kHz intermediate frequency (IF) signal, what type of interference will a 13.345 MHz signal produce in the receiver? The answer is...........? She had to know the answer to 456 of those questions. She knows how to turn on a HF radio, set it to the appropriate frequency, mode, and how to tune the antenna via an auto tuner, and how to transmit and respond. And she does help me out when I set up antennas or radios. Very little or next to none of which was covered on the test. Once licensed the rest is up to me and other operators. Ask her and she can tell you AC power is what comes from your house outlet and DC power is what comes from a battery. Now ask 1 male adult and 1 female adult that same question, someone who does not work in the electrical or automotive field. Let me put it this way, I had to ask someone in my field of work (not electrical or automotive) if they knew how to jump a car. Those who know and have jumped a car battery would give me a simple "yes". I had from a more than I expected "No" to a couple explaining the "theory" on how to jump a car battery. Only heard one simple "yes" out of 7 grown adults ranging from late 20's to mid 40's. Ham radio is a hobby in which you need a license first in order to participate. ETA: Maybe I could have simply answered she was taught by me never to tune to 14.313 and to never speak to anyone who intentionally jams or uses foul language. Perhaps that same question should be better asked of the "14.313 club"? This was not covered in depth enough in the question pool. So yeah, she seems to get the material much better than most. |
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Quoted:
Most of what she knows the answer to the questions but she definitely knows the concept. That's why she was taught for the test, which is what 99% of those who have ever taken the test do, pre and post CW requirements. What she does know now is what she has learned from her experiences. Unless someone enrolls into a dedicated class taught by engineers almost every one just learns what they need to pass the test, hence the large pool of questions. And for that 1% of electrical engineers who decide to become a ham, they still study to take the test, although they have a better grasp of the material. Ham radio is one of those pass times in which you first get licensed and then you learn as you go. Even learning to pass the test falls way short of a practical application. Just as I would ask, honestly how much of the test does the average ham actually apply on day to day radio ops? As I assist her in her studies I tell my self when the heck will I need to use a wire wound resistor in a RF circuit? Or, if a receiver mixes a 13.800 Mhz VFO with a 14.255 Mhz received signal to produce a 455 kHz intermediate frequency (IF) signal, what type of interference will a 13.345 MHz signal produce in the receiver? The answer is...........? She had to know the answer to 456 of those questions. She knows how to turn on a HF radio, set it to the appropriate frequency, mode, and how to tune the antenna via an auto tuner, and how to transmit and respond. And she does help me out when I set up antennas or radios. Very little or next to none of which was covered on the test. Once licensed the rest is up to me and other operators. Ask her and she can tell you AC power is what comes from your house outlet and DC power is what comes from a battery. Now ask 1 male adult and 1 female adult that same question, someone who does not work in the electrical or automotive field. Let me put it this way, I had to ask someone in my field of work (not electrical or automotive) if they knew how to jump a car. Those who know and have jumped a car battery would give me a simple "yes". I had from a more than I expected "No" to a couple explaining the "theory" on how to jump a car battery. Only heard one simple "yes" out of 7 grown adults ranging from late 20's to mid 40's. Ham radio is a hobby in which you need a license first in order to participate. ETA: Maybe I could have simply answered she was taught by me never to tune to 14.313 and to never speak to anyone who intentionally jams or uses foul language. Perhaps that same question should be better asked of the "14.313 club"? This was not covered in depth enough in the question pool. So yeah, she seems to get the material much better than most. Quoted:
Quoted:
Honest Question: Does she really understand the Material, or does she only know the answers to the questions? Just as I would ask, honestly how much of the test does the average ham actually apply on day to day radio ops? As I assist her in her studies I tell my self when the heck will I need to use a wire wound resistor in a RF circuit? Or, if a receiver mixes a 13.800 Mhz VFO with a 14.255 Mhz received signal to produce a 455 kHz intermediate frequency (IF) signal, what type of interference will a 13.345 MHz signal produce in the receiver? The answer is...........? She had to know the answer to 456 of those questions. She knows how to turn on a HF radio, set it to the appropriate frequency, mode, and how to tune the antenna via an auto tuner, and how to transmit and respond. And she does help me out when I set up antennas or radios. Very little or next to none of which was covered on the test. Once licensed the rest is up to me and other operators. Ask her and she can tell you AC power is what comes from your house outlet and DC power is what comes from a battery. Now ask 1 male adult and 1 female adult that same question, someone who does not work in the electrical or automotive field. Let me put it this way, I had to ask someone in my field of work (not electrical or automotive) if they knew how to jump a car. Those who know and have jumped a car battery would give me a simple "yes". I had from a more than I expected "No" to a couple explaining the "theory" on how to jump a car battery. Only heard one simple "yes" out of 7 grown adults ranging from late 20's to mid 40's. Ham radio is a hobby in which you need a license first in order to participate. ETA: Maybe I could have simply answered she was taught by me never to tune to 14.313 and to never speak to anyone who intentionally jams or uses foul language. Perhaps that same question should be better asked of the "14.313 club"? This was not covered in depth enough in the question pool. So yeah, she seems to get the material much better than most. FB! Tell her I can't wait to meet her on the bands. I'd like to set up a sked with my 8yo. [email protected] Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |