Just to warn the SOTA world that two of our children have just got their novice callsigns. Adam who no longer lives with us and is second of the three boys is now MW6AFK (Away From Keyboard) and Caroline who is only 15 and eldest of our two girls is now MW6CLF (Caroline Loves Fridays). They were among a group of four at Mold and District Amateur Radio Club that passed their tests on Saturday. Congratulations also to Vic and Graham who also passed.
Mum and Dad are very proud and are looking forward to doing the odd mass family SOTA activation some time soon. From time to time the qualification of a summit can now be provided on almost any band from one QTH ;0)
Caroline and Adam will be joining the Intermediate course starting 21st April at Mold. We have seven candidates so far for the course. If anyone wishes to join the classes please left me know. My email is on QRZ.com.
We are hoping to persuade the rest of our kids to join the fun next time around.
Congratulations to your children Steve. If you think about how many licences you’d need for everyone in the family then I’m sure you’re glad they don’t cost £15 a pop any more!
I suspect you both had a small part to play in their success
Not as much as you might suspect, obviously they have grown up with radio in the house, but mainly it was down to them. The formal classes run by Keith GW4OKT allowed them to ask the questions they felt foolish asking us and they worked together for revision.
Maybe a WAS QSL for anyone who qualifies a hill from the four of us would be fun.
In reply to M0LKB:
Who needs excuses? Five new dual band hand held rigs en-route already for RAYNET and inter-S communications. No more shouting that tea is ready for Helen, just a quick call on 2m ;0) Adam does not live too far away so portable to portable contact should be easy, which saves on phone calls. Amateur radio can be so much more than just a hobby!
In reply to MM0FMF:
Yes if you think they may only have these calls for a few months it as well.
It all came as a bit of a shock from a complete lack of interest to wanting to do the course when we set one up at the club. James my eldest actually sat down and tried a mock paper on line the other night, so there may be a seed there and Emily my youngest had said on our last SOTA trip she wanted to have a go then changed her mind. My other son Stuart has speech and language difficulties and is registered as disabled, so not much chance there, but you never know he might be a dab hand on the key.
In reply to GW7AAV:
Many congratulations to both Adam and Caroline on there great achievement. I thought my son Adam would follow me into the hobby at one time but girls seemed to distract him ! It would certainly have made it easier to communicate with him across the Forth from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh !
Well done Steve and Helen for bring more youth into our hobby…
Don’t let Stuart’s difficulties put him off going for in for a licence. Once he has passed, it is up to him what bands / modes he uses. If he is more comfortable on the key then that is fine. If he wishes to use phone, I am certain that I am not alone in saying I would be very happy to work him.
I for one agree with Mark (G0VOF). I’m sure that if Stuart can get his Licence he can find modes and bands that suit him. I think disabled is a relative term and most so called ‘disabled’ are more than able in a lot of things given half a chance.
