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 Previous: Surfin': A Quarter Century of the 3905 Century Club |  Next: QRP Community: QRP Equipment |
March 10, 2002
A six-year-old girl in Utah is the latest licensee in her multi-ham family, and a twelve-year-old young woman in Georgia recently was recognized for her CW skills. Who says ham radio is just an old man's pastime?
Emma Candler, 8NH, may have been "the first YL"--she began operating in January 1915. Gertrude Tarr Reed, 1OG, was licensed the following year. They literally were young ladies at the time. But many amateurs today still think of ham radio as a male domain by and large--and an aging (some would say aged) population to boot.
 Jessica Dowding, KD7PIO, with her dad, Clark, N7TDT, after she passed her Technician license examination in December. |
Jessica Dowding, KD7PIO, in Utah, and Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, in Georgia, bear witness to the fact that Amateur Radio has always been--and still is--an enjoyable pastime for young women, too--thank you very much. Their stories show what a "can-do" attitude and some determination can accomplish in a short time.
Jessica Dowding, KD7PIO--the Youngest Ham in Utah?
Last December, when most six-year-olds were singing All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth, six-year-old Jessica Dowding of Bountiful, Utah, was hoping for her ham radio ticket. She'd had some on-air experience with her dad--ARRL Life Member Clark Dowding, N7TDT--during Kid's Day that had helped to whet her appetite. She also comes from a large family of hams, so she knew enough to not expect Santa Claus to provide her ticket. Instead, she took matters into her own hands and--with help from her dad and mom, Melinda, KC7AWQ--she got to work studying the ARRL publication Now You're Talking. After many hours of studying and taking on-line practice exams, she was ready to take the real test for her Technician license.
At 8 AM on Saturday, December 8, Jessica
arrived at the ARRL VE session sponsored by the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club
in Logan, Utah, to take her test. Her dad said everyone on hand just assumed
that she was there to provide moral support while he sat for an exam. But when
he explained that Jessica was the examinee, all eyes shifted to the grinning
youngster.
 Jessica Dowding, KD7PIO, talks with her grandmother, Linda Dowding, KD7PTM, who was licensed in February 2002. "Linda made sure Jessica was her first contact," said Clark Dowding. "It is always a big deal in the family to decide who gets to be a new family ham's first contact." [Clark Dowding, N7TDT, Photo] |
"Her infectious smile was instantly mirrored by everyone present, and she received many words of warm encouragement from Clyde Best, AC7KN, and the rest of his wonderful VE crew, not to mention from several other kind, hopeful examinees," Clark Dowding said.
Jessica provided her Social Security card and birth certificate as her two forms of identification, "with dad's driver's license thrown in for good measure," Clark Dowding added. Once the paperwork was complete and the $10 fee paid, her dad relates, she slid in comfortably behind the computer terminal and--other than needing a phone book to sit on-- was ready to take the test.
"Several folks commented on their surprise at her ease with the computer," Clark Dowding recalled. "She had no problem typing in her name and address to get the test started."
Sitting 20 feet behind her, her dad says he felt "quite nervous" but at the same time "amused at the excitement" his daughter's presence had generated.
"Twenty grueling minutes passed with Jessica gliding through the questions--grueling for Dad, fun for Jessica," Clark Dowding said. "When she finished, one after another of the examiners came over to stand behind her PC to see how she did. Up finally popped the "Passed" message on screen and, despite other ongoing tests, a previously silent room practically burst with many animated, though whispered, congratulations for Jessica."
Jessica's dad recalls the excited volunteer examiners (VEs) quietly talking with each other about Jessica while the other examinees either smiled with approval or winced with "oh man, if she can do it, I'd better pass this thing" written all over their faces.
The room buzzed. She's the youngest we've ever had! She must be the youngest in Utah! Passed on the first try! You should send her picture into QST!
"It was all very fun to watch," Clark Dowding said, conceding to tears of pride in his eyes when he finally got a chance to hug and congratulate the newest--and youngest--ham radio operator in the family. After posing for several photos for the VEs, Jessica let her mom and the rest of the family know about her success as she and her dad headed off to the Davis County Amateur Radio Club meeting, where her "celebrity-for-a-day status" continued.
"Club President Jim Brown, NA7G, asked for any new hams to introduce themselves just after he started the meeting," Clark Dowding said. Applause greeted his announcement that Jessica had passed her Technician exam that morning. She also was invited to assist Brown with prize-drawing duties and got a huge peppermint stick for her wages.
The FCC issued Jessica's new Technician license December 20. She is KD7PIO, and her dad had the honor of being her first contact.
"She says she wants a DCARC name badge to wear to the club meetings where she hopes to become a regular attendee," her dad said. Not unexpectedly, Santa came through later in the month with a new dual-band hand-held transceiver that she can call her own.
