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 Previous: In Brief |  Next: New Zealand Amateur LF Signal Heard Across the Pacific! |
By Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT
Contributing Editor
July 5, 2001
Highlights this time include a rundown on the K2BSA operation from the National Scout Jamboree that gets under way later this month in Virginia; a look at something called "Operation On Target;" and a link to a new, youth-oriented site.
What might be considered Amateur Radio's largest effort to promote itself to youth--Amateur Radio station K2BSA at the 2001 National Scout Jamboree--gets under way later this month. The Jamboree takes place July 23-August 1 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia (near Fredericksburg and Bowling Green). K2BSA will be one of the many attractions at this massive Scouting event that takes place every four years.
The Boy Scouts of America has held the National Jamboree for Scouts and adult leaders since 1937. Nearly 600,000 Scouts and leaders have attended a Jamboree since then, and an estimated 40,000 are ready to go to this summer's event. Some 17,000 tents and 3300 patrol kitchens will be set up in a matter of hours, and the Boy Scouts of America will use approximately 12,000 acres of land to support basically this small "city" of participants and staff for the duration of the event.
The program at the 2001 National Scout Jamboree Program will support the jamboree theme, "Strong Values, Strong leaders, Character Counts" and reflect the skills of Scouting, our nation's heritage, physical fitness, conservation, and the spirit of brotherhood. Of course, Amateur Radio will be among the many attractions and activities to be found there.
K2BSA will have four HF operating positions for general operation on the HF bands 80 through 10 meters, a VHF station and a 2-meter all-mode station. The special modes area will include a digital station, a satellite station, Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), low-power (QRP) operating, transmitter hunting, amateur television (ATV), SSTV, RTTY, AMTOR and PACTOR.
K2BSA HF Calling Frequencies
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K2BSA hopes to complete a contact with the International Space Station crew as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
A linkable 2-meter and 70-cm repeater will be set up for all amateurs in the area to use. The frequencies will be 145.170 MHz (100 Hz CTCSS) and 442.900 MHz (100 Hz CTCSS), and an open net will be held each evening at 7 EDT on the 2-meter repeater. All hams at the Jamboree are encouraged to check in when they can, as the net will be used to pass along general and emergency information as needed. A suggested simplex calling frequency at the Jamboree is 147.42 MHz.
In addition to the extensive station, K2BSA staff members will offer classes leading to the Radio merit badge. This involves learning some of the same basic knowledge that's required to earn an Amateur Radio license. Jamboree participants--prospective amateurs or upgraders--will have an opportunity to take advantage of Amateur Radio license exam sessions, which will be offered along with theory and CW classes during the Jamboree.
I will be serving as a staff member K2BSA at the 2001 National Scout Jamboree, helping out around the station and also heading up the transmitter hunting demonstrations. If you are going to the Jamboree yourself, don't forget to bring your 2-meter and/or 70-cm hand-held transceiver and make a point of dropping by K2BSA to say hello. I would certainly like to meet you, and there will be many other Amateur Radio operators from around the country and the world looking to have an eyeball QSO with you as well--so be sure to bring QSL cards or "eyeball cards" with you.
If you cannot make the Jamboree, I'll be sure to feature the many activities that will have taken place in a future column of Youth@HamRadio.Fun. For more information about K2BSA's planned efforts at the 2001 National Scout Jamboree as well as stories from the past, head over to the K2BSA Web site.
See you at "The Hill."
Here is a unique and fun activity in which you can
participate later this month--mark your calendar. Operation On Target is an
annual event for Scouts of all ages that offers an exciting adventure for
everyone. Although this event is meant for Scouts, non-Scouts are more than
welcome to participate as well.
The object of Operation On Target is to gather a team of fellow Scouts or friends and head for the highest points you can find around your community or state and try to work other teams via signaling mirrors. There is obviously a challenge associated with this event, and Amateur Radio fits in nicely, because many teams will be composed of Amateurs who will be coordinating contacts on the air.
This activity is growing in popularity in the western US, where there are many mountains. In fact, many groups will be trying to relay a message originating from one side of the country to the other. Organizers want to promote this activity to the central and eastern US as well, where there are also mountains and high buildings that make it possible to join the fun.
For information about this exciting activity, head over to Operation On Target's Web site. There you will find a list of peaks that will be activated for this event, information on how to make a signal mirror, a peak-to-peak line-of-sight calculator, as well as on-line forms to register for the event or to find out what other peaks will be occupied by ham radio operators. You can even subscribe to a special On Target e-mail list that will be used to send the latest news and information you will need before you head out for a day of fun.
So, call up your local Scouts or friends and make plans to find a tall geographical location (mountain, building, etc) and signal away to another nearby group. It will be a great experience!
For those who surf the Web in addition to chewing the rag on HF, visit Ham.net at http://www.eham.net and go to their "Forums" page. There you will find a brand-new forum built specifically for youth-oriented topics. Whether you are young or "39-forever," drop on by and use this forum to post messages about anything in Amateur Radio that young people are interested in. The more traffic created on this forum, the better it will be. See you there.
Editor's note: Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico. A 21-year-old senior in electrical engineering at the University of New Mexico, Brian was the 1999 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award winner as well as the 1997 winner of the Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award. He was first licensed in 1992 at age 12, holds a General license and is studying for his Amateur Extra ticket. Brian enjoys CW, QRP transmitter hunting, satellite operation, digital modes, and, of course, just speaking into the microphone. He's a brother of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, as well as very active in the Boy Scouts of America as an assistant scoutmaster and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. Brian welcomes visitors to his Web site at http://www.swcp.com/~n5zgt.
| Previous: In Brief | Next: New Zealand Amateur LF Signal Heard Across the Pacific! |
