[aprssig] High Tech Ham Radio Demo for Scouts???

[Bill Vodall WA7NWP]

> >What left for us "techies" that the teens don't 
> >have better and use daily?

 
> A WARBLER or other PSK-31 QRP transceiver
> kit and 30 feet of wire.  I preach it to the kids
> as a WIRELESS-chat network that can work
> anywhere on the planet.  Just plug it into the
> sound card and toss the wire antenna into
> the tree.    Then watch the PSK-31 signals
> come in...

That's a good idea.  Tie it to a solar powered battery and 
little Libretto mini-laptop and it would be a cute setup.

Are you using 20 meters?   If so, which trick are you using
to endfeed the antenna?

> Using a $89 kit to comuniacte around the world
> from the campsite is a lot more impressive then
> doing the same thing with a $2000 HF transceiver
> and 20 amp power supply...

For sure!   Though it's more then $89 now.   $130 in kit for
the 20 meter version with case.

  http://smallwonderlabs.com/psk31_main.htm

I'm thinking the point that we don't have to
pay the monthly fee to use the commercial infrastructure
doesn't help here since most of these youngsters aren't
paying anyway...  It comes from magical source known
as "the parents".

Bill