Danny Morrison Youngest Ham in UK

A CAITHNESS boy has become one of the youngest people in the UK to gain an amateur radio licence. Danny Morrison, who is eight-and-a-half, has just passed the Amateur Radio (Foundation) Licence which will entitle him to transmit to other enthusiasts anywhere in the world.

To pass the exam the youngster, who lives at West Murkle, had to get to grips with a host of technical information and learn about VHF and UHF signals, Ohm's law which deals with voltage, amps and current for electrical circuits as well as the ionosphere – the upper part of the atmosphere – and Morse code.

His dad, Denny Morrison, who has been an amateur radio enthusiast for 25 years, was delighted with the lad's success and pointed out that Danny began to show an interest when he was about six.

The event that attracted him to the hobby happened over two years ago when Denny and Donald Mackay, from Sarclet, made radio contact with and talked to American astronaut Bill McArthur aboard the International Space Station which was orbiting above the Earth at a speed of around 17,000 miles an hour. Denny recorded the conversation so that Danny could let his teacher and classmates hear it.

Shortly afterwards Danny began to take an active interest, as his father explained: "Just after that he started coming in and listening when I was using the equipment, and then this summer he decided he would like to do the exam. It was something he wanted to do.

Sourced From: http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/5613/Amateur_radio_boy_on_top_of_the_world!.html