Were you able to make contact with the K3Y team of youth operators on the air July 27 during the 2024 RSGB IOTA Contest? We hope so. Your QSO made a difference in the life of a young amateur!
For the second straight year operating from the K3LR superstation in western Pennsylvania, a group of talented young hams got a taste of what it’s like making QSOs from a powerful amateur radio station, while chasers from every corner of the globe got to experience the bright future of our beloved hobby in action.
The four operators making up the team—Ian Alkema, KI8AN; Lilly Colón, W8LIL; Katie Campbell, KE8LQR; and Grace Papay, K8LG—were participating in the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure (YDXA), a program that has sent amateurs ages 12-17 to stations around the world since its founding in 2010. You can read bios of the YDXA participants and parents here.
When this year’s international excursion fell through, Tim Duffy, K3LR, CEO of DX Engineering, once again offered his station as the site for the adventure.
Operating on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters in SSB and CW, the team logged close t0 2,000 QSOs. All contacts were made by the youth operators, with mentoring provided by parents and other experienced amateurs, including Tim, K3LR.
“It was a great day for these amazing young operators, as well as an important day for ham radio,” Tim said. “The K3Y team operated with impressive poise, skill, and teamwork, and they were an absolute pleasure to have at K3LR, representing the youth of our hobby in such a positive manner. A great deal of thanks goes to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, other contributors for their sponsorship, and the many hams who sought them out on the air. Most importantly, I’d like to salute all the parents for doing such a wonderful job with these youngsters. The future of ham radio is in good hands.”
Edward Engleman, KG8CX, 2024 Hamvention Amateur of the Year and co-founder of the Young Amateurs Communications Ham Team (YACHT), wrote:
“Outstanding operation from all of you. Kudos. Thanks to Tim, K3LR, for believing in these youth and giving them an opportunity to long remember.”
“Well done, Katie, super contest operation,” wrote David Ayers, from England, on the DX Engineering Facebook page. “It’s going to take a lot more practice to get my CW back up to that standard.”
You can watch the K3Y team in action in this video from DX Engineering’s YouTube channel:
Youth Make a Stop at DX Engineering
Before traveling to K3LR, the K3Y team and parents stopped by DX Engineering in Tallmadge, Ohio, for lunch on July 26. Each participant gave a presentation on the impact ham radio has had on their life and their goals for the future.
“Amateur radio has and is continuing to be an incredible experience for me,” Ian said during his presentation at DX Engineering. “I have made so many new friends, received awesome awards, and was even able to take amateur radio to the outdoors.”
The presentations were broadcast live on DX Engineering’s Facebook page. You can watch the inspiring video below from DX Engineering’s YouTube channel:
