Amateur radio can be a complicated hobby. You will, undoubtedly, have questions about the technology, questions about the rules, and questions about operating procedures. An “Elmer” is someone who can help answer those questions and help you avoid some of the pitfalls of the hobby. He or she is a ham that you can go to when you have a question about what rig to buy, when you want to borrow an antenna analyzer, or when you’re having trouble understanding a particular concept. If you haven’t already, you might want to find an Elmer.
The term Elmer first appeared in the March 1971 issue of QST magazine. In that issue, Rod Newkirk, W9BRD, called them “the unsung fathers of Amateur Radio.” He wrote that an Elmer is “the ham who took the most time and trouble to give you a push toward your license.”
Where do you find an Elmer? Well, the first place you might look is the club you just joined. Lots of the “old timers” there are more than happy to help newcomers, and many clubs have “Elmer” programs. Ask for help and ye just may receive.
Nowadays, you might find your Elmer online. There are lots of websites and mailing lists that are geared towards helping people become better amateur radio operators. One mailing list that I am a member of is the HamRadioHelpGroup mailing list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamRadioHelpGroup/).
You probably can get by without an Elmer, but without one, it’s easy to become frustrated and set aside the hobby. One ham I spoke with said, “I did not have an Elmer. I got my license, and within a year, I started a 20 year hiatus. I blame that on not having an Elmer.”
You don’t want that to happen to you. Find an Elmer and take his or her advice. You’ll get a lot more out of the hobby.
Elmers are soooo important! Thanks for posting this! I recently wrote a blog about my Elmer, Johnny Taylor W7EAH
http://k7tpd.yolasite.com/morse-code-blog/my-elmer-johnny-taylor-w7eah
Best of luck to everyone! 73, Tom K7TPD
I want to get a ham radio for when SHTF so I can stay in contact with my sister in another state. What do you recommend?
Hi, Teresa–
Do you have an amateur radio license yet? If not, I’d suggest that you and your sister get one. It’s not that you’ll need one if a cataclysmic event actually occurs, but getting one will help you choose the right radio in the first place and then how to use it properly. It’s a much bigger issue then just choosing a radio.
I really need an new Elmer My Best fiend Elmer dave passed away 10 years ago
So sorry to hear that, Jamnes. We could all use an Elmer, even those of us with Extra Class licenses!
How do you keep from burning out an Elmer? I had a “friend” who is also a Texan living in another state. We had lots in common. I thought we were generating a real friendship. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped contacting me, or would respond to me but monosyllabic responses.
We are about the same age, but he has been a ham for many years. He was always open and forthright in what he shared and how he answered my questions, and I learned a bucket load from him. The only thing I can figure out is I outstayed my welcome, i.e. I asked one too many questions. I even tried to show my thanks by helping him with things. I’m not sure what happened and feel like a little girl (sorry ladies) for whining about it.
I really miss my friend.
So, bottom line, how do I not wear out my welcome?
Wow. That’s a tough question to answer, Skip. I think it depends on the Elmer. You have to look for indications that you’re pushing things, but in this case, it doesn’t sound like he gave you any indication that you were. If he never said anything to you, you certainly can’t blame yourself.
I think that perhaps what happened here is that you learned so much so quickly, that your Elmer was soon at a loss as to how to respond. Rather than admit he didn’t know the answer to your questions, he just clammed up. When an Elmeree asks me a question that I don’t know, I always admit that I don’t know the answer and then try to figure it out. Google is your friend. I’m also lucky in that I know a lot of people who know a lot of things. I can often call upon them to answer questions that I’m at a loss to answer.
By the way, something similar has happened to me. One of my Elmerees has outstripped me in several different areas. Instead of shunning him, though, I make him teach me what he knows. Now, I’m the grasshopper, and he’s the master. :)
I’m afraid that’s about all I can say on this matter. I’m a ham, not a counselor, after all. :)
I’m retired Army and my wife and I just got our Tech licenses, mainly for emergencies. We should be receiving our call signs in 7 – 10 days. In the mean time, we purchased two ICOM ID-51s. I know we can’t key-up until we get our licenses appear in the FCC database, but wanted to at least get ahead of the curve by listening and getting familiar with the radio, but our heads are ready to EXPLODE! The programming on this thing is (for me) very confusing and though I “understand” most of the functions, my wife and I are besides ourselves AND the sad thing… the videos that are out there, at least the ones I have found, are geared toward those who are WAY more experienced, which puts us in a position where we are thinking about returning the ICOMs and getting something that is more “beginner” user friendly. We really would prefer to keep the ID-51, mainly because of the GPS and D-Star, that is, if we can find an Elmer for this situation… Thoughts?
Thank you in advance.
21 things to do, find an Elmer. Lousy title I’m here, reading and recently licensed. Looking for contact possibilities knowing an Elmer is so important. You offer not 21 things, but one and you don’t expand upon that point whatsoever. Find an Elmer, duh.
Hi, Vincent. This is only one chapter of the book. If you search for “21 Things” you’ll find the other chapters. As for not expanding on that point, I don’t follow you. I’ve made several suggestions for finding an Elmer, and if you can’t find one using my suggestions, I’ll volunteer to be your Elmer.