Teachers Wireless Lessons to Meet STEM Challenge

The 2015 ARRL Education & Technology Program (ETP) will offer three introductory sessions and one advanced Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology seminar for US educators this summer

“As our nation looks toward an increasingly high-tech future, our educational system must improve the preparation of our students in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM),” said ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ. “Teachers and schools are looking to meet these expectations by providing students with opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning.”

Johnson said the expenses-paid Teachers Institute sessions offer educators a professional development opportunity that equips them with training and resources to explore a variety of applications in radio science and wireless technology and — in the advanced seminar — remote sensing and data-gathering techniques.

News of the courses comes at the same time the ARRL is aiming to introduce Amateur / Ham Radio classes into schools.

With the support of Edith Lennon, N2ZRW, Virginia Chesapeake Public School system have successfully introduced Ham radio in the electronics classrooms

Teachers and STEM - http://www.arrl.org/news/view/arrl-teachers-institutes-want-to-equip-teachers-to-meet-the-stem-challenge

Amateur Radio in the Classroom -http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/March2015/LENNON.pdf


Ofcom Agree 70.5-71.5 MHz

Radio amateurs in much of the UK and Crown Dependencies will have access to an extra 1 MHz of VHF spectrum from 70.5 to 71.5 MHz for digital experimentation by special permit 

Details of the application process will be published in due course. Permission will be subject to geographical restriction and Scotland is precluded.

RSGB announcement - 
http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2015/04/02/new-spectrum-digital-experimentation/

Two New UK Repeaters

The Essex DMR digital voice repeater GB7SE is now licensed and it is expected on-air in by May 2015.

The 70cm repeater, located at Thurrock, will be part of the DMR South East regional talk group 8.

Output frequency is 439.4750 MHz with the input on 430.4750 MHz

GB7SE - http://www.eardx.co.uk/home/gb7se/

A new D-Star repeater, GB7KH has become active in Essex. 

It joins the other Essex D-Star repeaters GB7ZP in Danbury and GB7SS in Hockley.

The repeater is located at the Keveldon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker about 30 km N.E of central London and provides coverage of West and Central Essex.

It is based around the Icom ID-RP4000V UHF repeater with ID-RP2C controller and Procom duplexer tuned for the output frequency of 439.6125 MHz and 430.6125 MHz input.

GB7KH - http://www.gb7kh.co.uk/