VOLUME 3 NUMBER 8, APRIL 2003
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Scouting Hams and Hamming Scouters--

Otschodela Council Amateur Radio Group (OCARG) is dedicated to the enhancement of the Scouting program through amateur radio and to the advancement of amateur radio in Boy Scouting.  Membership is open to any and all Scouters, amateur radio operators, and Scouting and ham clubs with an interest in the Boy Scouts of America, particularly within, but not exclusive of Otschodela Council, BSA, Oneonta, NY. There are no membership dues, no officers, no constitution, no newsletter charges, and no organized meetings. All communications are via email or ham radio. All that's required to join is an interest in Ham-Scouting and an email to the above Sender. OCARG is an FCC-licensed Amateur Radio Club Station with the callsign KZ2BSA.

Copies of the OCARG EAGLE are sent to many interested persons in addition to OCARG members. If you feel that you have received this bulletin in error and no longer wish to receive it, please send a message so stating to the above Sender k2frd@arrl.net.

This newsletter is brought to you in Living Color, compliments of Eudora Pro 5.1.3 emailer. If you have Rich Text Format (RTF) or stylized text capability and want to see everything as it was sent, make sure your RTF or styled text Preference/Option/Control Panel/Setting is turned ON or set. If you want to see it only in black typeface, turn it off.  Fonts are Comic Sans MS, Capital, and Mishiwaka Bold (with the slashed zero), available from Editor if desired.

The online edition of the OCARG EAGLE may be found at:
http://homepage.mac.com/k2frd/ocarg.htm.

The OCARG EAGLE is mailed only via Blind CC to cut down on your header's size and to avoid providing a ready-made list to spammers.

© 2003 by Otschodela Council Amateur Radio Group KZ2BSA
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INDEX FOR APRIL 2003 EAGLE:

Venturing Crew 80, Alexandria, VA Activities
JOTT - Jamboree On The Trail
Connecticut Ham-Scout Club Formed
Troop 99, Sidney,NY Keeps On Camping
Last Year's JOTA And Troop 73, Voorheesville
How Ham Radio Works
Special Thanks For Oneonta Repeater Fund Drive
Jerry Batik K2TNN Silent Key
Upcoming VE Sessions
Quote Of The Month

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VENTURING CREW 80, ALEXANDRIA,VA ACTIVITIES

Venturing Crew 80 is a group of young people interested in learning about emergency service using amateur radio as a communications tool. Our Crew call sign is W3BSA. We participate in fun activities which include camping, high adventure, disaster preparedness and community service. We are located in Alexandria, VA in the Colonial District, National Capital Area Council, BSA.

We provide young people with First Aid skills that deal with emergency service. This medical training ranges from Wilderness First Aid to Wilderness First Responder. All members are certified in CPR (Cardio-Pulmanary Resusitation).

We provide a forum in which youth can develop social and leadership skills by organizing Crew activities and cooperating on Crew projects, and participating in Crew community and public service activities. An example of this is the annual Scouting For Food project. In past years the project was run by District Adult Leaders. This past year (2002) the project was run by the youth of the Crew.

We provide a means whereby youth can develop confidence and self sufficiency, share common interests, work toward common goal
and explore career possibilities.

We perform public service communications assistance (emergency and disaster assistance, parades, marathons and triathlons). We participate in Jamboree on the Air. We have participated in the following ARES activities:
                Amateur Radio License Classes - many years, students, licensees
                  GW Birthday Special Event at Mt. Vernon
                  GW Birthday Parade in Alexandria
                  Camporees, Spring & Fall, GW and Colonial Districts
                  Bethany Beach - Field Day, Triathalon
                  Scouting for Food - Youth run it in 2002 - many prior years support
                  Marine Corps Marathon - bikes, aid stations
                  Field Day with MVARC

We work closely with the Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Service of the Greater Washington D.C. Area to work on disaster practice exercises, participate in field days, and particpate in contests.

Venturing Crew 80 is the primary Health and Safety unit for the Colonial District.
Venturing Crew's home site:  http://www.w3bsa.org .

de Bill Stewart W2BSA, Unit Commissioner and Committee Member Venturing Crew 80

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JOTT - JAMBOREE ON THE TRAIL

So what is Jamboree On The Trail?

First, click onto: http://sne.tripod.com/jott.htm.

