Monday, 5 March 2012

How to become an Amateur Radio Operator


Amateur radio, or ham, operators have opened to themselves to a new line of possibilities, broadening their communication scope into an entertaining world of radio frequencies. A license is required in the United States to operate on these frequencies. Three classes of licenses are available for you to choose from, each giving the operator another level of privileges and broadening their scope even more. The technician class is the entry level license, the general class gives extended frequency privileges and the extra class gives privileges to all levels of amateur frequencies.

 

Step 1

Buy the home study materials to prepare for your test offered at http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store. Order "Now You're Talking." The National Association for Amateur Radio highly recommends the book for studying to pass your exam.


Step 2

Find the nearest license exam location in your area by visiting http://www.arrl.org/finding-an-exam-session. Enter your ZIP code, city, state, area of residence (you will be offered a list to choose from), country and day you want to write the exam.


Step 3

Study the materials offered in the Ham Radio License Manual that is offered at the National Association for Amateur Radio. This material will provide you with information about how to transmit without breaking the law. Set aside between two weeks and two months to study. Familiarizing yourself with the study material, which will cover operating your radio and the laws that restrict its use.

 

Step 4

Fill out an exam registration form found at http://www.arrl.org/files/file/VEs/Print%20ARRL%20VEC%20session%20registration%20form.txt. Include the test date, time, your sponsor if you have one, address of the test side, your name, phone number, email address and home address. Email the form to vetests@arrl.org.

 

Step 5

Attend your exam. The exam required a fee of $14 in 2005. Bring a photo ID, 2 other forms of ID, calculator, two pencils with erasers and pen.

 

Step 6

Wait for your Certificate of Successful Completion and then file paperwork you receive in the mail with the Volunteer Exam Coordinator either in person at the exam center or by mailing to the address indicated on the paperwork. You will receive a call sign in a few days, which will give your frequencies that you can operate under.

 

Step 7

Purchase a ham radio that fits into your desired operation. For example, do you plan to be fixed or mobile? If you want to communicate from the road, then pick a radio that is portable and with a long battery life. Most radios will be able to function on the frequency you have been given, though choose a larger antenna and a long range if your frequency range is narrow.

 

Step 8

Turn your radio to the frequency you have been given. Choose a new frequency if the current one already has people talking. Speak into the radio by pressing the corresponding "speak" button. This is also called keying your mic. Wait for someone to respond.

References

 

Resources (Further Reading)

Posted by at 20:05 0 comments

How to Hide Butternut Squash in Foods for Children


Convincing your kids to eat their vegetables can be about as difficult as getting them to brush their teeth. If you have a garden and grow butternut squash, or you just like the taste and you purchase it from the store, you might need to find ways to disguise or hide the sweet vegetable in your child's food. Disguising the squash and putting it in food that your kids like will have them eating the vegetable in no time.

 

Step 1

Chop the squash in to small pieces and put it on a pizza. Place the squash on the crust first and then cover it with tomato sauce. Place other ingredients on such as pepperoni, tomato and green pepper. Top it off with cheese and then bake it in the oven to let the cheese melt and cover the squash.

 

Step 2

Place the cooked squash in the blender with yogurt and ice cream. Blend the ingredients and scoop the mixture into a bowl. Serve the mixture over granola and serve for breakfast.

 

Step 3

Roll a piece of whole wheat bread with a rolling pin. Blend the cooked squash in a blender. Scoop the pureed squash on the bread. Place sliced meat on top and a slice of cheese. Roll the bread and ingredients together.

References

Posted by at 20:02 0 comments

How to Ask a Girl Out if You Are Afraid of Getting Rejected

Try approaching asking a girl as if you are building a fire. The girls you meet are the kindling, the spark is the connection between you and the girl, and blowing on the fire is you asking the girl out. But without the spark, you will be disappointed every time. Many guys make the mistake of asking a girl out right away, which works for some; but to avoid rejection, you must learn to read the signs.

In Person

 

Step 1

Talk to the girl. Get to know her a little and let her get to know you. Read any signs that she might be interested in you. For example, she may smile a lot and ask you questions. If she is responding to you abruptly, then you should stop here and look for another girl.

Step 2

Tell her about what you are doing in the next couple hours. Say, "I am going to the market, if you want to join me." An open-ended question like this will make her feel at ease and it isn't exactly asking her out, so you can avoid any pain if she says "No."

