[FARC] Scout Merit Badge Help

Thu Aug 6 18:26:25 EDT 2009

Kirk,

On your last question, the short answer is "Yes".

There are three tracks to earning the Radio merit badge: Ham Radio, 
Broadcast Radio and Shortwave Listening.  Each track has a unique set of 
knowledge requirements that the Scout has to meet, plus there are other 
basic knowledge requirements that are common to all three tracks. 

The key for the "Merit Badge Counselor" is to adhere *exactly* to the 
stated requirements, presumably so that one Scout's Radio merit badge 
represents knowledge and a level of effort equivalent to the next 
Scout's Radio merit badge. 

But you know, given that we Hams are indisputably at the center of the 
Radio universe ;-), we've got to take that bit of extra care that we 
don't overemphasize our hobby vs. the specific merit badge knowledge 
factors. 

The hobby part gets its day during JOTA and GOTA activities and the like.

73, Bob K9CMR (Kentucky Niner Colorado Minnesota Rhodeisland)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kirk Talbott wrote:
> Since in scouting they do Morse code, at least in our troop we did, then 
> maybe that could be an activity.   Using HF radio would probably work with 
> 10 meters, but in the mountains I don't know.   Anyway, scouts aren't going 
> to learn the entire code in 3 days so this is a bad idea.
>
> What about an antenna project?  NVIS?    Simple dipoles?  And the bands are 
> so bad you probably couldn't test it, so this is a bad idea too.
>
> APRS.  Track/locate a vehicle?  Kind of like a foxhunt.  Probably not.
>
> I think you already have the good ideas so stick with those.
>
> I did not know it wasn't a Ham Radio merit badge.   So a scout could 
> conceivably receive a merit badge for camping out, pardon the pun, at a 
> local AM/FM radio station and pick up some radio knowledge that way?
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Bob Moroney" <windbrkr at erols.com>
> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 4:47 PM
> To: "Frederick, Maryland ARC" <farc at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [FARC] Scout Merit Badge Help
>
>   
>> A fox hunt would be a cool activity, Kirk.  Maybe next year, once we've
>> got a critical mass of folks among us who know what it's all about...
>>
>> But no matter what the activity is, it's important to keep in mind that
>> the Scouts are going for the "Radio" merit badge, not a "Ham Radio"
>> merit badge that doesn't exist.  Ham Radio is just a means to help these
>> kids get to where they want to be in Scouting.  If they later want to
>> pursue the hobby as a result of what they see/hear/do working for the
>> merit badge, that's great!  But in reality, most of these Scouts are
>> probably working toward three or four (or more?) merit badges during
>> this camp week, so capturing their attention to that extent will be a
>> challenge indeed.
>>
>> 73, Bob K9CMR
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> Kirk Talbott wrote:
>>     
>>> Scouting activity comments.
>>>
>>> Sending and copying NTS traffic would probably be a "yawn" for kids.
>>> Probably net
>>> procedures like somebody mentioned will suffice.
>>>
>>> Not sure where Camp Airy is exactly, but in the mountains surrounding
>>> Thurmont
>>> trying to use the Frederick repeaters with HT's or mobile units will be
>>> difficult.  If the
>>> scouts will be close enough to see one another then HT's on simplex 
>>> should
>>> be fine.
>>>
>>> Many moons ago when I was a scout we practiced map reading and 
>>> orientation
>>> with
>>> a compass.   I suppose the scouts still do this.  You could work up a
>>> scenario along
>>> "fox hunt" lines, where one group of scouts tries to locate another just 
>>> by
>>> giving
>>> position reports by radio, using map, compass, and landmarks.
>>>
>>> What about having a fox hunt?
>>>
>>> And I guess it all depends what the requirements of the merit badge  for 
>>> ham
>>> radio
>>> are.
>>>
>>> 73
>>> KB3ONM
>>> Kirk
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "Bob Moroney" <windbrkr at erols.com>
>>> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 11:42 AM
>>> To: "Frederick, Maryland ARC" <farc at mailman.qth.net>
>>> Subject: Re: [FARC] Scout Merit Badge Help
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> David,
