[HIham] HAM radio shack ideas needed for BSA Camp (Pupukea)

[Jim Thompson]

Aloha,

I'm a HAM, and (very) involved in Boy Scouting.  (Scoutmaster: Troop  
101, Webelos Den Leader, Pack 228, various District and Council  
positions, all volunteer...)  While I don't know many of you (its  
difficult to operate from a condo in Kaneohe (*)), I have come out to  
a few of the 'Field Days', when they don't collide with some Scouting  
activity.  (sigh).  Its also why I don't make the KARC meetings very  
often (Saturdays are normally filled with Scout stuff.)

Anyway, I've managed to agitate things enough to have been put in- 
charge of a proposal to build a HAM shack at Camp Pupukea (on the  
North Shore of Oahu, if you don't know.)  And this is why I'm  
writing.  In one word:  HELP!    I need ideas.

Specifically, I've been tasked with working on a list of materials, a  
scope of work, and what can be donated vs bought. I'm seriously  
considering donating my TS-570D.   We have some trade (construction)  
contacts, and will be doing a bit of discreet asking of same to see  
who can offer donations of time and materials.  Building the shack can  
be a combined effort of our two or three Troops, perhaps with some  
'club' assistance.

The 'scale' of the idea here is a 16' x 16' building with electrical  
power, located on Camp Property, plus antenna(s), etc.   Note that I  
don't have Aloha Council approval (yet), as this request is really  
about asking for help putting the proposal together.

Here's the 'catch',  I've only ever constructed one 'shack', and that  
was years ago, back in Texas (thus the KD5...)  I'm not licensed to  
operate on HF (beyond my "no code" Technician License, and its new HF  
privs).   So, I'm turning to the 'pros'.  I need your help, mostly  
ideas, though if you have equipment, materials or time/skills to  
donate, I'm listening!   Please help if you can.

Also, I'd like to petition the local HAM community to find several  
volunteers to hold a 'Radio Merit Badge' course, at Camp Pupukea  
during each of the 4 sessions of Summer Camp.  This to happen with, or  
without the 'shack'.

Surveys show that many hams got interested in radio through Scouting.   
The 'Wireless' Merit Badge was one of the earliest BSA merit badges  
when established in 1919 and changed to it's current name in 1923.  
Unfortunately, the Radio Merit Badge has not been a popular merit  
badge. Only about 4,000 Radio Merit Badges are earned in the US each  
year.  Lets change that.
Merit badges give Scouts the opportunity to explore a hobby or  
vocation to see if it interests them. They are not designed to make  
them proficient in an area. We should not expect Scouts who complete  
Radio Merit Badge to be fully licensed hams, any more than we expect  
those who complete Engineering Merit Badge to be able to construct a  
railroad bridge.  However, Radio Merit Badge is a natural lead-in to a  
Technician License prep course.

While every boy is different, as a rule they like adventure,  
excitement, activity and learning things. Their attention span is  
short, so no topic should be more than twenty minutes. Breaking things  
up between mental activities, such as learning Q signals, and physical  
activities, such as hunting a hidden transmitter maintains interest.  
Remember that this is our opportunity to sell radio as fun!

The Radio Merit Badge is designed to whet a Scout's appetitite.  It  
makes sense to me that one or more of the local (Oahu) clubs has a  
Technican License prep course scheduled to start a few weeks after  
summer camp.  We could then hand out flyers about the license prep  
course at the Merit Badge class.  (We can hand them out to adult  
'Scouters' as well.)

I think this might be a way to drive some new, younger blood into our  
hobby.  Perhaps it will finally spur me to go for General and Extra  
Class as well.  (My license expires in September of 2008 anyway.)

73s and Happy New Year,

Jim
KD5FGA

(*) We are moving house in the next 30 days (or so, depending on how  
soon I get the electrical and sheetrock finished.)   As luck would  
have it, I'll be just down (and across) the street from KH6FGA,  (how  
weird is that?) so, while there are CCRs in the neighborhood, there  
are other HAMs in the neighborhood, with large antennas, so precedent  
is in my favor.