[HIham] RE: [karc-l] HAM radio shack ideas needed for BSA Camp (Pupukea)

[Connie McCurdy]

Jim,

I am willing to assist in your project.  You have seen my SKYWARN
Presentation at Field Day.  Please count me in for setting up a weather
station for the new Ham Shack.

Aloha,
Connie McCurdy
NH7IE
KH6SW SKYWARN Coordinator

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-karc-l at pilikia.net [mailto:owner-karc-l at pilikia.net]On
Behalf Of Jim Thompson
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 3:02 AM
To: hiham at mailman.qth.net
Cc: hamradiohawaii at yahoogroups.com; karc-l at pilikia.net
Subject: [karc-l] HAM radio shack ideas needed for BSA Camp (Pupukea)




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.


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karc-l - The Koolau Amateur Radio Club Reflector