Making friends as a young amateur radio operator can prove to be challenging, both in and out of the hobby. Having an amateur radio license isn’t exactly conducive to popularity in most middle and high schools, and sometimes within amateur radio it feels like you meet other young people only once in a blue moon.
Fortunately, there is a network of young hams who have formed their own community with the goals of supporting and learning from each other and having as much fun with the hobby as possible. And, typically, the friendships you form with other young hams turn out to be some of the most rewarding. The question, though, is how one goes about finding other young hams to become friends with.
Statistically speaking, you’re unlikely to meet a large number of young hams just by going to your local club meetings or local hamfests. However, if your school has an amateur radio club, that is an ideal place to start. You can also look into schools near you that have an amateur radio group, though it can be challenging to gain permission to attend after-school meetings.
School amateur radio clubs come in many different shapes and sizes. They vary by the number of student participants and advisors, types of activities (e.g., contests, casual operating, satellites), and the times they meet, including after school, during school, only for events, every week, or every other week.
My school club meets after school for an hour each week or every two weeks depending on sports activities and club member schedules. This seems to be the standard for clubs at the primary and secondary education levels. University clubs take on a slightly different approach due to the more flexible nature of college academic schedules. We also meet occasionally in the summer for events like Field Day, and we regularly participate in the ARRL School Club Roundups, leading to most club members choosing to stay late a few nights a year to optimize our results in this event.
There are several good reasons to use a school club to make amateur radio friends. Here are a few of the many positives:
- School club meeting and event schedules are tailored toward young people still in school.
- There may be potential mentors already integrated into the club.
- School clubs offer a supportive environment for their members, from providing access to equipment to helping with licensing exam studies.
The challenge is that amateur radio clubs are not exceedingly common and may be hard to find in your area, though starting one yourself is always a good plan!
Another effective way to make friends with other young amateur radio operators is to attend larger hamfests and conventions (e.g., Dayton Hamvention®, Orlando HamCation, Ham Radio Friedrichshafen, and others).
By attending these conventions, you’ll likely meet at least a few young hams while also learning about opportunities for young amateur radio operators from the booths and forums these conventions offer. And when you meet one young ham, you’ll typically be introduced to others they know through various organizations and activities.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to discuss amateur radio and associate yourself with it in public settings. I am currently studying in Germany on a scholarship, and during the interview process for the program, I met another young ham. This simply happened because I had my callsign on the backpack and luggage tag of my suitcase. He noticed it while we were in an elevator after getting our room assignments for the interview weekend. We struck up a conversation about amateur radio and have been friends ever since.
It can be challenging to make friends with other young amateur radio operators, especially with geographical differences, limitations on how much you can travel, and how few young people there are in the hobby. Fortunately, once you figure out a way to overcome these barriers, the friends you make in amateur radio will be friends you’ll have for life. The geographical differences you overcome will take you on adventures of a lifetime, while improving your communication skills. Plus, you’ll be inspired to get more youth involved and help them find their way to enjoying the hobby as much as you do.