Step 3

Get to know her a bit more if she comes to the market, or wherever, with you. Ask her about her job, school or her hobbies. Listen to her intently and allow her to speak until she is done. Respond to any question she might have, which is an indication she might be interested in you, or at least that she has social skills. If she doesn't ask you a question, tell her something about yourself that relates to the conversation, such as about your employment, school or hobbies.
 
 

Step 4

Inch a bit closer to her to see whether she moves closer, stays put or moves away. If she moves closer, she almost certainly likes you; if she stays put, she may like you; and if she moves away, she might not like you.

Step 5

Use the signs in Step 3 to determine whether to ask her out on a date. Physical contact is a major indication about whether what you have is more than friendship, so use physicality as an indication about whether to ask for a date. Ask her to do something fun with you, such as get ice cream at the beach.


Online

 

Step 1

Write a short message asking her how she is doing. This can be over a social networking site or though email.

Step 2

Wait for a response. If she responds and asks you a question back, she is indicating she wants to keep the communication going. If she doesn't respond, stop here and move on.

Step 3

Write a slightly longer email answering her question and then ask her another question to indicate that you want her to respond. Make this message about one paragraph. If she doesn't respond, stop.

Step 4

Wait for her response and then see if it is longer and if it asks you another question. At this point, it is clear that she is interested in you, perhaps in a romantic way. Stop if she doesn't respond.

Step 5

Ask her to hang out with you. Keep it simple or ask her to a movie, where you can spend time together but don't really have to talk. Movies rarely have a chance to be awkward and time available for conversation is so short that it is difficult to dry up.

References

Posted by at 20:01 0 comments

How to Measure a Kid for a Baseball Bat


An appropriately-sized baseball bat could mean the difference between your child striking out and hitting a grand-slam home run. Finding a baseball bat that could put your child at the top of her game requires careful measurements of both her height and weight, but you still need to consider her skill level. Regular replacement of baseball bats is necessary for your child to grow into a sport touted as "America's Favorite Pastime."

Step 1

Position your child so that he is standing straight against a wall on which you can make a pencil mark. Draw a mark at the top of your child's head.

 

Step 2

Place the end of a tape measure at the bottom of the wall. Measure to the mark and take note.

 

Step 3

Weight the child. Write down the child's height and weight when determining the baseball bat size.

 

Step 4

Give the child over six feet a 34-inch bat -- use a 33-inch if he weighs less than 161 pounds.

Give him a 33-inch bat if he is between 5-foot-6 and 6 feet -- use a 34-inch bat if he weighs more than 180 pounds.

Hand over a 32-inch bat if he is between 5 feet and 5-foot-6 -- use a 31-inch if he is under 121 pounds.

Four-foot-9 to 5 feet should use a bat between 30 and 32 inches -- use 32 inches for kids over 150 pounds, use 31 inches for kids between 91 and 151 pounds and use a 30-inch bat for less than 91 pounds.

From 4-foot-5 to 4-foot-8, use a 29- to 31-inch bat -- use a 31-inch bat if he weighs more than 131 pounds, use 30 inches if between 61 and 131 pounds, use 29 for any weight under 61 pounds.

From 4-foot-1 to 4-foot-4, give him a bat that is between 29 and 31 inches -- 151 pounds and up should get 31 inches, from 91 o 150 pounds use 30 inches and under 91 pounds gets a 29-inch bat.

From 3-foot-9 to 4 feet, use a 28- to 30-inch bat -- 30 inches if the child weighs over 121 pounds, 29 inches if between 81 and121 pounds and use 28 inches if under 81 pounds.

From 3-foot-5 to 3-foot-8, use a 27- to 29-inch bat -- 29 inches if weighing over 100 pounds, 28 inches if between 70 and 101 pounds and 27 inches for under 71 pounds.

From 3 feet to 3-foot-4, use a 26- to 27-inch bat -- 27 inches if over 60 pounds and 26 inches if under.

 

Tips

A longer bat will improve her hitting ability, so if she is stronger than most children for her size, then increase the length of her bat by 1 or 2 inches.

After batting with her new equipment, she may find that she can handle a larger size -- the size can increase as she becomes more skilled.



References

Posted by at 19:58 0 comments

Angry Feelings Activities for Kids

The way a child handles her anger can either make a situation worse or better. Throughout childhood people are learning their limits and they have yet to accept many of the realities of life. This can make them very angry, but there are ways to control this emotion.


