Yesterday, we held yet another One-Day Tech Class, and just like last time, we scored 100% again. We had twelve students, with all twelve passing the test!

What was notable about this class is that we had two of our youngest students ever—two brothers, aged ten and twelve. Normally, kids don’t do well in the one-day format, and I mentioned this to their mother. She turned to the kids, who quickly told her that they were sure they could pass.

As we got into the material, it was evident that they had been studying. They had a little trouble doing the math—at one point one of them exclaimed, “We haven’t had fractions yet!” I slowed down a bit, though, and I think they got the idea.

They did have the other material down, though. As we covered the other sections, they were quick to answer the questions.

I was very impressed that the kids were able to stick with us through the whole six-hour session. They did get distracted from time to time, but I tried to keep them involved by asking them questions and speaking directly to them. In the end, it paid off. They both passed the test!

While we were waiting for their tests to be scored, I spoke briefly with the parents. As it turns out, it was their mother who encouraged their interest in amateur radio. As a girl, she’d built a crystal set and learned Morse Code. Now, I’ve got to get her into my next class.

Boy, it’s hard to believe that it’s 2010 already, isn’t it?

That not withstanding, we’re going to be conducting the next One-Day Tech Class here at the Hands-On Museum on Saturday, January 16, 2010.  The class will run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. At 3:00 pm, the volunteer examiners will show up to administer the test.

There is no charge for the class, but we do suggest that you donate $10 to the museum. There is a $15 fee to take the test.

If you would like to take this class, please send an e-mail to Dan, KB6NU, cwgeek@kb6nu.com. We do ask people to pre-register to make sure that we have enough seats for people. The volunteer examiners also like to how many are going to be taking the test.

Can you really do this in one day?  Well, the answer is yes and no. Although the class is only six hours, we do suggest that students prepare for the test by reading through the study guide a couple of times. This study guide is available for free by going to http://www.kb6nu.com/tech-manual.