The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have updated the requirements for the Radio Merit Badge for 2017, although a formal announcement is pending the publication of the 2017 Boy Scouts Requirements pamphlet. A new option for the Radio Merit Badge is Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF). ARRL
“Jim visited a training session at the USA ARDF Championships in Texas last April and realized what an excellent activity that on-foot hidden transmitter hunting can be for Scouts,” Moell recounted. “Working with Brian Coleman, KB0MAP, Jim authored the new ARDF Radio Merit Badge syllabus, which was then reviewed by several leaders of US ARDF community.”
A first draft of the new merit badge pamphlet is anticipated later this month or in early February. Moell said the new merit badge requirements should become effective just in time for the July 2017 National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, where an ARDF course and equipment will be available to Scouts of all ages. He also hopes there could be a role for ARDF in JOTA.
The Radio Merit Badge ARDF option combines orienteering and foxhunting and opens a new interactive component to this program. Other new Radio Merit Badge options include cellular telephones and different types of radio modulation.
Key requirement being dropped from the Radio Merit Badge include open, closed, and short circuits, as well as schematic symbols and components, because these are covered in the Electricity and Electronics Merit Badges.
Amateur radio club W5BCS takes part in the 2011 ARRL Field Day exercise from Veteran’s Park in College Station. The club hosted a Merit badge training session for local Boy Scouts and offered an opportunity to become a licensed ham radio operator.
The BSA also made some minor editorial changes and reordered requirements for the Amateur Radio option. The radio broadcasting option now includes Internet streaming, regulations and power levels. A medium-wave and shortwave listening option includes both types of listening, as well as listening via streaming services on a smart phone.
The BSA has posted a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Scouts are encouraged to follow the new requirements, although the guidelines may allow use of the previous requirements in some cases.
Source:ARRL
![Covering the Rules on Calling CQ [ ARRL PODCAST ]](https://qrznow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/55492962_2213350308722602_7533613752353030144_n-90x60.jpg)
News
Toshihiro Kameda, JJ3GRX/W3GRX, of the University of Tsukuba’s “Yui” satellite project in Japan, reports that the ITF-2 (“imagine the future”) CubeSat is set for release from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, January 16, at 0... Read more
App - Mobile
New APP for digital QST
Apple has released a new app for digital QST (version 5.1) readers that use that platform. A long-standing problem involved the inability of some Appl... Read more
iWSPR TX – WSPR for iOS version 2.8 now available
WSPR WSPR implements a protocol designed for probing potential propagation paths with low-power transmissions. Normal transmissions carry a station’s... Read more
RUMlogNG2Go for iOS version 3.5.2 now available
Thomas Lindner, DL2RUM, is happy to announce the availability of version 3.5.2 of his RUMlogNG2Go logger for the iPhone and iPad. RUMlogNG2Go can be ... Read more
SmartSDR for iOS v2.6.2 Now Available
FlexRadio Systems announces the release of SmartSDR for iOS v2.6.2 is now available for download or update from the Apple App Store. This App requires... Read more
QRZ.com App for Android now in Beta Testing
The updates to QRZ’s Android App, formerly known as QRZDroid have been released and are available to those who are interested in trying it out.... Read more
EchoLink for iOS version 2.10.18 is now available
EchoLink for iOS version 2.10.18 is now available in the App Store. This is a 64-bit build that is fully compatible with iOS 10 and modern iOS devices... Read more
