Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership >>> Amateur Radio YL's

“[Science]“[Science] is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world..."

— President Barack Obama, March 23, 2015

The United States has developed as a global leader, in large part, through the genius and hard work of its scientists, engineers, and innovators. In a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information. These are the types of skills that students learn by studying science, technology, engineering, and math—subjects collectively known as STEM.

Yet today, few American students pursue expertise in STEM fields—and we have an inadequate pipeline of teachers skilled in those subjects. That’s why President Obama has set a priority of increasing the number of students and teachers who are proficient in these vital fields.

Projected Percentage Increases In STEM Jobs from 2010 to 2020: 14% for all occupations, 16% for Mathematics, 22% for Computer Systems Analysts, 32% for Systems Software Developers, 36% for Medical Scientists, 62% for Biomedical Engineers
The need

All young people should be prepared to think deeply and to think well so that they have the chance to become the innovators, educators, researchers, and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing our nation and our world, both today and tomorrow. But, right now, not enough of our youth have access to quality STEM learning opportunities and too few students see these disciplines as springboards for their careers.expand/collapse

The goals

President Obama has articulated a clear priority for STEM education: within a decade, American students must "move from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math." The Obama Administration also is working toward the goal of fairness between places, where an equitable distribution of quality STEM learning opportunities and talented teachers can ensure that all students have the chance to study and be inspired by science, technology, engineering, and math—and have the chance to reach their full potential.expand/collapse

The plan

The Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM), comprised of 13 agencies—including all of the mission-science agencies and the Department of Education—are facilitating a cohesive national strategy, with new and repurposed funds, to increase the impact of federal investments in five areas: 1.) improving STEM instruction in preschool through 12th grade; 2.) increasing and sustaining public and youth engagement with STEM; 3.) improving the STEM experience for undergraduate students; 4.) better serving groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields; and 5.) designing graduate education for tomorrow's STEM workforce.expand/collapse

Supporting Teachers and Students in STEM

At the Department of Education, we share the President’s commitment to supporting and improving STEM education. Ensuring that all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities in STEM subjects is a priority, demonstrated by the fact that dozens of federal programs have made teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and math a critical component of competitiveness for grant funding. Just this year, for the very first time, the Department announced that its Ready-to-Learn Television grant competition would include a priority to promote the development of television and digital media focused on science.

The Department’s Race to the Top-District program supports educators in providing students with more personalized learning—in which the pace of and approach to instruction are uniquely tailored to meet students’ individual needs and interests—often supported by innovative technologies. STEM teachers across the country also are receiving resources, support, training, and development through programs like Investing in Innovation (i3), the Teacher Incentive Fund, the Math and Science Partnerships program, Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow, and the Teacher Quality Partnerships program.

Because we know that learning happens everywhere—both inside and outside of formal school settings—the Department’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is collaborating with NASA, the National Park Service, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to bring high-quality STEM content and experiences to students from low-income, high-need schools. This initiative has made a commitment to Native-American students, providing about 350 young people at 11 sites across six states with out-of-school STEM courses focused on science and the environment.

And in higher education, the Hispanic-Serving Institutions-STEM program is helping to increase the number of Hispanic students attaining degrees in STEM subjects.

This sampling of programs represents some of the ways in which federal resources are helping to assist educators in implementing effective approaches for improving STEM teaching and learning; facilitating the dissemination and adoption of effective STEM instructional practices nationwide; and promoting STEM education experiences that prioritize hands-on learning to increase student engagement and achievement.




WOMEN and STEM>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/women



Learn more

Five-Year Strategic Plan for STEM Education [PDF]
STEM Programs at ED
Green Strides Program
Women in STEM
2015 White House Science Fair
President Obama’s Remarks
Educate to Innovate
Civil Rights Data Collection
College- and Career-Ready/ STEM Access Snapshot [PDF]

wanna do some Ham Radio homebrewing.. check this out

here is a site with any homebrew project you could ever think of.

it is a great place for people to go through with GIRL or Boy scouts
or even a training class..

here is the home brew link


73 ka1uln

need a time sync tool (when running digital modes)?

here is the ultimate time sync tool when running digital modes:

see ya on FELD HELL 10.141 10.142

http://www.timesynctool.com/

Is your HF rig Calibrated?

I was curious to know if what I was seeing on my HF radio display was what I was hearing
or when someone gives me a frequency would my radio be spot on?

we here is the answer: YES of course it is has a superhet.
but the other way is TUNE TO WWV 15.000 OR 10.000

this told me my radio was spot on.


for more information about this please
HF calibration


thanx so Ria N2RJ for more information on this. She is full of ham radio information

33 KA1ULN

Amateur Radio Q-Codes

here is an excellent list and explanation of Ham radio Q-CODES.

