
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, December 5, 1993                   TAG: 9312060195
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELLISTON                                LENGTH: Medium

AT 10, MISSY GARRETT LOVES TO HAM IT UP

At age 10, Missy Garrett not only is one of the youngest licensed amateur radio operators in the world, she's also among those breaking down the gender barrier in a traditionally-male hobby. But, as the youngest member of an all-``ham'' household that includes her mom and her older sister, she tends to be matter-of-fact about her special avocational status.

Missy's more interested in checking the mail to see if she got any QSLs, the postcards hams often exchange to confirm a radio contact.

``I like to get mail,'' she said recently as she sat with her parents, Gordon and Debbie Garrett, in the family's ham shack. The wall of gear - assembled by her dad, a ham since 1977 - dwarfs the blond-haired fifth-grader.

Since getting her license in August, she's talked with hams in several states and a few foreign countries, including Belize, Germany, South Africa and St. Kitts in the Carribean. She's collected cards from Central America as well as Michigan, Ohio and Arizona, and she expects more any day.

Her dad, a self-employed graphic artist, designed Missy's own distinctive QSL cards. Her call sign, KE4GYF, is emblazoned on purple stock, her favorite color.

Qualifying for her Federal Communications Commission license to earn her ham radio transmitting privileges involved a stumble or two along the way. In August, Missy passed the required written test on basic radio theory and federal regulations at a test sesion during the Family Motor Coach Association convention in Blacksburg. But she fumbled on the five-words-per-minute Morse code receiving test required for the Novice class license.

``I was really nervous. I was shaking,'' she said. ``I knew I didn't make it.''

Her dad took her to another test session in Danville a few days later, where she passed the code test for the Novice class, but then failed the written exam for the next higher license-grade, the Technician-plus class.

She pulled that off during a third trip to Bedford Sept. 12.

``The old timers who were doing the testing really took her under their wing,'' her mother said. Missy, her mom and her 17-year-old sister Emily now all hold the same license class. Right now, she said, she's in no hurry to climb the remaining three rungs of the ham radio licensing ladder to catch up with her dad.

Her Federal Communications Commission license allows her to transmit both Morse and voice on some shortwave frequencies and on very-high-frequency and ultra-high-frequency ham bands - where the transmitting range is more limited.

For her very first QSO - or contact - she tried to reach Jessica Ham, KE4EDN, of Roanoke, who's only 8 and also the youngest member of an all-amateur radio household. Jesicca apparently wasn't around, so Missy chatted with Fred, KE4HI, instead.

``Then, there was a pile-up,'' her mother said, describing how several hams jumped on the channel to congratulate Missy on her accomplishment.

Not long after that, she contacted a station in Costa Rica for her first ``DX'' - or foreign - contact

So far, Missy favors voice over Morse code. ``I'm afraid I'll make a mistake.'' she said.

Now that Missy has her ticket, it`s even easier for the Garretts to keep in touch. A quick call over her two-way handheld transceiver and the fifth-grader can chat with her mom or dad, or even her big sister Emily.

When she's not on the radio, Missy, an A-B honor roll student at Elliston-Lafayette School, takes part in the Singing Eagles chorus and hopes to be on the Odyssey of the Mind team this year.

In early November, Missy got a chance to experience the public service aspect of ham radio as she and her dad helped out with communications during the Special Olympics. She also took her handheld radio to school recently to give a ``show n' tell'' demonstration of her hobby.

Now that his daughter has her license, Gordon Garrett said he plans to get her to help coordinate adjustments on the family's extensive backyard antenna system, which includes a tall tower supporting several rotary ``beams'' that look like big TV antennas. Dad now can carry a handheld radio up the tower while Missy stays back in the ham shack to report on the effects of his efforts.

Missy's now usually no further than her handheld radio, which makes it easier for Mom and Dad to touch bases with her.

by CNB