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for offering to help!  If you and one or both of your sons can
>>>> pitch in, we should have it covered.
>>>>
>>>> I'm not planning to cover any of the finer points of traffic handling at
>>>> the level used in ARES/RACES/NTS activities, so previous experience
>>>> and/or expertise might be helpful, but not certainly not required.
>>>>
>>>> The COMMEX activity is more meant to give the Scouts a taste of what
>>>> it's like to actually "communicate" (vs. chat) by two-way radio as part
>>>> of a directed net.   Ideally, each Scout would have an opportunity to
>>>> get on the air and pass and/or copy one or more brief messages.
>>>>
>>>> I'm still working  through the details of the activity in my own mind.
>>>> I think the main challenge will be to keep it simple and do-able in a
>>>> one-hour session, but still make it meaty enough that the Scouts come
>>>> out of the activity feeling that they've met a challenge and
>>>> accomplished something toward earning their Radio merit badge.
>>>>
>>>> Right now, I'm leaning toward a fill-in-the-blanks format, where the
>>>> outlying teams will pass prepared messages, with net control having the
>>>> same prepared messages, but with key items left blank and needing to be
>>>> filled in accurately.  Then the team sending the message would also have
>>>> to fill in some blank items on their end, such as receipt time, serial
>>>> number, net control operator name, etc.
>>>>
>>>> If you (or anyone else reading this) have any other suggestions to reach
>>>> the simple + do-able goal, and make the activity meaningful, they'll be
>>>> more than welcome.  We've still got a week or so to tweak things.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks again & 73,
>>>> Bob K9CMR
>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>> David Kindred wrote:
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>> Hey, Bob,
>>>>>
>>>>> I should be able to help. Andrew and Kit (KB3STE and KB3STF) should be
>>>>> able
>>>>> to help out as well. None of us knows how to pass traffic. Will you be
>>>>> able
>>>>> to tutor us ahead of time?
>>>>>
>>>>> 73,
>>>>>
>>>>> --David, K3PO
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: farc-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>>>>> [mailto:farc-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
>>>>> On
>>>>> Behalf Of Bob Moroney
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:35 PM
>>>>> To: FARC Mail List
>>>>> Subject: [FARC] Scout Merit Badge Help
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Jim N3HTA, Jack N3JP, Mark KB3SRY and I will be conducting a Boy Scout
>>>>> Radio Merit Badge program at the upcoming week-long Scout camp being
>>>>> held at Camp Airy (near Thurmont) from Tuesday, 8/18 through Saturday,
>>>>> 8/22.  (These dates are a week earlier than the dates I originally
>>>>> mentioned at last month's FARC meeting.)
>>>>>
>>>>> I think the four of us can handle the program for the first four days
>>>>> (two groups of up to 15 Scouts each, in two consecutive sessions each
>>>>> afternoon), but we could use more help for the final sessions on
>>>>> Saturday.
>>>>>
>>>>> Instead of having the Scouts do the usual thing of getting on the air
>>>>> and QSOing with Hams on HF and/or the local repeaters/echolink, I plan
>>>>> to try a SET-like COMMEX, where teams of Scouts disperse to the corners
>>>>> of the camp grounds, and attempt to pass traffic back to another team
>>>>> Scouts acting as Net Control.  (This sort of exercise was suggested by
>>>>> Alan KA3DYL, and sounds like a great alternative to the "usual"
>>>>> get-on-the-air activities Scouts get to do.)
>>>>>
>>>>> I plan to give the Scouts FRS HTs to use for the COMMEX, but it would 
>>>>> be
>>>>> good to have a licensed Ham accompany each Scout team to monitor their
>>>>> activity, assist as needed, and make an alternate (2 meter) channel of
>>>>> communications available.
>>>>>
>>>>> If you can help, please let me know by email or a phone call
>>>>> (301-831-5060).   The estimated time commitment would be between Noon
>>>>> and 4 PM on Saturday, 8/22/09.  Equipment needed would be a 2M HT and
>>>>> whatever portable power source and antenna you normally work with.   (I
>>>>> can also probably scare up a couple of extra 2M/440 HTs, if needed.)
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks & 73,
>>>>> Bob K9CMR 
>>>>>           