If I may ask if we (ham radio operators) could use these as much as possible.

link:--> http://www.qsl.net/w5www/qcode.html

here is a sample thanx for w5www

The Amateur Radio Q-Code Signal Question Answer, Advice or Order QRG Will you indicate my exact frequency in kilocycles?

Your frequency is ... kc.

QRH Does my frequency vary? Your frequency varies.

QRI How is the tone of my transmission? The tone of your transmission is ... 1. Good. 2. Variable. 3. Bad.

QRJ Are you receiving me badly? Are my signals weak? I cannot receive you. Your signals are too weak.

QRK What is the legibility of my signals (1 to 5)? The legibility of your signals is ... (1 to 5).

QRL * Are you busy? I am busy (or busy with....). Please do not interfere.

QRM * Are you being interfered with? I am being interfered with.

QRN * Are you troubled by static? I am troubled by static.

many many more please check out the link KA1ULN



here is another link for qcodes >>

(please confirm all qso's)

ARRL The Doctor is In Podcast .. IS HERE

ARRL The Doctor is In Podcast

Welcome to the home of the bi-weekly ARRL The Doctor is In podcast -- a lively discussion of all things technical! The Doctor is none other than ARRL's Joel Hallas, W1ZRDoctor_is_In_Podcast_Icon_2.jpg, who has been answering questions about Amateur Radio in the Doctor Is In column in QST since 2006.

Hosted by ARRL Publications Manager Steve Ford, WB8IMY, ARRL The Doctor is In podcast is a twice-monthly, 20-minute podcast that answers YOUR questions about Amateur Radio's technical challenges.

You can subscribe to the podcast in Apple iTunes or on Stitcher.

Archived episodes will be available here.

Do you have a question for the Doctor? Click here to e-mail your question and we may answer it in a future podcast!




Download the arrl the doctor is in

taken from arrl.org

Try WSJT for weak signal contacts

I've done quite a few things in amateur radio, but one of the things I absolutely enjoy is DXing. I also enjoy pulling out the weak ones from a pileup or working weak signals in general.  But on traditional modes it can be a bit frustrating, especially on fickle bands like 6 meters. Enter the WSJT modes.

First things first, if you're looking to have a nice long chat with a friend, look elsewhere. The mode is not for this kind of stuff. Rather, you are getting a basic signal report and grid square exchange. You may exchange a short text message but only 13 characters maximum (move over, Twitter!) Secondly, you do not need to or want to run high power in most cases. This is great news for those who like to operate QRP. 

About the mode, history and origins

The mode was developed by noted Astrophysicist and Nobel Prize Laureate, Joe Taylor, K1JT. Joe's extensive resumé includes discovering pulsars using the NRAO radio telescopes in West Virginia. Prior to that he had worked with Jocelyn Bell, who had discovered the first pulsars. He first started out in amateur radio as a teenager and this fueled his interest in radio astronomy. One can clearly see how his love for "weak signal work" goes well beyond amateur radio or the solar system, for that matter. 

The mode can allow one to work signals that are not audible to the human ear, many dB below the noise floor. It does this by repetition and slow transmission. This is why you can't rag chew with it, but it is great for working DX and new grid squares.

It is used extensively for moonbounce (EME) where signals are reflected off the moon. However EME operators often use 500+ watts to compensate for path loss. Prior to the WSJT modes you'd see EME enthusiasts with stacks and stacks upon stacks of yagis pointing at the sky, and 1.5kw on 2 meters. They'd run CW and sometimes SSB. They'd send Ts to verify the signal and make skeds on HF or internet. While much of that is still done today, it is now possible to point at the moon and CQ with just one or two yagis and a few hundred watts. It is also possible to make contacts on supposedly dead bands like 6 meters. It is also possible to work DX on HF with small wire antennas.

Software setup

So how do you get cooking with JT modes anyway? We'll do a simple JT65 setup here. This is a very basic guide to get you started. 

You'll need:

• SSB capable radio and your antenna
• Sound card interface - external sound card interface like a SignaLink or some newer radios (like the Elecraft K3S or IC7300) have it built in and accessible via the USB port.
• PC or Mac with WSJT software (JT65-HF or WSJT-X usually)
• Internet synchronized PC clock (very important).
• Patience and quick reaction time.

Once you get all of those together, you can then configure the software. I'll keep it simple as I use JT65-HF. WSJT-X is supposedly better but I've had better luck with JT65-HF. However, JT65-HF hasn't really been maintained since about 2013. But it still works very well. 

