ARRLWeb: Space Kids Meet Ham Radio

Space Kids Meet Ham Radio

By Larry Keith, KQ4BY
kq4by@rocketmail.com

In March, the Middle Georgia Radio Association (MGRA) operated a special event station (WR4MG) at the Museum of Aviation, adjacent to Robins AFB, Georgia. The purpose was to demonstrate ham radio to the students at the annual Young Astronaut's Day workshop and to provide an introduction to Amateur Radio.

An aerial view of the Museum of Aviation is the centerpiece of the Young Astronaut's Day button received by each student at the MGRA special event station. The buttons were designed and produced by Tim Hardy, AF1G.

As each student group arrived at the station, Mike Cook, AF4HS, gave them a brief introduction to Amateur Radio and explained the three classes of licenses as well as how the license tests are administered by volunteer examiners. He described the components of the two demonstration stations, set up for the event, and compared the station antennas with a homebrew 2 meter beam and some mobile antennas.

After answering questions, Mike gave them a handout with more information about ham radio, including contact information for the MGRA. Then, Tim Hardy, AF1G, took over and told the students how ham radio and the space program work together. He mentioned that ham radio has been part of the space program almost since its inception. Tim described Amateur Radio operations on the International Space Station, how amateur satellites are built by AMSAT and launched by the space agencies operated by NASA, Russia, Japan or the European Space Agency. He also described a typical contact with Astronaut hams on the Space Shuttle and introduced them to the concept of Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) operation.

Each student received a Young Astronaut's Day Amateur Radio button (see photo), designed and produced by Tim. For the final demonstration, Clyde Mathe, WB4BDP, showed off his compact RV. Clyde's major Amateur Radio interest is emergency services and storm-spotting and his RV is outfitted with communications equipment, weather radar, satellite TV and Internet access. Clyde explained how hams participate in emergency communications and deploy to disaster areas to provide communications support to disaster relief agencies. He used examples from Hurricane Katrina and some recent southeastern US severe weather to drive home the fact that cell phones and landline telephones usually fail in a disaster.

As the students gathered around Brent Harden, KT4TG, at the 40 meter SSB station, and Josh Cook, AF4CG, at the 20 meter SSB station, the operators made contacts so the students could see and hear Amateur Radio in action. Conditions were tough! The CQ WW WPX Contest was in full swing. But the WR4MG operators dug out some contacts to demonstrate Amateur Radio in action. One QSO, with Mike Guernsey, KZ8O, near Kalamazoo, Michigan stands out. AF4HS answered his CQ, explained the setup and asked him to speak with the students. KZ8O graciously agreed and gave each student an opportunity to talk on the radio. Great job, Mike! And, tuning around the band during the contest did provide some DX call signs for the students to find on the country prefix map next to the 20 meter station.

The MGRA is an active association of Amateur Radio operators in the middle Georgia area. The club offers technical seminars on Amateur Radio every third Thursday of the month at the Church of Christ, 1947 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins, Georgia at 7 PM. Talk-in is on 147.300+ MHz, PL 107.2 Hz. VE license testing is offered at the same location, at 9 AM, the first Saturday of each month.

The Young Astronaut's Day is an annual aerospace education event for students in Grades 3 through 8. This event is hosted by the Museum of Aviation Flight and Technology Center at Robins Air Force Base. Workshops in such subjects as Airplane Models, Living in Space, Robotics, Rocketry, and (of course) Amateur Radio are offered along with tours of various aircraft on display at the museum.

The Museum of Aviation is the second largest aerospace museum in the United States. Ninety-three aircraft and hundreds of exhibits are on display at the 51 acre site, just a few miles from I-75. More than 500,000 visitors a year visit the museum.

KQ4BY was first licensed in 1969 and was finally motivated to upgrade to Amateur Extra class last fall. Previous calls held were WB4MML, WB8ZYU and KF8BX. On any hamfest Saturday in the Southeast, you will probably find Larry in the Bone Yard, selling large air wound coils and spending the profits(?) on boatanchors and other hamfest goodies. In between hamfests, Larry does a little HF operating (CW and SSB), tinkers with antennas and equipment, builds more coils, and continually reorganizes the junk box. If you read QST in 1994 and 1995, you may remember other articles by KQ4BY. Larry is a member of the Middle Georgia Radio Association and Chapter 49, QCWA, as well as the ARRL. Larry retired in 2002 from Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) and lives in Warner Robins, Georgia with his wife Meg and two always-hungry cats.