The younger generations seem to have lost the interest in ham radio. The ease of communication through mobile phones and the internet takes away one of the main incentives ham radio had in the past. While clubs hope for younger recruits, I suggest we should look beyond prospects in their 20s and 30s, all the way to our children. As a father of two pre-teens who are both interested in the hobby, I noticed that being a ham gets children ahead in school more than any other hobby. Amateur radio teaches children so much about every single topic you can think of:
Math
Amateur radio teaches children a lot about math. It starts with simple calculations to convert between frequencies and wavelengths. Magnitudes and their prefixes are next. My kids know what kilo-, mega-, centi- and milli- mean and they can convert between them. They also learn about logarithmic scales when they work with dB values.
Physics
This is a no-brainer, too. Think of Ohm’s law, current, voltage, resistance. Kids learn about the relationships of these. They learn about basic electronic components, schematics and they actually know what some of the components do and how they work. They will also understand field strength changes in different directions, RF propagation and so on.
Engineering
Well, Math, Physics, and Engineering go hand in hand but when we think of antenna building and testing, there is a lot of engineering skill that goes into it. But not just antenna building, if you let them set up and connect a radio, antenna tuner, power supply, they will learn about the different types of cables, connectors, grounding etc and why everything is designed the way it is.
Computer / Software design
Getting children ready to play with FT8 or other digital modes, teaches them about software design and computer use. Most of our kids know how to use a computer but getting WSJT-X and fldigi set up and using it is quite something different. Once they get QSOs, they will want to set up their own logbook and there are many possibilities for that and almost every single one of them has its downsides. If children find them, they learn about good software design and ergonomics as well.
Geography
Obviously a big one, no question. There are countries the kids have never heard of or maybe they have but had no idea where they are. If they start playing with FT8 on 10m and suddenly making contact with stations in South America, they will look these countries up on a map and they will remember exactly where they are, how they look like and if they are interested, a ton more. If they exchange QSL cards, they also have something to show in class. Reading and understanding maps is another bonus.
Graphic Design
Speaking of QSL cards. When my first cards began arriving and I started designing mine, it was like a wake-up call for my kids. If nothing else had excited them about ham radio, QSL cards would have been the thing that sealed the deal to get licensed. Of course they want their own cards and they want to design them. Doing this in a structured way, to make sure the cards can be printed and that all the necessary parts are on them, it a great way to learn about graphic design!
Astronomy
What are sunspots, coronal holes, and different layers of the atmosphere? What are meteors and what are they scattering? What are the northern lights and why are they there? Questions many children may not think of and forget if the teacher tells about them. Not so for little hams, astronomy is a big part of what they know.
History
History is a topic they may encounter when thinking about why certain things are the way they are, when they discover how radio technology stated and how it was used in the past. Besides that, they also have a ton of mentors on the air, who know answers to all their questions because they already lived in a time that seems “very long ago” for them, young as they are.
Chemistry
This may be a little less obvious but they will learn about different elements and their properties when they think of the different metals used for their antennas, all the cables etc. Why do we use so much copper? Why does solder melt so easily and why do I need to wash my hands after touching it? What materials conduct electricity and which are good insulators and why is that?
Physical Education
Yes, even that! Think of taking your HT on a hike with them and let them use it on top of a hill. Go the extra step and try some SOTA or POTA with them, before you know it, they will be as fit as you want them to be.
Economics
They will undoubtedly notice that their allowance does not suffice to buy a nice HF base station. But why is that? This is a great opportunity to talk about what actually goes into developing and manufacturing a new product. It will teach them about supply and demand as well. If you give them a Baofeng and a decent HT, they will sooner or later understand first-hand what the difference between cheap and inexpensive is.
Social Studies
Amateur radio is a hobby of communication between people of many different backgrounds. If they can communicate with, or even just listen to, others who are outside of their geographical bubble, they will learn about social issues people in other regions face.
Architecture
Yes, architecture, and I am not just talking about putting up a tower. If you put up a vertical or a long wire, discuss with them the parts of the roof and other structures you utilize. Why is there a gable here and a ridge there? Why is the yard wall 6ft high and what are these pipes coming up through the roof? What is stucco and why does its construction interfere with using the HT inside?
Accounting
Back to QSL cards, again. Let them come up with their own bookkeeping to track QSL exchanges. Track the postage used and the actual cost per card and envelope. Let them calculate the average power consumption per hour of the radio they use and then come up with the cost for electricity per month. Before you know it, they will be little accountants.
Politeness
Yes, manners, politeness, simply doing the right thing. Ham radio requires politeness. We do not use profanity, we respect others’ QSOs by not interrupting them, we ask if a frequency is in use before calling CQ. All small things maybe but small things that plant a seed nonetheless.
Law and regulations
Of course we have to follow a lot of regulations and laws. Kids will already learn about that when studying for their Tech license. They will not only learn that these laws exist, they will also learn why. It is one thing to know that something is not allowed but it is another thing to understand what would happen if there were no law about it. Realizing the reasons for some laws and regulations can make them a better citizen, appreciating law and order.
Let me stop here. You see where I am going with this. There is almost no subject they study in school, that can’t be improved by letting them get their amateur radio license and getting them on the air. We think of it as a hobby and as a community service but for children it can be more than this. For them, it can be the reason they rise to the top of their class in school! Make use of that, they will have fun and learn a ton. And, being selfish here, we have another thing that ties us to our kids, something else we can do together and which they will remember for a lifetime.
Not for the serious ham, in my opinion, but here is a nice start for the kids, something you can give them so they can have their own radio. I got one for my daughter as motivation to study for her license. They can have their own radio. And at the price, it won’t make a dent in your budget while giving them something they will be allowed to use after passing the exam, and none of their friends can! Makes them feel special!
