RAC Youth Education Program participants using IRLP for school-to-school contacts

Terrance Berscheid VE7TBC of SAANICH, BC tells the following story:

Central Middle School's Youth Education Project has had a very successful series of contacts this month; and we are looking forward to an IRLP QSO with Brian Jackson, VE6JBJ and the students of Chestermere School in Chestermere Alberta next Wednesday.

We began the month with a successful and popular contact with Neil Carleton, VE3NCE's class at R. Tait McKenzie School in Almonte Ontario. Our students talked about that contact for weeks afterward. They were particularly interested in what the Almonte students did in their 'ham club'.

The following Wednesday, Patty VA7PTY and John VE7SDJ demonstrated how we use APRS in amateur radio; and the students looked up John's weather station on Findu.com www.varpa.bc.ca/aprs.html as well as my last reported position. Then they discovered that John's truck, Rocky, was still beaconing his position in the school parking lot!

Yesterday, half of the students visited John, VE7JMF, the Municipal Amateur Co-ordinator (MAC),at the Esquimalt Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). John showed them the centre's packet operation, and then the students made contact with an amateur in Salem OR on 40 m., and each had the opportunity to speak to the operator.

The other half of the class headed up to the 'flagpole', the highest point in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, where they were able to see the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula across Juan de Fuca Strait. Rick, VE7TK http://www3.telus.net/ve7tk/ (who has one of the most impressive ham shacks I have ever seen -- check out his website! -- , and who is a master DX operator/contestor) had set up his Westphalia van for 40m and 20m operations. Because the band conditions over the past week have been crippled by sun-spot activity late last week, it was very difficult to make any contacts, but Rick managed to pull on signal out of the ether and the students had brief contact with an amateur in New Mexico. The terrible conditions did permit Rick to instruct the students in HF propagation, and the effects of sunspots on HF communications.

In the 'theater wings' are several local amateurs, always ready to help Elmer the students and to arrange IRLP contacts from their home QTH. George, VE7ABX and Kip, VE7HVR are always there in the background to give assistance. The students have come to recognize their voices, and 'know they are there to help'.

At least two of the students have begun thinking about taking the next Westcoast Amateur Radio Association (WARA) www.ve7vic.ca amateur licensing course which begins in January, 2005. That course, incidentally, is very comprehensive, and many of the students go on to write both their basic and advanced examinations, as well as the CW examination! The course classes are twice a week, with several Saturday morning sessions devoted to station visits and construction projects -- such as an oscillator for a Morse key).

Our fall Central Middle School Enhancement Program will terminate in mid-December; but we are pleased to announce that the School Administration has invited us to have a 10-week session again in January! And we are now talking about the feasibility of having a permanent Amateur Radio Club at the school during the school year. A great big Thank You to our staff teacher Kathie Cross!

73, Terrance VE7TBC, ve7tbc@rac.ca

Source: Radio Amateurs of Canada

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