Extract from the above website: "It's a NEW annual event that all Scouts and Scouters of Dens, Packs, Patrols, Troops, Explorer Posts, Venture Crews, O.A. Lodges and Councils can do, no matter what branch of Scouting you are in, BSA or GSUSA. It's a hiking and walking event where everyone hits the trail on the same day the world over. It can be organized by volunteer Scout leaders anywhere. To make it a world wide event all we do is do it on the same day and share our news and stories with others. JOTT was started by a Canadian Scouter named Dave Wiebe of the 40th St. Catharines Scouts of Scouts Canada."

Per Jean WB3IOS:  "Scout groups also support National Trails Day, which I think is always the first Saturday in June. That's a good time to join forces with other hiking enthusiasts either to spend time hiking or with trail-maintenance projects."
 

de Jean Wolfgang,  WB3IOS
ARRL Field & Educational Services

Editor's Note:  See also the Yahoo Group HFPack, dedicated to portable operations including hiking (pedestrian mobile):  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hfpack/ .

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CONNECTICUT HAM-SCOUT CLUB FORMED

From Larry Wolfgang WR1B:

I have a piece of news to offer that I hope may be of interest to some of your readers. I have been working my Wood Badge Ticket items, which all relate to some aspect of brining Amateur Radio to our Scouts here in the Connecticut Rivers Council, based in -- can you guess? -- Connecticut!

I would like to announce the formation of The Connecticut Amateur Radio Scouters Amateur Radio Club (CARSARC). While the club is not yet officially sanctioned by our Council, our members are all Scouters in the Connecticut Rivers Council. All Scouts and Scouters (and other interested folks) are welcome to add their name to our group. We recently applied for a Club call sign and were issued KB1JQI. We have also applied for a vanity call, and it looks like we will receive our first choice by mid April -- WA1BSA.

Club members will be encouraged to use our club call sign for their Scouting and Amateur Radio activities, such as Camporees, demonstrations, JOTA operations and summer camp operations. Several operating activities are in the works. Our Council is holding a Show N Do on Saturday April 12, and we will be demonstrating Amateur Radio to the Leaders and Junior Leaders attending that training session. We will also be operating at the Mohegan District Camporee May 16, 17 and 18, and possibly at other District Camporees as well. There is some possible summer camp operation being discussed. Our Council Scout Show, October 3, 4 and 5 will also have a major Amateur Radio with planned operation on most HF bands using a variety of modes, including SSB, CW, RTTY/PSK31 and SSTV. We hope to make contact with many Scouting friends during these operations.

73,

Larry Wolfgang, WR1B
Mohegan District Advancement Chair

And a good old Buffalo, too!

Senior Assistant Technical Editor
ARRL -- The national association for Amateur Radio

Editor's Note:  Now if Larry starts a newsletter for the CARSARC group, the OCARG EAGLE will have a partner!

Larry may be contacted at: wr1b@arrl.org

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TR 99 SIDNEY, NY KEEPS ON CAMPING

Connor was instrumental with communications for extraction of a hiker-taken-ill during a Troop outing Mar 22.

Scout Troop 99 of Sidney camped at their Council Scout Camp the weekend of March 22/23. Eleven Scouts and 5 dads attended.

Advancements earned:

• 5 mile hike for 2 nd. Class Scout
• 4 mile hike for Camping Merit Badge.
• Firebuilding for 2nd Class
• Knots for Tenderfoot Scout
• Camping out in open Lean to's for Camping MB and "Troop 99  12 Month camper award"
• Plant and animal identification for second and first class
• Tenderfoot, Second Class and Camp'g MB cooking

A worship service was held in the cabin Saturday evening.

Thanks go to K2EZK (Al of Sidney) , N2GVB (Tony of Bainbridge) , KB2JOW (Paul of Franklin) and the troop's own Scout operator KC2JJY (Connor) for helping out with radio communications for the troop part  of which involved arrangements to take home a Scout-taken-ill.

Tony started the ball rolling by taking a message to an answering machine, " - Scout wants to stay overnight xray dad please bring overnight gear - ".

