Aiden and Tyler try their Radios

Carl assists Aiden with his radio

Hi Friends,

Every year at the Tompkins County Amateur Radio Club's hamfest at Trumansburg, the guys from the Ithaca Sciencenter offer to help kids build crystal sets that they can take home. The volunteers have at least as much fun helping and educating as the kids building the sets. I closed up my little hamfest display of crystal sets and joined the group helping the young people build their radios. I offered to help and I was assigned to help Aiden build his set. Here is Allison, the young lady I helped last year.

Aiden is 8 years old, so I decided to handle the soldering iron this time around. It is important to estimate what the kids can safely do.

Aiden cut and stripped the wires as well as applying the solder and hot glue. After the radio was finished, we gave it a good look over to make sure the connections were right and tightly soldered. I am happy to report that Aiden heard a station on his set right away. Another instructor helped Tyler with his set and he had an equally good outcome. These two are great radio builders!

Carl, KB2KDV, the group leader, tells me that the annual build at the Tompkins County ARC fest is a part of our "Radio Days" children's workshops on radio science and technology at the Ithaca Sciencenter, a collaboration between the Ithaca Sciencenter, and Tompkins County Amateur Radio Club and Cornell University.

Folks interested in participating in these Saturday morning programs held several times a year can contact the Sciencenter at 607-272-0600 ext 23, to sign up with Shannon McSurely.

Here is link to a past Radio Days build.

Dave