K3WWP's Teens - KG4OAG

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Report by Drady, KG4OAG

I am 15 years old. I've been licensed since I was 14. Although I am still a tech, I am taking the extra test this Friday (6/28/02) along with the code test.

I agree with you on CW - sadly teens today won't pull away from their instant messengers and internet to show any interest in the hobby. I haven't made a CW contact yet but I already stand by its place on the ham bands. Morse code is the coolest thing to know, and yet so many people are too intimidated by learning it that they just give up. Right now I can say I can receive at about 7 or 8 words per minute - slow I know. After I pass the Morse code test this Friday, I hope to actually relearn the CW using the Koch method.

I just recently went my local field day, spent most of my time in the CW tent. CW in my opinion is like the internet, you've got the whole world at your finger tips. CW is actually the most practical way of enjoying the ham bands.

I would like to get my fellow teens into ham radio, but it seems that their attitude is if they have cell phones, who needs ham radio. I have noticed, as I am sure you have too, that the ham radio population is aging. Every ham event I attend, the minority seems to be young hams. I personally think the reason for that is the lack of educating today's teens on ham radio. Most of the teens who are licensed or have some knowledge of what it is, only know about it because their parents or some other close person is a ham. Well, I too would like to fight for keeping CW on the bands. I know that I am probably not a good person to help because I am not a CWer yet, but I am working on it. I also figured out that the only reason I have become interested in code is because I had to learn it! So, if the FCC takes it off for good, nobody is going to have to learn it, therefore use it! People don't know that they'll like the code until they try it out, and it's only 5 wpm! Anyway, as a new generation ham that is going to start using CW I would hate to see it go, because if it goes, I go too!

I hope to chat with you soon 73's! Drady Hendley KG4OAG

Report written in 2002 when Drady was 15.

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