OSCAR Locator App

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Tom Doyle W9KE has developed a Windows satellite tracking App that reproduces the graphical display of the original cardboard OSCARLOCATOR

Most tracking programs use an equirectangular projection which is by far the easiest to program and shows the entire Earth at once. A 3D model is often used which helps visualize orbits but does not show the entire Earth at the same time.

Tom remembers having an easier time visualizing the orbits back in the day (1970's) when amateurs used cardboard Oscar Locators with overlays. This Windows program lets you visualize orbits Oscar Locator style.

You can download the OSCAR Locator - http://www.tomdoyle.org/OscarLocator

40 Years of Tracking OSCAR-7-  http://amsat-uk.org/2014/11/09/40-years-tracking-oscar-7/

 

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

Schofield_School_Radio_Club

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