Schofield School Radio Club nears Top for Contacts

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The Schofield Middle School Amateur Radio Club in Aiken, South Carolina, USA have recently earned two national rankings in less than a week

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From 20-24 October 2015, the club participated in the American Radio Relay League School Club Round Up from 3:22 to 6 p.m. each day in the Schofield Middle School radio shack. During that time, students made contact with 530 school amateur / ham radio clubs, placing third in the middle school category for most contacts and 10th in the overall competition, which also included elementary and high schools and colleges and universities in the United States and abroad.

“Our club did so well. We were competing against some really large middle schools, some with clubs with as many as 100 members. It’s a friendly competition among other school-based ham radio clubs.”
— Tray Nelson, who teaches keyboarding and computer applications and is the club’s faculty sponsor

Worked All Ireland Amateur / Ham Radio Award

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The Worked All Ireland Award program (WAI) was established to encourage Radio Amateurs / Hams to work 10 Km x 10 Km Grid Squares within the Republic of Ireland (EI) and Northern Ireland (GI).

The challenge encompasses a combination of Grid Squares, Counties and Islands from EI/GI. There are also Awards for Book Numbers and Grid Square activation. There are over 1400 Grid Squares to chase, with Awards available for working as few as 175 grid squares, 15 counties and 1 Island rising to the Ultimate Award for which you need 1400 grid squares, together with 32 Counties and 25 Islands.

Congratulation to both EI6HW and Tom EI9CJ who have achieve the highest award for working all 1400 grid squares, and to Declan EI9HQ has activated over 1300 grid squares.

A full introduction to WAI Rules and Awards may be found at http://www.irts.ie/cgi/wai.cgi

 

Taking Amateur Radio to near the world's roof top

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A devotee of the Summits On The Air (SOTA) program in set to use portable Amateur Radio as he joins others on one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas.

Allen Harvie VK3HRA, will walk from Nepal to the Southern Everest Base Camp, travelling through the Sagarmatha National Park (9NFF-007), which is on the World Wide Flora and Fauna list.

Allen has gained a permit to take and operate a QRP radio. Due to weight and size needs, only 20-metres CW will be possible from 6 -9 May 2014, during local sunset to sunrise.

Sherpas are elite mountaineers serving as guides at the extreme altitudes in the region. Supplies are carried by them on animals, usually yaks, to replenish the Everest Base Camp that attracts thousands of trekkers each year.

The base camp becomes the end of a journey for most, and those going higher in altitude take two days of rest by for acclimatization before climbing Mt Everest.