Our own licensed Scout KC2JJY Connor, was accompanying younger Scouts on their 5 mile hike for Second Class, keeping half-hourly check-ins with a leader-ham back at base camp. Shortly after the 5th. check-in, JJY reported a Scout with breathing difficulties near the end of the hike on an uphill leg [old asthma or bronchial condition]. Base camp personnel were able to drive to the hike route and give the Scout a ride back to camp, a recovering rest, a phone call home and a ride home.

K2EZK saved the troop a lot of time by keeping in touch with us on the ride home and phoning the parents to meet us half way. This saved a round trip from Sidney to Trout Creek and was much appreciated.

KB2JOW was listening for the troop also and was ready to take traffic but, due to the activity regarding the Scout-taken-ill, we were unable to prepare any traffic in time. Our sincere thanks to Paul for listening for us again.

de Jim LeBaron WA2IAX

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LAST YEAR'S JOTA AND TROOP 73 VOORHEESVILLE

de K2FRD

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HOW HAM RADIO WORKS

This came from the Live-Wire Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/live-wire/ and provides explanations to non-hams how and why ham radio works and why someone should get interested in it:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/ham-radio.htm

Submitted by Bill-WF1L

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SPECIAL THANKS FOR OARC REPEATER FUND DRIVE

The Oneonta Amateur Radio Club repeater Fund Drive was very successful.  At last Month's meeting the contributors to receive the "thank-you" gifts were selected.  Consolation gift of one year's membership in OARC went to Adin Miller, N2WDV, of the Walton Radio Association, Walton NY.  The big gift was a choice of two Icom transceivers.  Don Ashurst, KA2JMC, member of the Otsego County Amateur Radio Association and the OARC was selected to receive the large gift.  Don chose the Icom IC-T7H, Dual Band FM Transceiver.  Don will be presented with the rig at the next OARC meeting on April 28th.  The Oneonta Amateur Radio Club wishes to thank all contributors for their much needed support of the Oneonta 146.850 MHz repeater.
John W. Hampel, AB2IC, Treasurer of the Oneonta Amateur Radio Club

AB2IC will be ARRL VEC for the Margaretville Amateur Radio Club VE test 2:00 PM, April 19, 2003.  607 363-7303

Margaretville Amateur Radio Club web site:  http://www.catskill.net/marc/

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JERRY BATIK K2TNN SILENT KEY

Jerome J. "Jerry" Batik K2TNN, 63 died Friday 11 April 2003 in Stamford, NY after a long illness. A full obituary appears in the Oneonta Daily Star:
http://www.thedailystar.com/news/community/obits/2003/04/ob0414.html

Jerry was an inspirational co-founder and supporter of the Otschodela Council Amateur Radio Group in 2000, a very active Volunteer Scouter in his home community of Stamford (Delaware County, NY), and a personal friend. He was a highly technically-oriented Extra Class licensee since 1956 and was Trustee and Technical Advisor for the Oneonta Amateur Radio Club, W2SEU Repeater, Stamford Repeater, and Schoharie County ARA. His ham activities slowed down after he lost his first wife in 2000 and as he found a new life's companion in Beverley Batik who mourns his passing. He will be missed.

de K2FRD

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UPCOMING VE SESSIONS

19 April 2003, 2PM, Margaretville, NY Telephone Co, (845)586-2324.

28 April 2003, 6PM, Oneonta, NY Tele-Center, (607)746-2777.

28 April 2003, 7PM, Middlebirgh, NY St. Catherine's Church, (518)827-4800.

28 april 2003, 7PM, Vestal, NY Public Library, (607)754-7940.

10 May 2003, 1:30PM, Endicott, NY Central Fire Station, (607)797-5777.

10 May 2003, 10AM, Troy, NY CII Building, RPI Campus, (518)439-7357.

19 May 2003, 7PM, Vestal, NY Public Library, (607)754-7940.

3 June 2003, 6PM, Cooperstown, NY Otsego Co. EOC, (607)746-2777.

14 June 2003, 1:30PM, Endicott, NY Central Fire Station, (607)797-5777.

23 June 2003, 7PM, Middlebirgh, NY St. Catherine's Church, (518)827-4800.

30 June 2003, 7PM, Vestal, NY Public Library, (607)754-7940.

These are the only VE Sessions listed by ARRL for this area. If someone knows of unlisted sessions, please send us an email K2FRD@stny.rr.com.  More details are in:

 http://www2.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml

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OCARG'S QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright."

 Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790), Poor Richard's Almanac

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