Amateurs in Jessica's immediate and extended family include dad, Clark Dowding, N7TDT, and mom, Melinda Dowding, KC7AWQ; grandfathers Paul Dowding, N7TYL, and Jim Spraker, KC7BIF; grandmother Linda Dowding, KD7PTM; uncles Blake Dowding, N7ZWN, Jeff Wallock, KD7ANQ, Mike Jordan, KD7AWI; and Scott Spraker KC7FUO; and aunts Kristi Dowding, KC7YCD, and Paula Wallock, KD7FQH.
Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, Gets Up to Speed on CW
 Bill Carter, KG4FXG, helps 12-year-old Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, work her way through her first CW contact. |
Across the country, 12-year-old Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been ramping up her Morse code skills. Recently, while she was operating solo from the Sci-Trek Museum's W4WOW club station in Atlanta, she received an Official Observer good operator card from a ham in Michigan who was very impressed with her CW skill. Like little Jessica Dowding's father, Andrea's dad, Scott, is a ham--KF4PWI, and both are ARRL members.
Her Elmer, Bill Carter, KG4FXG, who assisted her in mastering CW, says, "She has good code skills and can fly on her own." Although licensed less than two years, Andrea--who now has her General ticket--regularly checks into the Georgia Training Net and assists Clark at the net control station on occasion.
"Andrea is a very talented young lady who is only 12 years old and now possesses the skills of a good CW operator," Carter said. And he can share in her accomplishment. One evening her family was over for dinner at the Carter's home (Bill Carter's wife, Sharon, is KG4HKO) during the time that Andrea was working on her Morse code skills to upgrade to General. Bill Carter encouraged her to make a CW contact.
As Andrea recalled the occasion, she had first written out everything she wanted to say and practiced a bit before making the plunge. Finally, it was QSO time. "I put my hand on the straight key and sent, QRL? (Is the frequency in use?). When I didn't get a reply, I started calling CQ." After a while, she heard Phil, KB0ETU, in Alabama coming back to her.
 Andrea, KG4IUM (in red cap) assists at the Sci-Trek Museum's W4WOW in Atlanta. |
"I was so excited as I copied down the call sign," she said. "Bill was standing right next to me listening closely and copying as well."
Andrea says she was so excited she didn't know what to say next. "Although I had written it all out, I didn't write out things like a signal report." She said Carter advised her on what to send, and the two stations carried on. "He also told me that he was putting out 5 W to a vertical antenna," she recalled, adding that she gave him a 459 signal report.
Andrea says she learned that Phil was a truck driver home for the week. He also urged her to stick with CW.
"When I finished, everyone at Bill and Sharon's house clapped for me," Andrea said later. "They were all very excited and proud. It was a very exciting day for me! I had just talked to another state in a 'secret language.'"
Carter concedes that he did assist. "I helped her a little, but, remarkably, she made the contact and maintained the QSO by herself," he said. Carter says he continues to encourage Andrea to use CW, and he let her know about FISTS - the international Morse preservation group. Nancy Kott, WZ8C, gave Andrea a complimentary membership to FISTS after hearing about her CW accomplishments.
Carter says Andrea wanted to know more about the National Traffic System "slow net" he ran--the Georgia Training Net (GTN), which meets at 9 PM Eastern on 3702 kHz, so he taught her how to check into the GTN. The Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society loaned her an HF radio, and Carter gave her a tuner and straight key.
"In a few days she was on the air and checking into the several slow CW NTS nets," he said. "She inquired about the training courses that GTN offers and is currently taking the basic course."
 Andrea, KG4IUM, and her dad, Scott, KF4PWL, were among hams assisting with a recent dog show. (More photos are available on Andrea's Web site. |
Carter says Andrea also has started an Amateur Radio Club at her school--the Sweetwater Middle School Amateur Radio Club--which meets twice a month, and she volunteers at Sci-Trek, the Science and Technology Museum of Atlanta. The Alford Memorial Radio Club donated equipment to the Sweetwater club. Andrea, who is in the seventh grade, helps introduce kids to Amateur Radio and teaches them how to send Morse code on practice oscillators that are available.
Andrea says she and her dad went for their General tickets at the same test session. "I took the general written while my dad took the 5 WPM code," she said. "I guess all that studying and practicing paid off, because we both passed!"
She and her dad now have set up their own HF station and antenna using older gear so they can both enjoy CW. Carter says Andrea's involvement in ham radio is continuing to expand. She's learning more about NTS and now serves as the membership chairperson for GARS. She's also teaching ham radio classes at her school and at Richards Amateur Radio Club. "Andrea taught both classes and did a fine job!" he said. [Richards Middle School is an ARRL "Big Project" pilot school--Ed.]
"It is very rewarding to see and help a young
person discover Amateur Radio, Carter said. "All of us here in Georgia are very
proud of the many accomplishments of this fine young lady. I hope to see more
young folks take to the airwaves soon!"
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