2020 Dec. 31 - Scouts Troop 33 - Nico's Eagle Project

This HAM Radio drill and training was designed and led by Nico with Los Altos Scouts Troop 33 for his Eagle project in coloration with the Los Altos Amateur Radio Emergency Service (LAARES)

SCOUT TROUP 33 HAM Radio Drill with / LOS ALTOS AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE (LAARES)

  • Scout leader: Nico (K6NIB)

  • Scout trainees: Nathan, Warren, MacKenzie, Jason, Derek

  • HAM operators: Christian (K6CHB), Harry (N6GUY), John (W6JMK)


CONTROL 1 is a Control Center base station in Lincoln park (at the level of Safeway)

  • Nico (K6NIB) trained the scouts to setup a control center with canopy + table + 2 chairs + power generator + LAARES packet station with battery and tall antenna

  • Then Christian (K6CHB) + scout #1 operated Control 1 for packet communications (on W3XSC) to exchange messages with ROVER 1


ROVER 1 is a car mounted mobile station in Lincoln park (at the church level)

  • Nico (K6NIB) demonstrated the mobile station setup to scouts: car roof antenna, Yaesu FTM-400XDR 50w, Kantronics KPC-3 plus modem, and his laptop (with OutpostThen

  • Nico (K6NIB) + scout #2 operated Rover 1 to act as NET CONTROL to CRAWLER 1, 2 AND 3 and use packet communications (on W3XSC) to report messages with CONTROL 1


CRAWLER 1, 2 and 3 are handheld radio operators on foot

  • Nico (K6NIB) trained the to operate a HAM mobile radio (Yaesu FT-3DR) just like a popular walky-talky two ways family radio (FRS/GMRS).

  • Nico (K6NIB) trained the scouts on radio conversation protocol, including spelling out complex words using the ITI phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. provided as appendix)

  • CRAWLER 1, 2 and 3 are performed by Scouts 4,5, and 6

  • ROVER 1 dispatches CRAWLER 1, 2 and 3 to medical supply centers (managed by Harry on one side and John on the other side) at both ends of Lincoln park to collect COVID vaccines

  • CRAWLER 1, 2 and 3 obtain vaccines reports the vaccines (brand, quantity, and expiration dates) over radio to ROVER 1, who then reports it by packet to CONTROL 1


Brand: Janssen

Quantity: 123

Expiration: 01/31/2021

Brand: Moderna

Quantity: 467

Expiration: 02/12/2021

Brand: Novavax

Quantity: 683

Expiration: 06/22/2021

Brand: Merck

Quantity: 15632

Expiration: 03/12/2021

Brand: Pfizer

Quantity: 865

Expiration: 01/16/2021

Brand: AstraZeneca

Quantity: 557

Expiration: 03/12/2021

Brand: GlaxoSmithKline

Quantity: 891

Expiration: 02/19/2021