Author Archive
School Daze
October 1st, 2014 | 
Author: A daze, that's what it was.
Last night was the second session of our eight week Technician class license class. I think some of our seventeen students walked out of the building with dazed expression on their faces. And I guess that's to be expected right now, as we're out of the introductory "This is Amateur Radio" feel-good fluffy part and we're now into the heart of the course, which is basic electricity and components and all the good stuff.
The concepts of current, resistance, voltage were easily digested by their inquiring minds. The concepts of capacitance, inductance, reactance and impedance? Not so much. But Marv K2VHW and I broke it down into the simplest "lay terms" that we could and I am pretty confident that they have a basic, rudimentary (if not shaky) understanding of the concepts. I am trying pretty hard to find "real world" equivalents that they can relate to, so these concepts don't totally fly over their heads.
I have to admit that back in Ye Olden Days, when I was studying for my Novice license, I wore the very same expression on my face when I left those sessions each Tuesday evening in October and November of 1978.
If you have no concept of electricity and electronics, it CAN seem daunting. But if our students do the required reading, and maybe even do a little Googling on their own, they will have that "Aha moment!" when it all comes together.
As a class, they have several things going for them. The first is that our young students are whizzes at note taking. While Marv is handling the teaching part of a segment, I try to keep an eye on our charges, to watch facial expressions and such. The younger students have their highlighters and pens going at warp speed, taking notes and marking pertinent paragraphs and sentences in their license manuals. The older adult students are no slouches, either. But there's one important difference - their facial expressions are more telling. While the "kids" are sponges, absorbing all this stuff, every now and then, I will see one of the adults screw up their faces as if to say "What?!?" It's at that moment when I will try to pause things for a bit and try to interject an example or some such thing that they're familiar with that brings the concept home to them.
The important thing that we try to stress as much as we can (without beating them over the head with it) is that they HAVE to do the required reading homework. This way, we can answer any questions on any sticky points that they might have. We also give them the reading material that will be covered in the next week's lesson, so that they're not walking into the material blindly.
These two weeks will probably be the very hardest of the eight week class. Electrical concepts and components last night. And next week, electronic and basic radio circuits. After that, we'll get into "the good stuff" - propagation, antennas, operating procedures, setting up a station, etc. That material is probably more in line with what they expected when they were signing up for an Amateur radio course.
I will make it my business during this coming week to make up a handout with some Internet sources that they can refer to in order to make the "meat" that they were fed last night just a little more palatable. As any licensed Ham knows, this is an ongoing process that doesn't end with passing the test. In fact, it's just the very beginning.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Last night was the second session of our eight week Technician class license class. I think some of our seventeen students walked out of the building with dazed expression on their faces. And I guess that's to be expected right now, as we're out of the introductory "This is Amateur Radio" feel-good fluffy part and we're now into the heart of the course, which is basic electricity and components and all the good stuff.
The concepts of current, resistance, voltage were easily digested by their inquiring minds. The concepts of capacitance, inductance, reactance and impedance? Not so much. But Marv K2VHW and I broke it down into the simplest "lay terms" that we could and I am pretty confident that they have a basic, rudimentary (if not shaky) understanding of the concepts. I am trying pretty hard to find "real world" equivalents that they can relate to, so these concepts don't totally fly over their heads.
I have to admit that back in Ye Olden Days, when I was studying for my Novice license, I wore the very same expression on my face when I left those sessions each Tuesday evening in October and November of 1978.
If you have no concept of electricity and electronics, it CAN seem daunting. But if our students do the required reading, and maybe even do a little Googling on their own, they will have that "Aha moment!" when it all comes together.
As a class, they have several things going for them. The first is that our young students are whizzes at note taking. While Marv is handling the teaching part of a segment, I try to keep an eye on our charges, to watch facial expressions and such. The younger students have their highlighters and pens going at warp speed, taking notes and marking pertinent paragraphs and sentences in their license manuals. The older adult students are no slouches, either. But there's one important difference - their facial expressions are more telling. While the "kids" are sponges, absorbing all this stuff, every now and then, I will see one of the adults screw up their faces as if to say "What?!?" It's at that moment when I will try to pause things for a bit and try to interject an example or some such thing that they're familiar with that brings the concept home to them.
The important thing that we try to stress as much as we can (without beating them over the head with it) is that they HAVE to do the required reading homework. This way, we can answer any questions on any sticky points that they might have. We also give them the reading material that will be covered in the next week's lesson, so that they're not walking into the material blindly.
These two weeks will probably be the very hardest of the eight week class. Electrical concepts and components last night. And next week, electronic and basic radio circuits. After that, we'll get into "the good stuff" - propagation, antennas, operating procedures, setting up a station, etc. That material is probably more in line with what they expected when they were signing up for an Amateur radio course.
I will make it my business during this coming week to make up a handout with some Internet sources that they can refer to in order to make the "meat" that they were fed last night just a little more palatable. As any licensed Ham knows, this is an ongoing process that doesn't end with passing the test. In fact, it's just the very beginning.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Sold Out!
The Four State QRP Group has done it again. They have just recently introduced another kit, only to see the initial run of kits get gobbled up within 36 hours of announcing them as ready for sale! This new kit is a regenerative receiver, designed by Dave Cripes NM0S, who was just inducted into the QRP Hall of Fame this past FDIM.
