n00B!!1

[WV6Z]

Hello everyone, my name is Tom and I am in Anderson, South Carolina. My wife is a SC 'Native' and my Mum is from Cornwall and my Dad was from Wales and I have the honor of being from God's blessing to the UK..... Slough.

I hold the now obsoleted license of Advanced and my wife Sheryl is a Technician Class license holder. I like being 'different' and Sheryl likes to NOT operate any more at all (made one contact other than to yours truly in this past month). She may be the main reason why my interest in your forum board was tweaked after meeting Jackie today.

We live the typical busy shift worker schedule but, we did use amateur radio a lot in recent years gone by, until the advent of reasonable cell phone service.

I will be seeking your advice on what I may be able to do to help respark her interest in amateur radio. My current interest is primarily HF CW and have managed to get up to a bit over 15 WPM using G4FON's freeware and the Koch Method (reflex rather than memorization). I have also recently joined SKCC and FISTS to help out with a bit of networking relative to my current interest. All of that being said, I still enjoy 2m/440 FM and as Sheryl's privileges restrict her to 50 MhZ and up, we used to enjoy mainly 2m simplex and repeaters too.

Anyway, I really miss her being on the air and participating with me. At the moment we don't even have a rig in her Jeep as she has requested I refrain from putting one in it. I run 2m/440 as well as 10m SSB (QRO!!!) in the car and our home shack includes a 2m/440 rig as well as a Yaesu FT-980.

Well, I shalln't bore everyone to tears, but it is a pleasure to be here and I will be looking forward to meeting you all here and on the air. I will also be looking forward to suggestions, as I have said, in getting Sheryl interested again and oh, we also have a 14 y/o daughter who is quite embarrassed by my participation in amateur radio (please see my profile on QRZ), and it would be magnificent if I could get them both interested.

That's it for now and Happy Holidays to everyone! It's a pleasure to be here.

[Jackie Bosworth]

Hiya Tom! Thanks for joining and welcome to ladies on the air ;D

Hmmm not too sure how to get Sheryl interested again I seem to go through phases where I won't really want to go on the radio, but then the bug bites again. Does she like contesting at all? Or do you think she would be interesting in talking to another YL? Maybe if we had some good conditions we could try and arrange a sked.

And good luck getting your daughter involved. I have a friend who has a daughter about that age and she thinks her dad is so geeky! Hi! I would say that the only way to get a 14 year old girl interested would be if she had friends who were interested, or if a boy she liked was interested.

We like to take part in things like the internatinal lighthouses weekend and lots of people from our local radio club go away and camp for the weekend. Maybe something like this could spark some interest in both Sheryl and your daughter. When we do these, radio seems to be a secondry thought, our first thoughts are on having a good time together and socialising.

Anyway, best of luck and thanks again for joining.

73,
Jackie

[Zo - 2E0ZLD]

;D Hi Tom and Welcome to Ladies on the Air ;D

I am not sure how to re-spark the kindling for Amateur Radio in your Good Lady Wife...However how I got really into the hobby after passing my foundation exam was S.O.T.A. Summits On The Air...This is where Activators take their radio's and antenna's up certain summits with the aim of making at least 4 Radio contacts in order to activate the summit...The operators who make contact with the activators are called 'Chasers' and when they make contact with an activator they gain the same points as the person activating the summit. Different summitts have different points depending on the level of difficulty to reaching the summit..i.e. How steep and how high a summit is. To become a chaser or an activator you just need to register with the S.O.T.A website and start activating or chasing Sota. It's world wide and their are various summits in various countries. Some most probably not yet activated. Because I used to like walking it was just the thing to get me started both in Radio Operating and Walking. Our daughter and son who at the time were 14 yrs and 16yrs respectively came along on the activations with us and this fired their interest and they have since both passed their foundation exams. Our eldest daughter who is 22 yrs is taking her foundation exam very soon too...so we are hoping she is going to pass..I think it is a case of finding something where radio can be included in another thing that perhaps is enjoyed. You have probably already heard of I.O.T.A ~ Islands on the Air and C.A.S.H.O.T.A (Think that is correct, but forgive me if I am wrong) ~ Castles and Stately Homes on the Air. Perhaps their may be other schemes that may interest your wife and daughter...

