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Description

Set up an amateur radio station at camp or in the hut to demonstrate radio and work towards the communicator badge.
The station can be receive only or allow transmission of Greetings Messages (as defined in the radio license terms).
This can be run as part of Jamboree On The Air.

This write-up is for a portable transmitting station at camp. Risks and considerations vary in other conditions. Notably portable equipment tends to run at lower power levels and if operating outdoors it is easy to supervise the entire setup to ensure safety around the antenna.

A listening station can be achieved using a cheap receiver "SDR" dongle and a mobile phone. This still allows exploration of radio signals, but a lot of fun and reward was achieved by the exchange of Greetings Messages. Special events like Jamboree on the Air make it easy to find contacts on air because of the large number of Scout stations. We were lucky to find a couple of other amateurs who wanted to help and made contact from Yorkshire to the South Coast and Mainland Europe.

I have entered this as a Cub Leader, yet I did this with Scouts. It seems to have a closer fit to the Scout communicator badge.

Resources

In order to transmit you need an amateur radio operator who holds a Full License (in the UK, or your country's equivalent). They should have the equipment and knowledge to use it.

We used a portable 10W radio operating on battery power. Our antenna was a linked dipole run from the campsite flag pole to trees at each end. Placing the antenna guy-lines in trees above head height put the entire antenna out of reach and out of harm's way.

Instructions

Things you need to note particular to running a radio transmitter:

* Make sure you've done the EMF calculations for your system and can document them. This should be easy for a low power station with antenna high in the air. If high fields or antenna parts are in reach they need to be cordoned off. Use an antenna system that does not cause the radio itself to become energised. (walkie-talkies are the obvious exception here). A full license holder should understand all of this.

* Ensure you can guarantee the safety of the antenna system and its connections. We operated outdoors with easy visibility of the entire system.

* Watch the weather.

I demonstrated tuning around to show some of the signals including Morse Code, Voice, Digital, Broadcast. When I've demonstrated receive only I've had a screen showing the waterfall display which is really useful. This station was a small portable "Summits on the Air" setup so lacked that facility.

I put out CQ calls as a scout unit and when answered asked if the Scouts could exchange greetings messages. We followed the procedure often seen on Jamboree on the Air with the scouts able to ask and answer a question each way. The UK Greetings Messages protocol keeps the licensed operator in full control of the radio at all times. The procedure has to be explained to the Scouts which slows things down (needing a patient operator at the other end) and there is need to keep that person in the loop.

Tags

• communication badge
• radio
• radio procedure

Badge Links

• Communicator - JOTA/JOTI
• Communicator - Message