RadioBanter - View Single Post - Let's debate: Should Amateur Radio be made a free for all?

May 9th 04, 03:06 PM

(Steve Robeson K4CAP) wrote in
:

Subject: Let's debate: Should Amateur Radio be made a free for all?
From: Alun
Date: 5/9/2004 8:12 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

I applied to be a counselor for the radio merit badge in boy scouts a
couple of months ago, but haven't heard anything back yet. The troop
leader is more interested in finding someone for the computer badge.

From what I read in the papaers, it's getting harder and harder
for the
Scouts to find leaders who want to be leaders and not molesters....

PS: The requirement for a CW QSO has been dropped from the badge, which
makes it more practical for me to do it!

Examiners have always had it at thier discretion to send random
letters
and check for character count. In the long run, I bet more folks have
passed the test because it WAS a "QSO" since they could go back and
fill in missing letters....ITS N T T AT ARD TO FI L IN THE BL
NKS ON E YOU BACK U AN LOOK AT W T YOU WR TE DO N.

73

Steve, K4YZ

I think maybe you are a bit confused, so I guess I need to explain a little
more. The radio merit badge used to require the boys to participate in 2 CW
QSOs and 1 phone QSO. Now that requirement is just for 1 QSO in any mode.
Some phone ops used to teach the badge and do CW QSOs by computer, which
had the added advantage that the boys could see what was being said, whilst
others used to get a CW op to participate (the counselor tests the boys,
but anyone can provide the instruction/demos).

The QSO requirement is only one from a long list, and can be satisfied by
boys with a ham licence if they submit 5 QSL cards from 3 call districts.
The boys who are not hams (obviously the vast majority) just have to sit in
on a QSO instead.

One of the other requirements is to draw a frequency chart, and there are
very specific rules about what it has to show. The funny thing is, the
example in the book doesn't comply. It was done by the ARRL, but I don't
think it was created specially for the purpose. I think it was just
something that already existed that they let the boy scouts use. One of the
questions I am contemplating is whether I should give credit for copying
it, or whether they should have to do it properly?

73 de Alun, N3KIP