Australian Youth take up Amateur Radio

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Castlemaine student Kezia Hamilton, 17 is a product of radio communications, so to speak — her parents met while talking on CB radio as teenagers.

"They had this certain station where they would meet people and would go on a separate frequency to chat," Kezia said.

Kezia was part of a group of eight Castlemaine Venturers learning amateur radio in a converted bus located on a bush block on the outskirts of town.

"It's pretty cool talking to other people! We once had someone from France and we talked to a couple of people in New Zealand," Kezia said.

"I really like the idea that you can talk to people in space — that sounds really exciting." remembering the group of Nepalese students engaging with UK astronaut Tim Peake aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

But it is not just the fun factor of amateur radio that appeals to Kezia.

"I think it could be very useful in emergencies and stuff because sometimes the phone towers break down."

Media Story - 
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-17/youth-take-up-amateur-radio-from-inside-bus-in-the-bush/8277122

Ham Radio Dummies Books for Schools and Libraries

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With the explosive growth in amateur or ham radio, the Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club decided to spread the word about of the Amateur / Ham Radio Hobby, with more licensed hams than any other time in history.

It’s hoped by making available the book “Ham Radio for Dummies”, which explains topics of the amateur/ham radio hobby in simple terms.

The Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club use a grant from LDG Electronics of St. Leonard, MD to send a copy of the book to almost every school and public library in the tri-county area.

Media Story - http://www.athensreview.com/news/ham-radio-for-dummies-books-available/article_07b3b438-f3c7-11e6-9b12-47ab5e933902.html

Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club - https://k5ccl.wordpress.com/

Ham Radio Clubs Encouraged to Innovate

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ARRL Public Relations Committee Chairman Scott Westerman, W9WSW, believes collegiate Amateur Radio clubs need to blow away the dust and cobwebs and modernize, in order to attract new members. He urges college and university ham radio clubs to seek common technological ground with younger generations, in order to attract new Amateur Radio licensees.

“We really need to be thinking in terms of…state-of-the-art technology, because that’s what ‘the kids’ are looking for nowadays,” Westerman told ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, during a brief interview at the 2017 Orlando HamCation 10-12 February 2017, which hosted this year’s ARRL Southeastern Division Convention. “The big challenge is how to get them away from their cellphones.”

Westerman, a Michigan State University (MSU) alumnus and executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, recalled his own student days, when MSU Amateur Radio Club (MSUARC) station W8SH had a Collins S-Line for a station. Founded in 1919, the MSUARC is one of the oldest collegiate ham clubs in the US.

Collegiate clubs need to tap into students’ interest in “parallel” technological realms, such as the Maker Movement or those already experimenting with electronics, Westerman said. “At one time or another, we were all in that parallel universe, and there was something that brought us to ham radio,” he offered.

Westerman said the MSU club has come up with a program to get students on HF via a remote base. “So, you can get into our state-of-the-art shack, you can check out a control head, a Kenwood TS-480, take it back to your dorm, plug it into the Wi-Fi network, and work the world!”

ARRL Story - http://www.arrl.org/news/campus-ham-radio-clubs-encouraged-to-boost-vitality-through-innovation