M3LHI ~ Zo

[WV6Z]

Thanks Zo and Jackie!

I have bin scratchin me 'ead.... I hope I come up with something. I know our license srtuctures are still quite different, but here we go. Sheryl seems very interested and our daughter Dorey slightly interested when I am working DX on HF, especially into the UK. The foundation license or Technician class over here only allows operations above 50 MhZ. Add a 5 WPM code endorsement to it and you have random CW privileges here and there and SSB on 10m between 28.300 and 28.500 MhZ. The real answer here is to get your 5 WPM and if you are not interested in CW go for the next one up being General class, which give you considerable voice privileges on all HF bands between 160 and 10m.

She will say she has no time for this, but she is the one who passed her technician class with 100% on both tests..... I missed 3, she studied for two weeks, I studied for 3 months.Anyway, as for some strange reason, as far as I know, the US and UK maintain a policy of ne third party agreement (pardon me but, WTF?!?!), so even if we worked out a sched, all she could do at this time is listen and can't even legally squeeze in a "Hello!".

Thanks for all of the kind words and if anyone has a brilliant idea, please be sure to share it. I will be continuing to try to come up with something creative from this end.

Have a great day!

[Zo - 2E0ZLD]

It must be really frustrating for Technician Class Operator's Tom. Here at foundation level we get most bands and once we register with Ofcom we can get our licence to last for five years before renewal over the internet. Once we have the new five year licence printed we now have 10mtrs..and I do believe we get use of the satellites too but I will have to look into that in more detail. The main draw back with being a foundation licence holder is that we are only allowed to transmitt 10W's which isn't alot...Qrp really. I am hoping to pass my next level, the 2E0 licence at the end of January beginning of Feb which will then allow us 50W power. Although this may be interesting stuff...it doesn't really help you with the problem of getting your wife interested...I will ask around and see if I can come up with any more idea's. Your wife did really well with her technician class exam, it seems a shame that she doesn't want to progress...Good Luck with it Tom.

M3LHI ~ Zo

[Renae/k9do]

Hi Tom! I have no real advoce to get your wife interested again.
I know that I get mic shy but HF is what I prefer.

My hubby and I both became licenesed at the same time (I too got 100% on my Tech, General and Extra exams, I was almost perfect copy on the code (missed one character in QSO which).

I am not as comfortable talking on air to people I don't know I generally listen for quitee awhile before I talk, I like DX as I don't have to talk very long to "strangers"

[WV6Z]

Hi Zo and Renae,

I actually appreciate the info regarding the progression of licenses back home as I am not very well versed in what's offered and at what level, embarrassingly enough. As I was five when we immigrated to Canada, the only thing I knew about radio at that time was BBC 1, Capital and Radio Luxembourg, so any info is very interesting.

About 9 years ago or so, a chap in Maidenhead who lives just around the corner from and knows my aunt and uncle were chatting on an old Rec. Radio Forum thread and after a few days of back and forth posting, the old guy missed something in one of my posts and became completely unglued. I had said something to the effect of, next time you see them, pass a bit of third party and tell them my youngest daughter says hello and can't wait until they are over for a visit next month. He went bananas and reminded me that there was NO third party agreement between the UK and the US and that that was against the rules. My reply was something along the lines of, chill out mate, this is the internet, not radio, sorry I suggested it and not to worry, I would give them a ring on the phone. Oddly enough, it offended him enough to where he never spoke to me again, poor old chap. Some people take life and enjoyable hobbies just way too seriously.

Very well done on your tests too Renae! I am still quite the butcher of CW, but if you ever want a bit of practice, Lord knows I always need some, we shall have to set up a sched.