I use Windows for my shack PC but you can use any OS including Linux and Mac OS X. WSJT software and the protocol are all open source so you can compile it for any OS. 

A note about time sync: JT65 is a timed mode, meaning that everything fires off at certain times. Therefore your PC clock must be in sync. You can use software like Dimension 4 or Meinberg to do that. Unfortunately the built in time sync feature in Windows doesn't seem sufficient. You may need administrator privileges on your PC to do this.

Once you get the time sync portion straightened out and you've installed JT65-HF, you can set it up easily like this. Most important is the audio device (USB sound card) and your callsign and grid:

Make sure you have PTT and optionally, rig control (for band changes. It supports OmniRig and Ham Radio Deluxe, or serial port control. Note: if you have a SignaLink it uses VOX so there's no need to configure PTT in that case. But some sound card interfaces require it.

This is the main window:

You generally set your radio to USB (upper sideband) mode. Set power to low power (maximum 25-35 watts, many use 5 watts or less). Turn off speech compressor/processor. You can use the mode anywhere on the digital sub-bands but most people use the JT65 window. Here are the frequencies. Note that these are the dial frequencies in kHz you set your radio to:

• 160m - 1836-1838
• 80m - 3576
• 40m - 7076
• 20m - 14076
• 30m - 10138
• 20m - 14076
• 17m - 18102
• 15m - 21076
• 12m - 24917
• 10m - 28076
• 6m - 50276

My favorite hangouts are 6m and 40m. I have worked many grids on 6m using JT65.

How a typical JT65 QSO works:

0001z  At the top of the minute a station will transmit "CQ <callsign> <grid square>" 

0002z  The responding operator will send her callsign and 4 digit grid square.

0003z: The CQing operator (who she has now answered) will send a signal report. 

0004z: The responding operator will send a "R" (roger) and her signal report

0005z: The CQing operator will send "RRR"

0006z: The responding operator will send "RRR"

0007z: The CQing operator will send "73"

0008z: The responding operator will send "73"

Yes, that is 8 whole minutes!

QSO is logged using the "log QSO" button. The signal report is in dB and is generated automatically. You can put in your transmitter power if desired. 

Most people take a shortcut and can cut that down to 6 minutes by omitting the RRRs from minute 5 and 6 and simply send 73s. 

So it would be something like this:

0001z - CQ KA1ULN FN41

0002z - KA1ULN N2RJ FN21

0003z - N2RJ KA1ULN -08

0004z - KA1ULN N2RJ -09

0005z - N2RJ KA1ULN 73

0006z - KA1ULN N2RJ 73

I hit "log QSO" button and I'm done. 

Note that each transmission lasts 47 seconds and you have to make your decision in 13 seconds what to transmit next. It's sort of like playing 5 minute lightning chess where you press the clock after each move, except that each move is timed. You will see the waterfall stop and a red line where you're supposed to transmit. You'll also see the decoded messages in the window. Messages sent to you are red. General CQs are green. If you have your headphones on you'll hear when the other side's transmission.

I wish there was a way to substitute 88 or 33 in the protocol but from what I gather, 73 is hard coded in the protocol. 

By the way, each transmission is basically brick on key for 47 seconds! This is one big reason why most people do not run high power as their rigs would overheat and their finals would burn up. 

But I was this close to working that rare grid on 6!

JT65-HF generates a log file in ADIF format that you can import into your log software. The log file is located at C:\Users\<your_username>\Appdata\JT65-HF\.  I prefer to consolidate my logs into Ham Radio Deluxe so this works perfectly for me. Then I can upload to LoTW and other systems. 

A word about QSLing

The final courtesy of the QSO is the QSL, and it isn't finished until the paperwork is done! The good news is that most JT65 users use LoTW.  Many also use eQSL and QRZ.com logbook. This saves the time and expense of sending for QSL cards. With LoTW you can apply toward VUCC, DXCC, WAS and other awards quite easily. With eQSL you can apply for their own eAwards or CQ magazine awards such as WAZ or WPX. QRZ has their own awards system as well. 

And that's it! Now you can make a simple JT65 QSO and work the rare grid squares with low power and a compromise antenna. 

Until next time! CUAGN on my waterfall.

33,

Ria, N2RJ

PS - I'm new here and will be writing from time to time. Niece has graciously allowed me to contribute to her blog, so we can have a source of knowledge for YLs (and anyone, really) to enhance their experience in the hobby. My info is on QRZ.com if you'd like to contact me.