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Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by KC0DM on January 2, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
My son is a 9-year-old ham. He wants to put his picture and some information on the QRZ website at the call sign look-up. Then, I realized that anyone who he talks with or hears him on the air can easily look up his address and other information about him. Parents are always warned not to let kids post personal information on the Internet for their safety. How have other kids/parents dealt with this? Do you use a PO box or a grandparent's address? Or not worry about it? Thank you for your advice.

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by N5JFJ on January 3, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
I agree with your Idea about using a PO Box...Better Protection.

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by AI2IA on January 16, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
I am a ham and my youngest son is a ham. He got his license at age twelve. Once you have a ham call sign, your name and address are available at the FCC web site and many other web sites. I think that the safety rules for adults in this case apply equally for children. Put up your QSL card or a picture of your favorite rig or antenna on QRZ.com and add a brief statement or two, but don't put up a photograph of yourself, or give any information giving your age or approximating your age. In the case of a child, I would also leave the email adrress out. Many of us old timers are quite happy to speak to a young ham on the air, and we will go out of our way to be extra patient and courteous, and quick to send our QSL cards, but we certainly don't want our good will to make us suspected perverts. Really, it is up to the parents to be watchful and keep an eye on the kind and frequency of the contacts of a young person, not only in email, or in person, but also on the air. I think it makes the younger ham feel good to see his call sign and name up on QRZ.com, as a parent just exercise good daily interest in your child.

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by KX8N on February 19, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
Other than watching who he contacts and who tries to contact him, there's not a whole lot you can do. Keep in mind that as a parent, it's your responsibility to be doing this anyway, if a child has a callsign that can be looked up or not. A P.O.BOX isn't a bad idea, but do NOT use an alternate address such as the grandparents. If the FCC were to find out, technically your son could lose his license. They are cracking down on people who do not have the correct address on their license. Congratulations, by the way. My son is 10 and he's studying right now. What did you use to help your son study?

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by KC0DM on February 21, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
I'm always with my son when he's on the air and closely monitor what he does on the Internet. I was more worried about someone overhearing a conversation on the air, learning his first name, his age and a little about him, then being able to look up his address and know where to find him. I'm leaing toward the PO Box. We attended our club's class together and studied the ARRL book that the class used. I got him some supplemental reading at the library, like about basic circuits and ohm's law. We also built some circuits and used a multi-tester to demonstrate some of the things the book covered. He passed the code test in December, and we are now in the middle of the General class. He really wants to do PSK-31. Good luck to your son!

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by KI4PRK on October 30, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
Yes, my Dad feels the same way. I personally think it's a good idea. If you want to add a "Bio" on QRZ.com, try to keep it Ham Radio oriented. To the guy who's son likes PSK, great idea! Utilizing this mode, I talked to a Ham in the Ukraine and other places using 3 watts :) 73, de Brennen KI4PRK age 13

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by KI4PRK on October 30, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
Yes, my Dad feels the same way. I personally think it's a good idea. If you want to add a "Bio" on QRZ.com, try to keep it Ham Radio oriented. To the guy who's son likes PSK, great idea! Utilizing this mode, I talked to a Ham in the Ukraine and other places using 3 watts :) 73, de Brennen KI4PRK age 13

RE: Safety for Young Hams	Reply
by KC9MAV on December 13, 2007	Mail this to a friend!
Well lets just say I am a young ham which I am from my point of view to email another ham in my area I have to ask the om. It depends about the website qrz posting I just don't want to do that because it's to much work you got to scan the picture past it in there but soon I will have my shack on hamshack of the day on eham but really It depend on what kinc of parent you are.

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