Managing Anger

Instead of getting angry and lashing out at others, practice admitting when you are angry and then figure out how you can become pleasant again. Identify the source of the problem and ask yourself how you are going to make the situation better. If there is no evident solution to the problem, find somewhere that you can be alone and think about a plan to address the issue. For example, if your teacher gave you too much homework, talk to your parents about it and see if they can help.


Quick Fixes

Several techniques can help you overcome your anger and put you back on track. For example, count to 10, talk to a friend, hug someone you know, exercise, draw a picture expressing your anger, play music and sing along, put a pillow over your face and scream into it, think happy thoughts or play a game. These exercises can help you take a time out and think more rationally to come up with a solution to the problem.

 

Discussion

After you experience the anger and have mitigated the negative feeling, talk to a peer, parent or other adult who you can trust. Tell them why you were angry and ask for their guidance. They may tell you that being angry is completely normal and you had every right to be upset. You can ask for advice on how you can handle anger and if you dealt with the feeling in the right way.

 

Child Anger

According to Dr. Richard Niolon, children should be allowed to get angry. The emotion is a normal part of being a human and expressing the feeling is needed for mental health. Children often become angry because control of their world is limited to the decisions made by adults in their lives. This creates a helpless feeling that can be frustrating for kids and lead to bursts of anger, or prolonged anger in some cases.


References

Posted by at 19:57 0 comments

How to Remove Yourself From the Consideration for a Job


When removing yourself from consideration for a job, you want to be as forthcoming as possible in order to ensure that the potential employer would want to see you again. Circumstances may change and you could find yourself looking for a position with the same employer in the future. In other situations, the impression that you make with the person could affect you in the field you are practicing if the potential employer discusses the way you handled removing yourself from consideration.

 

Step 1

Phone the potential employer and tell them you no longer want to be considered for the position. Be prepared to answer why you've changed your mind. Thank them for their consideration.

 

Step 2

Email the potential employer and tell them you no longer want to be considered for the position if you don't want to have a conversation with the person. Let them know why you have decided to be removed from the running and thank them for considering you.

 

Step 3

Visit the potential employer to add a more personal touch if you would rather see them in person. A personal touch is especially important if you know the person well and don't want to leave any hard feelings. You may also visit in person if you have already gone through an extensive screening process and the company has invested a lot of time in you.

 

Step 4

Log onto your account at a place you have applied if you have only submitted your application. Follow the options on the screen. Each company will have a different process for removing your application, but many are straightforward and will usually have an option to access your account, view the jobs you have applied for and then remove your application from consideration.

 

Step 5

Consider how you would want the candidate to withdraw from the job if you were the potential employer. Often, the way you withdraw from a job depends on how far along the hiring process you are. For example, if a person agreed to an interview and then decided they didn't want to go, would you, as a potential employer, want the person to go to the interview and waste your time, when they know already they wouldn't take the job even if offered?



References

Posted by at 19:55 0 comments

Teaching Children Routines



Instilling routines in your child can take them from being lazy and passive in life, into being driven and productive. The moment your child was born, you were called into action to raise your kid in the best way that you know how. By following a few strategies, you can raise a routine-oriented child.

 

Family Meeting

Every week or so, your family can get together to discuss the roles and responsibilities of each person in the household. This is a good way to teach children routines, which can become particularly essential in households with many people. When everyone knows his duty and expectations for contributing to the home, children will be more inclined to stick to their routine because they feel a sense of duty. Housework is one of the main topics of discussion at the meeting when developing a routine in hopes of running an organized home.

 

Structure

Telling the children when they fall out-of-line can help them develop good habits that form into their routine. When children are expected to behave in a certain way through the establishment of a routine, they will often not be as inclined to complain about their tasks because their actions will become automatic. For example, if the child is expected to do the dishes every night after dinner, he will be more likely go to the kitchen and do them immediately without complaining. He will also become more efficient at the task and won't find it as difficult.

 

Lead by Example

Developing a routine yourself will set a good example for your kids to follow. Children are particularly swayed at a young age, so showing the child your routines from when they are a young age will help them to be disciplined later in life when the tasks they perform become much more crucial. For example, right now your child might be getting into the habit of brushing her teeth every night before she goes to bed. Brush your teeth with her for several weeks, or until she is able to do it without you by her side

 

Parents

Developing routines in your children can also help you as a parent to stop nagging your child. A disciplined child doesn't often need reminding of what has been instilled in him through the development of routines. You can also schedule your own routines to fit in with your children's routines, because you know when you will have free time to attend to your needs. You will also be free from having to constantly make decisions for your children.


References

Posted by at 19:53 0 comments
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