Category Archives: Youth Activities

Articles and other information about Ham Radio activities for young people. Our youth activities include GOTA events, our High Altitude Balloon project, help getting licensed and more.

Featured, General, Newsletter, Space, Youth Activities

You Can Talk to the ISS With Nothing But a Ham Radio

You’ve just got to time it right.

Source: You Can Talk to the ISS With Nothing But a Ham Radio

Adrian Lane of Gloucestershire, England, got in touch with the International Space Station the other day. Thanks to impeccable timing and a prime location under the ISS’s path above the Earth, Lane was able to have a brief conversation with space station’s crew via ham radio. It must be surreal to have a casual chat with humans who are floating up there in the void, but technologically, it’s really not even that hard….

This article is a fun read about a man in the U.K. who made a chance contact with an astronaut on the ISS. We are considering working local schools as we did with our HAB project to see if we can secure an ISS contact for a group of local students. If you are interested in working with us on this project, please contact me at via email at [email protected].

Fred, AB1OC

Activities, Featured, General, Newsletter, Youth Activities

N1FD Foxes Run Wild At Picnic…

You really don’t have to dress like this or bring a horse to have fun doing a Fox Hunt at our annual picnic this month. Well, maybe the horse would help…

Fox Hunt at 2016 Picnic
Fox Hunters at 2016 Picnic

There will be two different N1FD Foxes on the loose at our picnic this year for double the fun. Also, Fox Hunting is a great activity for everyone. Furthermore, you don’t need a license and we will have a radio available for anyone who wants to give it a try.

Fox Hunting - 2m Foxes
2m Foxes

We have put together a new Fox Hunting Kit which includes two Fox small Fox Transmitters for 2m. One is a 10-15 mW unit and the other outputs 1/2 W. They operate on different Frequencies (146.535 Mhz and 146.565 Mhz FM). They each can be configured with a number of antennas depending upon the range and environment for the Fox Hunt. Both Foxes will be on the loose at our picnic!

Bring your 2m HT and plan to spend some time tracking down the N1FD Foxes at our picnic. Also, Gene, W3UA, will be bringing some 80m HF Fox Hunting gear for folks to play with at our picnic.

You can find more information on the picnic here. Finally don’t forget to drop Anita an email at [email protected] to let her know if you plan on coming so that we can plan for the proper amount of food, etc.

See you at the picnic!

Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter, Youth Activities

ARRL Board Explores Entry-Level License Options…

Looks like the ARRL Board is headed in the right direction on Amateur Radio License changes to make Amateur Radio more accessible to new people and you folks.

Reposted by: Fred, AB1OC

Source: ARRL Board Explores Entry-Level License Options, Ways to Face Future Challenges

Meeting July 21-22 in Farmington, Connecticut, the ARRL Board of Directors took steps to chart a firmer future for Amateur Radio by enhancing the value of the entry-level license and by providing ongoing support for new licensees. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, chaired the second regular meeting of 2017.

“The general goal here is to have an entry-level license that offers a way for a newcomer to experience multiple facets of Amateur Radio,” the committee’s report said, “encouraging them to get on the air, meet other licensees, and engage in a lifetime of learning while using Amateur Radio.”ARRL New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, presented the report of the Ad Hoc Entry-Level License Committee. He said the committee’s initial, informal survey attracted nearly 7,900 responses. A second random survey drew another 375 responses. “A clear majority favored a revision to the Technician rather than a new entry-level license,” the committee’s report said, noting that this would require no change to the Technician examination, which already covers more material than necessary for an entry-level examination.

“This choice requires the simplest revision to FCC rules,” the committee report said. The committee suggested expanded digital access on 80, 40, and 15 meters, where Technicians already have CW access, as well as the addition of Technician phone privileges on those bands. Frenaye pointed out that while the Amateur Radio population is growing, the annual rate of growth has stagnated at about 1%. “There is a general consensus…that something needs to happen,'” the committee’s report said, noting a generally favorable attitude toward attracting newcomers.

Later in the meeting, the Board charged the ARRL Executive Committee with developing a plan to implement the ad hoc committee’s recommendation to make the current Technician class license more attractive and useful by expanding its operating privileges on HF to include phone and digital modes. The Board asked the Ad Hoc Entry-Level License Committee to further research and develop the details of a second recommendation to improve successful outreach to prospective radio amateurs and help them through the licensing process.

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