The new kit is called the Ozark Patrol and is reminiscent of the Globe Patrol that many of us built in our very much younger days.
The kit will become available again in 2-3 weeks as per the Four State QRP Group Website. You can go to the Ozark Patrol page by clicking here.
The receiver covers 3.5 to 15 MHz in two bands. It's powered by 6 "AA" batteries and the radio comes with a speaker and a provision for plugging in a pair of "cans".
Even though they're sold out, I placed an order for one. I have built several kits offered by the Four State Group and I have never been disappointed so far. I don't expect to be with this kit, either. In fact, I am hoping to relive some memories and get transported back to a simpler time. I think this little kit will do that, just fine.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The new kit is called the Ozark Patrol and is reminiscent of the Globe Patrol that many of us built in our very much younger days.
The kit will become available again in 2-3 weeks as per the Four State QRP Group Website. You can go to the Ozark Patrol page by clicking here.
The receiver covers 3.5 to 15 MHz in two bands. It's powered by 6 "AA" batteries and the radio comes with a speaker and a provision for plugging in a pair of "cans".
Even though they're sold out, I placed an order for one. I have built several kits offered by the Four State Group and I have never been disappointed so far. I don't expect to be with this kit, either. In fact, I am hoping to relive some memories and get transported back to a simpler time. I think this little kit will do that, just fine.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
If this is what Autumn brings
then I will take it!
I had two very nice DX QSOs during lunch today. These were not "UR 599 TU 73" QSOs, nor were they exactly ragchews. But they were a nice change of pace from the typical "wham, bam, thank you Ma'am" kind of micro-QSOs that seem to be so prevalent these days.
The first was with Vic SM7ZDI who answered my CQ on 18.086 MHz. Vic was using a Yaesu FT-1000D at 100 Watts to a Windom. He had a good 569 signal and gave me the same. Vic told me that it was about 8C (46F) in Sweden. I was very grateful for the 65F (18C) that we had today, when I had heard that.
I had two very nice DX QSOs during lunch today. These were not "UR 599 TU 73" QSOs, nor were they exactly ragchews. But they were a nice change of pace from the typical "wham, bam, thank you Ma'am" kind of micro-QSOs that seem to be so prevalent these days.
The first was with Vic SM7ZDI who answered my CQ on 18.086 MHz. Vic was using a Yaesu FT-1000D at 100 Watts to a Windom. He had a good 569 signal and gave me the same. Vic told me that it was about 8C (46F) in Sweden. I was very grateful for the 65F (18C) that we had today, when I had heard that.
SM7DZI
My next QSO was on 20 Meters and this time I was the one answering the CQ - that of Bob, G3PJT. Bob hails from Cambridge and was using his brand new KX3! I was his second QSO and he sounded great. His antenna was a 3 element Yagi up about 17 Meters. Bob was telling me that he also has a K3, so he's quite familiar with the Elecraft line. It was cool being his second QSO and providing him with a 2X KX3 QRP QSO, to boot.
G3PJT
It was fun having a "normal", unhurried QSOs with two new Ham friends from outside the US. If only they were ALL like this!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
It’s the little things that make life worthwhile
In the day to day, sometimes it's easy to forget the little things that make life worthwhile.
1) Like that yesterday was my daughter Cara's 13th birthday - she's officially a teenager now!
3) That while I was eating my chicken corn chowder in my Jeep, I managed to work DL4ISX in Germany (with some difficulty due to QSB) and HF37SONDA in Poland (who was super loud).
4) That I came home to a packet of QSL cards from the Bureau, including:
Yeah, it's the little things in life that are the absolute best!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
1) Like that yesterday was my daughter Cara's 13th birthday - she's officially a teenager now!
Did I mention she DETESTS having her picture taken and that she was ready to kill me when I snapped this one at Lake George this Summer?
2) Like that today they served chicken corn chowder in the cafeteria at work today - one of my all time favorite soups.
3) That while I was eating my chicken corn chowder in my Jeep, I managed to work DL4ISX in Germany (with some difficulty due to QSB) and HF37SONDA in Poland (who was super loud).
4) That I came home to a packet of QSL cards from the Bureau, including:
Yeah, it's the little things in life that are the absolute best!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Excited
Marv K2VHW and I, under the auspices of the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club, will be teaching a course for those in the greater Central New Jersey area who want to earn a Technician class license.
Here's the flier that Marv designed to advertise the class:
I'm excited, because so far we have eight potential students who have pre-registered. We have room for more, so if you're interested or know someone in the Central NJ area who might be interested, contact either Marv or myself. We would also ask that anyone who has pre-registered or wants to register, to please try to attend the next SPARC meeting on Wednesday, September 17th at 7:00 PM at the South Plainfield OEM building. At that time, we will be taking count and placing a group order for license manuals for the class. Marv and I are both ARRL Registered Instructors, and a such we can apply for a group rate for the manuals.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Here’s a little something I came up with
This was designed to be printed on 4X6 Glossy stock and then laminated. You can jam in your portable ops bag, in case you're always forgetting the US QRP frequencies like I do.
Feel free to save the JPG as an image on your own computer and print it out, if you like. I also have it as a doc file if you'd like to edit to suit your needs. An e-mail request will get it sent to you.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Feel free to save the JPG as an image on your own computer and print it out, if you like. I also have it as a doc file if you'd like to edit to suit your needs. An e-mail request will get it sent to you.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
