Monday, January 25, 2010

Hey, What happened to my radio?



On a semi regular basis, I start up my Kenwood TS-440 and check propagation by listening to the WWV stations. I have them programmed into memory to make it easy, as well as all of the PSK31 freqs and the 60 Meter channels. Yesterday I turned on my radio and I wasn't getting any sound from the speaker. Thinking that the keyboard that fell may have knocked a cable loose I checked the wires. I then discovered that the Heath Kit filter that I was not using was turned on but not powered, cutting off my audio to the speaker. Simple, ok, but how did that happen, my wife avoids my desk as well as radio stuff. Then today, I observed my 20 month old, climb onto the chair, and without any help did the following:

She stood up on the chair, leaned forwards and turned on the Power Supply, then turned on the radio. Yeah, she figured out the order.





Then she started changing the channels I had programmed into memory by turning the knob and listening to the WWV stations.

Oh it gets better, then she leans forward even more, puts her hand on the mic and says in a cute voice, "Heddo, Heddo...". She hasn't associated the PTT button to when you talk into the mic but she is well on her way to being a Ham Radio Operator. She loves to snatch my hand helds from the counter and run around the house saying "Radio".




According to her mother, She loves to climb into my chair and play with my radio in the morning while I am at work. I think it is really funny considering the January Dinner Meeting with the local club (WA6YBN). Tickets were being drawn for door prizes, and the oldest person was heading up there. Then someone asked who the youngest person was to go next, without realizing what was going on, they looked towards me and asked how old I was, and Amanda raised her hand, as to say, "I'm the youngest!!!". Everyone started laughing and it took me a second to realize how silly my daughter was. Its cool though, she got me a good morse code practice kit and a Marine VHF radio with a couple of wall worts. Ok, we got the bubble wrap calender too.

Its a good thing I usually leave the Mic disconnected, and the RF carrier at 0%, just in case she figures that out next.
KI6PSP

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