Bet this kid goes far
Posted on 07/06/2008 9:19:40 AM PDT by mylife
Posted on Sun, Jun. 01, 2008 A boy's passport to the world
Six-year-old Cameron Hasson's world just got a little larger.
The amateur radio license he recently earned puts him in touch with folks from all over.
He's a bona fide “ham” – probably the youngest in North Carolina and maybe the U.S., according to his instructor, Joe Hullender with the Gastonia Area Amateur Radio Club.
All that talk going on out in radio land – endless conversations about the weather and gas prices and whatever – Cameron takes it all in.
The world has opened up. He feels more connected. And he also feels closer to his parents: Eric, a computer consultant, and Beverly, a physical therapist at Gaston Memorial Hospital. Studying in the same class, they all earned their amateur radio licenses together.
Ham radio, like fishing, is something I've always admired, but never had much luck with.
Eric Hasson, 46, got the radio bug as a kid in St. Louis. It came from his dad, Jack, who was into citizens band radio during the CB craze of the 1970s – the “Smokey and the Bandit” days.
Eric decided to study for his ham license, but the FCC's requirement of testing for proficiency in Morse code was a brick wall for him.
His interest in electronics and computers grew as visions of being an amateur radio operator faded.
Until the brick wall collapsed. In late 2006, the FCC did away with the Morse code requirement and Hasson started thinking about ham radio again.
The idea kicked around in his mind for a while. Then, in March, he enrolled in a six-week class sponsored by the Gastonia Area Amateur Radio Club. On the first day, Hasson asked Hullender if a 6-year-old could learn the material. The answer was yes. Hasson asked Cameron if he'd like to try for a license. Cameron was game.
Two-way radio had already captured his imagination. He had a CB, a General Mobile Service and Dick Tracy-style Family Radio Service, complete with a Tracy wrist radio.
These radio services, which didn't require a license, gave his son a little more freedom, Eric Hasson said. His parents could check on him when he was out of sight and feel a greater sense of security.
When her husband and son signed up for the class, Beverly Hasson decided she'd join them.
The radio class was held at the Gaston County Police Community Room. Ages ranged from 6 to 76.
The final exam had 35 multiple choice questions; to pass, you had to get 26 right.
Cameron wanted a technician class license – the beginner's level. Hullender remembers his youngest student as “kind of quiet and serious.”
A kid, maybe, but one who was really into the subject.
Every night at home, Cameron was tutored by his dad. They did research together on the computer. They waded through technical material.
“It was hard,” Cameron recalled.
Test day rolled around. Eric Hasson wasn't sure his son would pass.
But he did.
Cameron wants to go up another notch and get a general radio license. He's a smart kid and will probably make it. But even if he doesn't, he's learned about focus and hard work and family togetherness. At 6, he's way ahead of the game.
Bet this kid goes far
/johnny
Now he can listen to a bunch of grumpy old men arguing about the need for learning code.
Couldn't he just surf the 'net?
ML/NJ
73 and Good DXing, kid!
Who has the SWL/Ham/Dx ping list now? I didnt log it
Way to go Cameron, hope to work you down the log,best 73s- n2dcp.
It just aint the same and radio is safer
Way to go Cameron, hope to work you down the log,best 73s- n2dcp.
If I have to explain the difference you wouldnt understand.
I picked this broadcast up last night on WBCQ.
Soldiers in Iraq making contact on 14070 khz 31 meter PSK You can hear it here in segment five
When I was a kid, my shortwave radio was my companion, my window on the world. How many hours I spent, and the thrill of getting that big “catch”, that elusive station. I waited anxiously for the next “Popular Electronics” with the latest shortwave listings. Good times.
L0L! Last night I heard an ol geezer talking about how when he wipes out water skiing he looses his dentures....sooo... he drilled holes in the back of the plates and tied fishin line around his neck....
L0L
/johnny
I think there is some of that in all of us.
It was prolly peanut butter toast and coffee ;)
> Now, if we could just get some sunspot activity to open up 6meter dx <
That would indeed be nice! But in case you haven’t been on the “magic band” lately, please be aware that the last few weeks have produced a lot of Es openings — including a few from eastern North America to western Europe. So it ain’t all bad!
Gees...I couldn’t even spell “can’t” right!
ping
Yeah... that could be against ordinances LoL
/johnny
My guess is that he’s single...
NASA is using this SDQ-14 with a bank of those to listen to the Mars Rover.
Choose yer own frontend
Thanks for posting this mylife.
Grammy, this ping is for Mr. G, can’t remember his posting name right now.
Neat story.
I knew what ya meant L0L
My pleasure.
> I leave a HT tuned to 52.525 and turned on 24/7. <
That’s in the FM part of six meters. The DX is almost all down in the CW portion(below 50.100) and SSB portion (below 50.300) of the band.
Check out the associated Iraq Field day story
Perchance you can join this grumpy old man for the Technician class I will be teaching starting on the 14th that will have two sub teens and several future grumpy old men as students. I have contributed to about 100 hams and upgrades since the code went away....
GRUMP GRUMP GRUMP
W5VEX, Belton Texas...
Love yer tagline
Oh I for got...
Grump grump grump ;)
Here is a 50 foot dish built entirely from scratch...uses a 5" gun mount rotor...bet this guy is single as well!
This is a great story of a boy & his DAD together to get a common goal. Way to go DAD...
The key here is that Dad has this kid understanding FOCUS at a very early age
Moms a Ham too!
aaaahhh yes the good old days, built many a kit from allied radio and their Knight kits. still have QSLs from around the world during my SWL days. Actually worked one of the SWL cards when I got my ticket have both framed in my shack. Our radio club been having field day at my place going on 14 years still enjoying it. And still use CW.
Hamming is fun. Morse code is hard to learn, but I know it. (great grandfather was a telegraph operator for the New Haven Railroad.)
Hamming is better then the net. Just check out ARRL (American Radio Relay League) events someday.
people still use morse though its been retired. Its still very effective.
I laff that we act like Morse is some antiquity. Texting is one step from morse (ascii) and the world is gaga over that L0L
So true... So true...I love to Ham.
Its like FR. You meet like minded folks
/johnny
Wow. The test must have been dumbed down a lot since the 60s-70s for a six-year old to pass.
Its a technicians license I think it allows the kid to run on trunk radios.
I’m not up on all of it myself. I could have gotten a license years ago when you had to know theory and all that.
Its mostly protocol now a days to get started.
Still. I think its very cool that this kid is studying at such a young age.
Tranciever? for 29 bucks? Nuh uh... L0L
Reciever? yeah
Still. Its amazing what you can build on the cheap
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