Re: [amsat-bb] Re: Up-coming AMSAT Board Election - Gunther -

["Edward R. Cole" <al7eb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 12:46 PM 7/10/03 -0400, Bob Bruninga wrote:
>On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 kgschaffrath@beckman.com wrote:
>
>> Bob,
>
>> I really find it hard to believe a bunch of 8 year olds are going to
>> think about getting a ham license and build satellites after seeing a
>> telephone linked demo to the space station.
>
>Several Comments come to mind:
>
>1) My experience in mentoring others is that the most fruitful time to get
>someone interested in HAM radio is at the 8 to 12 year age group.  They
>are fascinated and have the TIME.  If you dont get them by 14, forget it
>until they are over 50... (we are talking probabiliities here)...

PERHAPS we need to reflect back to when we were 8-14!  Especially, you, who
have gone into technical careers like I did.
It was 1953, I was nine, and a particular science fiction movie ignited my
interests in space exploration.  I remember Pres. Eisenhower announcing the
start of an effort to orbit a small satellite in 1955 (yes, he did...I
believe his goal was during the IGY in 1957).  It later evolved into the
Explorer Project.  I decided I wanted to become a "space man"....astronaut
was a term that had not been coined, yet!

I launched my own home-built rockets in 1955, two years before Sputnik
(which I copied on 20 MHz with an old multi-band AM radio in 1957 -- 13
years old).  That same year I discovered "Ham Radio" and built a 3-tube
receiver.  1958 - 14 years old: I received my novice license: KN8MWA.  By
then, as a freshman in HS my goal shifted to engineering.  1968 Grad from
MSU and off to southern calif.  1971-1979 I worked for NASA...realizing my
dream!

I believe Bob is dead on with capturing minds at this young age.  A single
inspiring experience can kindle a career...and a life-long ham ;-)  

>2) We had a school contact  via TELEbridge at our school and no-one but
>the accute knew it was via telephone.  I used a Collins Phonepacth (its
>built into the Collins Speaker Enclosure).  ANd a VHF rig with its
>microphone.  An ALL the preparatory work and education and excitement for
>the weeks prior was 100% ham radio.  The pass came and went, and worked
>perfectly.  I pointed out that this "equipment" was linked though the
>phone lines to the station in South Africa, but to all observers it
>appeared like and worked like and WAS ham radio (with a long mic cord)...
>
>Its all in what you do with it.
>
>de WB4APR, Bob

VERY clever!   Nice touch.

73, Ed - AL7EB
 

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