Oh, here's a funny bit for you, when I picked up my daughter at school yesterday, I said, "Look Dorey, I got my radio back from Jimmy, all fixed up and ready to go again!"....... she rolled her eyes and said, "Dad can we please just listen to XM on the way home." Oh well, I won't give up on these two.

[Jackie Bosworth]

ku4my said:

Hi Zo and Renae,

Oh, here's a funny bit for you, when I picked up my daughter at school yesterday, I said, "Look Dorey, I got my radio back from Jimmy, all fixed up and ready to go again!"....... she rolled her eyes and said, "Dad can we please just listen to XM on the way home." Oh well, I won't give up on these two.

LOL ;D I can just imagine a teenage girl saying that! I probably would have myself at the same age

Yep, the UK licenses have changed in recent years. They introduced a three tier system. Foundations, intermediate and Advance. With the foundation you get an M3 callsign and 10w. You were allowed on all bands except 10m but as Zo mentioned that will change when everyone gets their new lifetime license. With the Intermediate you get 50w and a 2E0 call and the advance is 400w and a M0 callsign.

I think that a lot of new people have been brought into radio by this new system. I'm not sure that I would have been able to stick out the old type of training that was needed for the exam. I like the fact that you start off easy and then get some practical experience on the radio and you can work towards the next exam and just take it when you feel ready.

[Renae/k9do]

ku4my said:

Very well done on your tests too Renae! I am still quite the butcher of CW, but if you ever want a bit of practice, Lord knows I always need some, we shall have to set up a sched.

.

I am NOT good with code. but I did learn it and do understand it enough to get by.

I am trying not to be so mic shy , Monday I actually picked up the mic dirung the day when Hubby wasn't home ( or in the room right next to me) so that is a start for me not being so mic shy.
Our daughter is 17 she can give or take Amatuer Radio, she does find the DX kind of cool though.

Our next thing is Vanity call signs. Not sure what i want to get I would liek maybe a 1x2, 2x1 or 2x2 we should act on it before the thought is from our minds.

[Maureen]

Hi Tom and welcome!

How about getting your daughter interested in one of the youth organisations which have radio as one of their interests? Scouts/guides as we have and I take it you have the same, or perhaps CAP (not sure if they do much radio!).

I was in South Carolina last summer (2005) as an Escorting Officer on the International Air Cadet Exchange. We stayed in Myrtle Beach, Lexington Charleston AFB and Spartanburg and visited Columbia, Charleston (lovely town!) and Carowinds. Before and after we spent some time in Washington DC where we visited Arlington, the Pentagon and most of the Smithsonian. One of these days I'll go back at a cooler time of year!!

Maureen
PS (I know slough - I used to work at Harmondsworth and played hockey for Hayes Ladies!)

[annelouise]

I'm Anne, KA7TON, on the Southwest Washington state coast; Got my Novice ticket in Panama before repatriation in 1984; now Extra class; not on the air lately, but I edit the monthly SPARKS nesletter for WARC, Willapa Amateur Radio Club, KD7KAJ.

[Maureen]

Hi Anne

I met some of the YL's from Washington and Oregon in 1999 (I think it was!). I travelled to Long Beach for the YLRL Convention on board the Queen Mary then travelled to the San Francisco area to stay with one of the YL's up there before going on to spend 10 days with Marti, W7AYL.

Maureen

[Jackie Bosworth]

Hi Anne, welcome to Ladies on the Air and thank you for joining!

33's
Jackie

[WV6Z]

Hi Anne! Great to meet you! And to Maureen, w00T! for Hayes Ladies! I haven't been home for many years, but have been feeling the urge to visit for the past few years now. My wife and both of the girls (now 23 and 14 years old) are hoping I will hurry and make some plans.

[Zo - 2E0ZLD]

Hi Anne,
Welcome to the forum and great to meet you. It's good that you are still keeping active in radio. I am sure you will get on the air at some point. There are times when I can't go on radio for some reason or another but I will get back on the air soon all being well.