[K3CAL] Assistance with the Scout's Radio Merit Badge on 8/9

Sun Aug 9 06:51:04 EDT 2026

Hi Mike, 

If you can spare a few moments to slide by my house on Christianna Parran Road, I can give you a hand full of CARA club cards for hand out. Also please be sure to invite the scouts and their families to the CARA's Ice Cream and Ham Mobile Car Show on August 13th, 6pm to 8pm at Mrs Moo's on RT231.

Brian
KB3WFV 

     On Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 07:53:02 PM EDT, Mike Nasitka, AL3G via K3CAL <k3cal at mailman.qth.net> wrote:  

 Good Evening All,
Thanks for everyone’s willingness to help out with the Scout’s Radio Merit Badge tomorrow.  I have 30 Scouts registered.  A great turn out.  Hopefully we can get some to continue on and get their tickets. The class starts at 1300.  As the plan stands now, I have the following folks who have volunteered to assist:At the Church:   
   - Drew / KN4VWB
   - Jon / KD3DEF

On the Air:   
   - Brian / KB3WFV 
   - Shawn/ N3AE

Either location:   
   - Dale / KC3RKP

TBD:    
   - Dick T / AE3DT  

My plan for the class flow is something like this:   
   - Some classroom work with everyone first- give them the basic knowledge to be able to do QSO
   - Break them into 3 groups. 

   - 1 group will work on finishing the rest of the book requirements, 
   - 1 each to work in the 2 other rooms making QSOs.  
This is the same flow that K2BSA used very successfully to run 2 merit badge classes a day for 9 straight days.  I sat through one of their classes while I was at Scouting National Jamboree 2 weeks ago. 
I don’t anticipate we’ll start before 1400 with the on-the-air part.  If folks could be monitoring a few minutes before 1400, that would be great. 
 I’m planning on bringing the following radios:   
   - HF:

   - Yaesu FT-891 w/ tuner (Thanks to the club raffle!)
   - Yaesu FT-857 w/ tuner
   - Xeigu G90

   - VHF/UHF

   - Yaesu FTDM-400
   - (Also the -857).  

   - Antennae: 

   - EFHW
   - Chameleon Lightweight Portable Off-Center Fed Dipoles OCF-40 
   - 20 and 40M ham sticks.  
   - Several VHF/UHF 

I’m thinking about having 1 group make contacts on the VHF repeater, and the other group working HF.  I’m thinking we can coordinate HF Freq’s on the repeater?. Each station will have list of questions the Scouts can ask on the air- not required that they use them, but, can be used if they need something to read to get over mic-fright.  I’m also bring a bunch of FRS type radios, and am thinking the kids can QSO amongst themselves while they wait for their turn at the mic. I’d like to get every Scout at least 2 QSO’s- one on VHF/UHF and 1 on HF. 
Ellen, my kids and I will be at the church around noon to hang at least 2 of the HF antennae (There are 2 nice tress on the front of the church along Main Street that I can at least get the EFHW into without much of a problem.  I’ll also be putting the 2 VHF/UHF antennae outside the windows as well.  I think there is enough separation between the 2 HF antennas- if we’re operating 2 HF stations at the same time.. each of the 2 stations will be in a different room.  I wasn’t able to hit the repeater with my HT in the basement yesterday.  The class will be in the basement- and I’ll be able to pass the antenna cable out the windows. If you’re familiar with the layout of the church, class will be in the Fellowship Room, and the radios will be set up in the 2 classrooms down the hall.  
Jon and Drew, if you could be there by 1330, that would be greatly appreciated… Early is fine as well.
Dale, your preference if you want to assist at the church, or on the air- I think we could run 3 stations if you were at the church?
For awareness, I’ve attached the QSO card that they’ll each get when the complete their QSO, as well as the worksheet they’ll be completing in class.
73s,Mike / AL3G302-535-2144

On 07/31/2026 7:55 PM EDT Mike Nasitka, AL3G via K3CAL <k3cal at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

Good Afternoon,

I’ll be teaching the Radio Merit Badge to the Scouts on the afternoon from 1-5P on Sunday, 9 August.  It will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church (90 Church St, Prince Frederick).   One of the requirements is that they complete a QSO. I am looking from some assistance from the club in helping the Scouts the meet that requirement. 

I plan on setting up at least a portable VHF/UHF Station, and a Portable HF Station.  At a minimum, I'm requesting one or 2 folks be listening on the repeater, or a given HF Freq after about 3p and talk to a group of scouts.  Right now, I have 20 kids signed up for the merit badge, and they all need a QSO.  I just got back from the Scout’s National Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve, and talked to a bunch of scouts that were working on their radio merit badge.  The “script” they were given on the repeater was for them to call CQ, and when someone answers, tell their first name, troop, and ask the other op their name, and at least one or 2 questions (We mostly talked about the Jamboree, or radio)  Some of the questions they came up with were pretty insightful.  Each QSO was pretty short.  They asked their couple questions, have a short QSO, and hand it over to the next Scout- the licensed OP at the K2BSA would do the station ID after all the Scouts would be done.  I’m pretty sure that was the same basic script they were following on HF as well. 

In addition, I request 1 or 2 folks assist at the church to operate either / both the VHF and HF stations and help the Scouts make their QSOs.  If I can get someone to assist, I can open up the class to more Scouts- I already have a waiting list of 4 Scouts. Without another OP, I don’t think I can get more than 20 Scouts through the merit badge in the allotted time.  If a couple folks are able to operate the station, I think I can all the Scouts through the initial requirements so they understand what a radio is, what callsigns are, what constitutes a QSO, RF Safety, etc. And then break the Scouts into 2 (or more groups) and I can teach the rest of the requirements, and the other OPs can run the Scouts thru QSOs.  It may also allow the Scouts to have QSO w/ someone out there in HF land.  

If anyone is interested in splitting the teaching with me, let me know….

Please let me know if you’re going to be available to help either at the church, or talk to Scouts on the radio.

Thanks, and 73’s 
Mike / AL3G

(Hopefully this makes it out on the reflector….)
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