Welcome to the ARRL Delta Division Youth Page! 
 
About Myself 
 
Hi there - my name is Aaron Alexander and I am the Assistant Director for Youth of the Delta Division of the ARRL. That's a mouthful! But anyway, here is a brief history of my adventure as an amateur radio operator. I became a ham at the age of nine when I successfully passed my Technician Class Exam back in April of 2006. My father had long been interested in the world of amateur radio and electronics before getting his license in 2001, so he was the main source of encouragement for me to become a ham as well. As an eager young ham, my Dad and I became involved in our local club - the Delta Amateur Radio Club in Memphis, Tennessee. Soon I began to call the Delta Club's nightly emergency practice net once a week on Thursdays (as seen in the picture to the left below) and was kindly awarded the Delta Club's Young Ham of the Year Award in 2006. Sometime over the next few years I received my Technician Plus license after learning morse code. Back in those days, learning and passing the morse code exam was a requirement to ultimately advance to the General Class license and talk around the world on HF bands. In the following years my father and I participated in many amateur radio events such as hamfests, field days, and HF contests. We also volunteered to help with communications through ham radio at many annual local community events such as parades and marathons. In April of 2013 at a hamfest in Memphis known as FreeFest, I had the pleasure of meeting David Norris, the Director of the Delta Division of the American Radio Relay League. Needless to say, he offered me the assistant director for youth position in May of 2013 after the previous holder focused her attention on college after graduating high school. And the rest is history. In June of 2013 I received my General Class license and continue to enjoy the wonderful hobby of ham radio whether I'm meeting new friends in my own community or meeting people halfway around the world in other countries on HF bands! 
 
Purpose 
 
My purpose and hope is that I can help and encourage other young hams in our division to excel in the hobby of ham radio and help others in their communities along the way. After all, the greatest goal of ham radio is to provide relief for and help others when all other forms of communication fail. 
 
If you are a youth in the hobby or new to the hobby, I encourage you to: 
 
1. Get on the radio and meet new people, 
2. Join and become involved in your local amateur radio club(s), 
3. Participate in Field Day each year, 
4. Use your radio skills to assist with events in your community such as parades and marathons, 
5. Learn Morse Code, 
6. Become a SKYWARN Trained Weather Spotter to help the National Weather Service, 
7. Study to upgrade your ham license, 
8. Participate in HF contests, 
9. Check into nightly emergency practice nets (maybe you can even become a net control operator and call a net once a week or once a month!), 
10. Most importantly BE PREPARED to use your ham radio skills in an emergency to save the lives of others! 
 
Although it would be time consuming to do everything listed here, I guarantee that if you choose at least a few things you will not regret any one of these endeavors! 
 
Links 
 
Below are links that other young hams might find interesting: 
 
QRZ.Com - Search for other Hams by Callsign 
HamCalendar.Com - View Ham Radio Event Calendars for Memphis, TN 
Delta Amateur Radio Club - My Home Amateur Radio Club in Memphis, TN 
ARRL.Org - The Main Website for the American Radio Relay League 
Mid-South Amateur Radio Association - Another Ham Club Based in Memphis, TN 
 
Contact Me! 
 
If you have any questions about myself, the Delta Division of the ARRL, or amateur radio in general, please contact me using the email address below. I would love to talk to you and hear about your own journey in ham radio! Also, if you are a young ham and would like to have your own story told right here on this webpage, please email a paragraph or two about your history in the hobby along with pictures and I will add it for others to see! 
 
 
 
73, 
Aaron Alexander - KI4OTH 
Email: aaronralex@bigriver.net