[SCCC] Kids Day This Saturday

[Dennis Younker NE6I]

ARRL Kids Day is a big one to me personally. N3FJP's write up below is on
point and should motivate all of us to go visit a local club's FD operation
or at least get on the air for a while and hand out some contacts during
Field Day.

 

And on another note, ARRL Kids Day is one that I really feel strongly about.
It's a fantastic way to open the world of amateur radio to the young ones
around the country. Whether inviting one or more over to make contacts at
your station or getting on the air to contact Kids Day stations and stoke
the excitement, THIS is our change to bring youngsters into our hobby! I
have made the effort to hand out as many contacts as possible every Kids Day
for a few years now. I've always come away with a really big smile on my
face!

 

Many of us (most?) (all?) have stories of what sparked our interest in ham
radio. Many times it was exposure to it by way of a neighbor, parent's
friend, perhaps even at school. And there are many variations beyond that.
Do you remember the excitement of hearing your first ham radio transmissions
out of a receiver? And making your own first transmissions? I've been a ham
since early in 1972, and I remember my very first contact like it was
yesterday. Ham radio got me interested in electronics and ultimately guided
me to a lifelong career in communications. How great is that?

 

I encourage all SCCCers to spend some time this Saturday and look up a few
(or a lot!) of Kids Day stations and spread the excitement that is amateur
radio. Who knows, you might plant the seed that becomes the next N6AA, N6TJ,
N6MJ, N5OT,N6NB, W6PH, W6YI, W6YA, K6NA, N6ND or KI6RRN (and the list goes
on of distinguished SCCCers!)!

 

http://www.arrl.org/kids-day

 

73, Dennis NE6I

 

From: Dennis Younker NE6I <NE6I at cox.net> 
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 5:36 PM
To: 'Southern Cal Contest Club' <sccc at contesting.com>
Subject: ARRL Field Day June 23-24

 

Fresh off a fun weekend VHFing, SCCCers are no doubt preparing for the All
Asian DX Contest next weekend! I know that some of you join that one each
and every year. Being on the west coast, we often "get our say" in the AA as
compared to say, CQWW from W6-land where we are behind the iron curtain of
the Northeast!

 

The weekend after that is ARRL Field Day. 

 

Once upon a time, the SCCC pulled out all the stops and "showed them how it
was done!" We set some new standards and put the word "contest" in the same
sentence as "Field Day." Good times.

 

See http://n6nb.com/fieldday.htm for more about the SCCC Field Day Glory
Days.

 

When we put our minds to it, WE SET RECORDS!

 

I came across this write up from an N3FJP newsletter (author of some very
fine logging software!) and wanted to share it with all of you. I think it
captures the spirit of Field Day, and I hope that it motivates you to either
visit one of your local club's efforts in the field and contribute a little
time, or to just GET ON THE AIR from home and work some of those that are in
the field. You too could help steer a newcomer to the hobby and/or a
youngster to a satisfying career in the electronics or communications field.


 

<snip>

Whether you are a contester or not, please get on the air and make some
Field Day contacts!

As we approach Field Day weekend, groups from all over the continent will be
making final preparations, getting equipment, generators, food, rigs and
computers together, antennas airborne, coordinating operating schedules and
all the little things that make Field Day go. In many cases they will be on
the air for many hours, striving to both show off the amazing hobby of
Amateur Radio and turn in a competitive score. It is a huge amount of fun
and a heck of a lot of work! Please help reward their great efforts by
providing plenty of QSOs for their logs!

Even if you aren't a contester, and you only have an hour to spare from
home, please fire up your rig and give as many stations as you can a
contact. Every group you call will really appreciate your QSO, and it will
make their Field Day that much more enjoyable! In addition, you might be
able to pick up a few more states towards your Worked All States Award. If
you are ambitious, it is very possible that you can achieve the goal of
working every state on Field Day weekend alone!

For folks new to Field Day, if you are on a single transmitter home station
with commercial power, your exchange is simple. You'll simply send your
Call, your Class as 1D and your ARRL section. Just be aware you can't call
other 1D stations for contest points, but all the other station categories
will love for you to give them a call!

And if you would like to find a local Field Day group to operate with, this
locator will point the way:

http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

Encouraging visitors can change a life (and even affect yours)!

When I was 14 years old, a family friend took my Dad and me to a local Field
Day on a Saturday evening. That was my first exposure to Amateur Radio. I
didn't understand the significance at the time, but the guys had an amazing
run going as we arrived at their site. Still, they took the time to explain
what was going on, the exchange, and they were completely willing to abandon
their run to encourage this shy, 14 year old to take over the mic. I got
started, the run resumed and so much was happening, I forgot all about being
nervous. Before I knew it I was having a blast! Anyone who has ever been at
the bottom of a pile up, running a frequency, knows the thrill. They kindly
said I was a natural, and I was hooked!

Had it not been for the positive, encouraging spirit of that great group,
willing to forego an awesome run for the sake of possibly encouraging a kid,
I'd very likely never have become an Amateur Radio operator. I wouldn't be
doing what I'm doing today, and there would never have been N3FJP Software
for you to use. Those couple hours changed my life and hopefully, through my
software, has brought some added enjoyment to yours, too!

If you see a visitor with a hint of intrigue in their eye, please offer them
that same gracious encouragement that was given to me. It's very possible
that you will be helping to shape a destiny, and we will all be better for
it!

Have Fun!

 

<end snip from the N3FJP newsletter>