[South Florida DX Association] Radio Merit Badge Day 2008]

[Bill Marx]

>From Marty KI4IQZ

*Radio Merit Badge Day 2008*

On Saturday, January 5^th 2008, 55 Boy Scouts from Central New Jersey
earned their Radio Merit Badges at the David Sarnoff Library in
Princeton, New Jersey. This was the fourth year that the library and
David Sarnoff Corporation hosted the event, run by Amateur Radio
Operators from the Delaware Valley Radio Association and the David
Sarnoff Radio Club.

The day began with a brief presentation by Dr. Alex Magoun, Executive
Director of the Library, explaining how a young David Sarnoff received
radio messages from the sinking of the SS Titanic and went on to found
RCA and the National Broadcasting Company. He also described how color
television, computer memory, LCD’s and HDTV were advanced by discoveries
at the laboratories.

The Scouts then attended classes on Radio Theory, Electronic Circuits,
Electrical Safety and Amateur Radio. They spoke via Amateur Radio to
hams across the country and on board the battleship USS New Jersey, and
located a hidden transmitter on the property. They also saw
demonstrations of the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS), sent
their names in Morse Code, and learned how Amateur Radio provides
essential communications during disasters.

To finish the day, Dr. Joe Taylor, K1JT, of Princeton University spoke
on how he earned his Amateur Radio License and Radio Merit Badge as a
Boy Scout. He also explained how it led him to a career in Radio
Astronomy and described the Radio Telescope at Arecibo in Puerto Rico.
This work led to Dr Taylor being awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics
for the discovery of a binary pulsar, helping to confirm Einstein’s
General Theory of Relativity. Dr. Taylor then presented each Scout with
an approved Radio Merit Badge application.

The following amateur Radio Operators helped with the planning or
teaching at the event: Don Wright, AA2F; Harry Bryant, AA2WN; Mike
Moreken, AB2IO; Christian Ingerslev, AB2SN; Joe Taylor, K1JT; Gary
Wilson, K2GW; Nick Battaglia, K2JMK; Rebecca Mercuri, KA3IAX; Steve
Gingo, KB2RMS; Cal Moon, KC2CKI; Dennis McClary, KC2IMI; Norberto Perez,
KC2PKQ; Ed Kaftanic, KE2MM; Leon Grauer, N0TAZ; Stan Subhan, N2FMI;
Gerry Jurrens, N2GJ; Darryl Foyuth, N2JVP; Brian Boccardi, N2MPM; Steve
Gingo, N2RMS; Tom Bagdas, NU2I; and John DeGood, NU3E.

Thanks again to all who helped these scouts, parents, and leaders to
explore the fascinating world of wireless communications.

Gary Wilson, K2GW

Unit Commissioner

Mercer Area District

Central New Jersey Council, BSA

K2gw at arrl.net

For more details and pictures of the event by Alex Magoun, see
http://www.davidsarnoff.blogspot.com/ . Other pictures of the event by
Gerry Jurrens can be found at http://www.gjurrens.com/oragallery/ . All
participants signed photo releases for publication. Just credit the two
photographers.

For more details on Dr. Taylor’s, work, see
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1993/illpres/discovery.html
and

http://www.atomic.princeton.edu/www/jh/research/taylor_joseph.html

For details on how to organize such an event in your area, see
http://k2gw.tripod.com/radiomeritbadge/