 Previous: Civilian Space Traveler Already Making Ham Radio Contacts from Space |  Next: Georgia Ham Wins 2007 William Goldfarb Scholarship |
NEWINGTON, CT, April 12, 2007 -- Wednesday, April 18, is a special day for radio amateurs around the globe. That's when the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and its member societies representing more than 150 countries around the world will celebrate World Amateur Radio Day 2007 to commemorate the founding of the IARU. The theme for this year's celebration is "Amateur Radio: Allowing youth to connect the world."
Despite the Internet and cellular telephones, Amateur Radio continues to attract people worldwide by providing free international communication and friendship. Because it does not rely on, nor need, established telecommunication infrastructure, Amateur Radio reaches every corner of the world -- and even into space!
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by conversing directly with ISS crew members about their scientific research, the space station, the human spaceflight program and everyday life in space -- a unique educational experience. With the help of Amateur Radio clubs and individual operators, orbiting astronauts and cosmonauts speak to young people around the world via ham radio, showing schools, teachers, students, parents and communities how Amateur Radio energizes youngsters about science, technology, and learning.
IARU member societies, Amateur Radio satellite organizations and a sizeable contingent of Amateur Radio operators -- including those from clubs at Johnson Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center -- work behind the scenes to make these educational experiences possible.
Youth programs also are available through Scouting, as many thousands of Scouts in the US and elsewhere get together over the airwaves each year during the third weekend of October for Jamboree On The Air (JOTA). Participating Boy and Girl Scouts and Guides from all over the world speak to each other via Amateur Radio, offering these young people the exciting opportunity to make friends, exchange experiences and share ideas with their peers in other countries, sometimes without leaving home.
Since 1958 when the first JOTA took place, millions of Scouts have met each other through this event. Many JOTA contacts foster pen-pal relationships and links between Scout troops that last for years. Numerous scouts and leaders hold Amateur Radio licenses, while others participate in JOTA at stations provided by local Amateur Radio clubs and individual radio amateurs.
Young radio amateurs also form organizations of their own. One example is the World Wide Young Contesters (WWYC), made up of radio amateurs under age 30 who enjoy participating in international contests. Several members of the club qualified to compete in the World Radiosport Team Championship last July in Brazil.
While radio amateurs have been in the news repeatedly for their life-saving communication services during disasters and emergencies, the lion's share of their activities remains the excitement and joy of contacting distant and remote areas of the world, learning directly about each others' regions and lives and trying different ways to contact other hams in far-flung places. In this way amateurs learn skills that, in other situations, have earned praise for their responses in emergencies. In addition, some leading engineers and technologists have cited the lessons learned through their practical, hands-on experiences as Amateur Radio operators.
MK QTC, the Polish Radio Amateurs' Journal, sponsors the international World Amateur Radio Day Award with the support of PZK, the Polish Amateur Radio Union -- that country's IARU member society. Radio amateurs qualify for this award by making at least 10 QSOs on HF or 5 QSOs on VHF between 0000 and 2400 UTC on April 18.
Send a log extract, including a list of QSOs, to The Radio Amateurs' Journal MK QTC, Suchacz-Zamek - Wielmozy 5b, 82-340 Tolkmicko, POLAND, on or before June 30. Include $5 (US) or € 5. Shortwave listeners may obtain this full-color award by submitting the same numbers of reports.
Since 1925, the IARU has been instrumental in coordinating and representing Amateur Radio activities around the world. Learn more by visiting the IARU Web site. -- The IARU E-Letter
| Previous: Civilian Space Traveler Already Making Ham Radio Contacts from Space | Next: Georgia Ham Wins 2007 William Goldfarb Scholarship |