Ready your call signs, Borderstan.
The HacDC Amateur Radio Club will host a youth-centric amateur radio “kids day” from 2 to 8 p.m. this Sunday on the third floor of the St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, located at 1525 Newton Street NW.
During the free event, participants of all ages will be able to work real ham radios and chat with other operators over a variety of radio frequencies.
“Kids Day is designed to give on-the-air experience to youngsters and hopefully foster interest in getting a license of their own,” reads the HacDC webpage. “It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their station and love for amateur radio with their children.”
Kids will also receive a colorful certificate after working the radios.
Photo via Facebook.com/hamradiodc
Radio, anyone? (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at [email protected].
Every few weeks or so now it seems like there is a moderately funny list online with a title like “You know you were a part of 90’s if” or “Thing you will never see again” and I always look at it and think about the good old days. The days of no one having a smart phone and MTV actually being centered around music videos.
One item that I see on these lists that pains me is people remembering their childhood radio stations and how they filled many carpools and roadtrips with sing-a-longs and funny prank calls. Sadly these days, thanks to iPod jacks in cars, Spotify and satellite radio, the traditional AM/FM radio has become nostalgic.
I drive a fairly old and beat up Ford Taurus that has no audio jack so I have come to know and love our local radio stations. Coming from the tri-state area, I have had a long love for radio thanks to disc jockeys like Howard Stern and FunkMaster Flex. DC doesn’t have the wide variety like NYC has, but what we have is pretty good and worth a listen.
What’s on My FM Dial?
Here is just what I have on my FM dial, ranked in order of my listening preferences.
- 101.1: This is my morning ride to work with Elliot in the Morning. I also have a great respect for this station in general as it was the one that gave Howard Stern his real start and thus appreciates quality humor. Besides Elliot, this station is a very mainstream rock channel with a fine mix of 90’s hits and the occasional classic rock. I will say that this is generally my music taste so I am biased into liking it, but Elliot in the Morning is hilarious and can really fill a long commute.
- 93.9: The next best morning show for me is Russ Parr in the Morning. This hip hop station has a packed morning show that also takes extended breaks for music blocks which can be a nice change of pace at 8 am. I also love this station in the afternoon ride as their 5 to 6 pm block is just a DJ and a mix-tape, no commercials.
- 99.5: The Z100 of DC; the mega pop station. In the last few months, I’d say I have heard “Gangnum Style” playing at least twice a week. Terrible DJ’s, but when you want to hear “Call Me Maybe,” this is your station.
- 100.3: The classic rock station. I would like to rate this higher on the list, but frankly their song bank is very limited. I can only listen to “Hotel California” and “Don’t Fear the Reaper” so many times.
I sadly don’t know the AM stations that well and I have never been a NPR person. But, the next time you are in a car or at home and want to jam out, turn on the radio, if you still have a working one, on.
The Wizards Have Not Won A Game Yet!
- It’s getting ugly.
Links! Links! Ice Cold Links!
- Congrats to the Nationals. Bryce Harper, NL Rookie of the Year. Davey Johnson, NL Manager of the Year.
- No hockey can sometimes have serious consequences.
- Not sure why any NFL coach carries $3,700 in cash on gameday. Thoughts?
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