Subject: Let's debate: Should Amateur Radio be made a free for all?
From: Alun
Date: 5/9/2004 9:06 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:
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).
Ahhhhhhh....I see...You were speaking of the REAL "Merit Badges"....!
Yes, you were correct, of course...I stand corrected.
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?
The FCC has a real nice chart available from GPO and is all inclusive from
a few KHz up to, I beleive, 300GHz. It might go higher.
73
Steve, K4YZ