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Radio Station, Ham Radio, Lesson Plans and Resources

RED HOT CLASSROOM RESOURCES, K-12 RADIO ACTIVITIES CONNECT RADIO TECHOLOGY TO SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES AND LANGUAGE ARTS.

Book page 1 Become a Lifeguard Guard our Airwaves YOU can save lives

 

Haverford High School in Pennsylvania WHHS streams radio. The nation's longest running high school radio station - 1949! Click on the link that says Listen to WHHS live. Station History and Philosophy Download musicmatch.com

It was in my junior high metal shop class where we all built crystal AM radio detectors as a class project. Mine actually worked!

Tune in to the Shuttle with Shortwave Radio - California Space & Science Center
http://www.teachspace.org/resources/shortwave.html
Central Sq. Middle School: If I Could Speak with the Astronauts
http://www.centralsquareschools.org/csmiddle/astrotlk.html
If I Could Speak with the Astronauts http://www.centralsquareschools.org/csmiddle/astrotlk.html

Our Conscious Mind Could Be An Electromagnetic Field 16-May-2002 <http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0516026.htm>
Are our thoughts made of the distributed kind of electromagnetic field that permeates space and carries the broadcast signal to the TV or radio?
Professor Johnjoe McFadden from the School of Biomedical and Life Sciences at the University of Surrey in the UK believes our conscious mind could be an electromagnetic field.
(Reference: The paper “Synchronous firing and its influence on the brain's electromagnetic field: evidence for an electromagnetic field theory of consciousness" by Johnjoe McFadden is published in the current edition of the Journal of Consciousness Studies, along with a commentary by Dr. Susan Pockett.)

RED HOT CLASSROOM RESOURCES

On The Horizon
are advances in software radio that will enable the creation of ad hoc self organizing networks with no centralized control. There is a diverse collection of people supporting this revolution in wireless communications. They range from technologists, to economists, lawyers, and policy wonks. For background on spectrum policy issues see Open Spectrum
http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/spectrum

FREE SOFTWARE for building software radios can be found at the GNU Radio web site

Crystal Radio kits online!
 Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997
From: Anton Ninno
Subject: Crystal Radio kits online!

Some folks have asked me how to get started with classroom projects building crystal radios to teach about energy, electricity, chemistry, earth science, communications, the history of technology, and such. You may remember that the magic of crystal radios is that they use no battery, no AC outlet, no solar cell - NO VISIBLE MEANS OF POWER AT ALL. That's right - totally powerless radio listening! Free news! Free tunes!

Of course, what's really happening is that these simple receivers pluck the electromagnetic waves transmitted by AM radio stations right out of the air, and turn them into sound waves you can hear. Really. Kids love them just for that reason alone. Just try it and see!

A trip to the local Radio Shack store will produce a crystal radio kit that's incredibly easy to build (I mean EASY!) for about $8 or so. If you want to see what else is available, just because you're a gadget-lover like me, then visit these websites. You can even order online with a charge card, if you like. Go ahead and take a peek.

The Xtal Set Society

"Crystal Sets? Yup, you've found an entire site about building Crystal Sets. The Society has been growing over the past six years as word gets out to enthusiasts. Still, some people are flabbergasted to find an entire society dedicated to Crystal Set radios (hereafter referred to as Xtal Sets). One web surfer e-mailed, "I was so excited to find your site that I fell off my chair!"

The Xtal Set Society publishes a newsletter and numerous books, all of which you can find more information about on this site. You'll also find plans to build a Quaker Oat box xtal radio, vintage magazine articles from the 1920s and 1930s, and our specialty bookstore, MidnightScience Books. -- Editor, The Xtal Set Society Newsletter."

What's This Ham Radio Stuff, Anyway? by Gwendolyn Patton, NG3P

Morse Code Translators
Convert text to Morse code ansd Morse code to text. You can even listen to translation. Try CGI Morse Code Translator and Java Morse Code Translator.

Welcome to Radio-Locator, the most comprehensive radio station search engine on the internet. We have links to over 10,000 radio station web pages and over 2500 audio streams from radio stations in the U.S. and around the world.

Geocaching - "It started out as a travel game for gadget geeks. The gadget, in this case,
is GPS, or Global Positioning System. Using several satellites, GPS allows you to pinpoint your location to within a few feet. When the government gave civilians access to the technology, some folks made a sport of it. A high-tech treasure hunt called Geocaching. Correspondent Jeff Tyler has this peek into a growing subculture."

Magazines

Shortwave Listening (SWL) Books & Monthly Magazine by Subscription

Both of these cover shortwave, amateur radio, scanning, utilities, satellites...
Monitoring Times - http://monitoringtimes.com/
Popular Communications - http://www.popular-communications.com/index.html

Passport to World Band Radio 2002 - excellent, buy this book first!
- fun to read & easy to use, listening guides by country, frequency & time of day
- objective test reviews of all SW radios currently on the market
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/10002002.html

Detail on various kinds of listening interests, equipment, stations,history
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/1301.html

WRTH - World Radio & TV Handbook 2002 - excellent book
- a reference tool for advanced SWLs; use like a phone book, as needed
- has excellent equipment test reviews, and a few feature articles
- lists literally every radio & TV station on the planet - amazing!
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/20002002.html

The Worldwide Shortwave Listening Guide, 2000-01 Edition
- handy desk reference with a spiral binding that lays flat
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/0023.html

Monitoring Times monthly magazine - available at larger bookstores
- covers all kinds of radio listening activity: feature stories, equipment
test reviews
- has a very handy, up-to-date SW broadcast listening guide by time of day
http://www.grove-ent.com/hmpgmt.html

Popular Communications monthly magazine
- similar to Monitoring Times, but with less content
http://www.popular-communications.com/

QST monthly magazine
- published by ARRL, mostly amateur radio & technical articles, with some
SWL http://www.arrl.org/qst/

Ham Radio Online Classroom
http://www.hamradio-online.com/classroom.html
Radio Online -- A to Z's Home's Cool Homeschooling
http://www.gomilpitas.com/homeschooling/explore/radio.htm
Ham Radio in the Classroom Program
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/teacher/Teachers/#school
Ham radio in the classroom
http://www.w7asc.org/haminclass/
Radio in the Classroom
http://www.eham.net/articles/2082
KF2BQ & N2OO http://www.qsl.net/n2oo/
[note: Beth is a teacher. She is currently a Family School Liasion for a K-2 elementary school. She has utilized amateur radio in the classroom for many years.]
The Electric Club: Activities Handbook (classroom electricity & radio projects)
http://www.schoolnet.ca/general/electric-club/e/
Crystal Radio Science Fair Projects - from the Xtal Set Society
http://www.midnightscience.com/sciencefair.html
Earth Science & Radio: Interesting Facts & Educational Materials
http://www.ips.oz.au/papers/
World Clock with Time Zones
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Taking Amateur Radio into the Classroom
http://www.sarl.org.za/classroom.asp
Primarily amateur radio - http://www.arrl.org/qst/
CQ Amateur Radio - http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/
Amateur Radio Education Project - http://www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/
The Best of Amateur Radio in the Classroom - http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/teacher/aric/
Amateur radio and simulations

http://riceinfo.rice.edu/armadillo/Mlist/archivejan95/msg00098.html

List of Schools Teaching Amateur Radio
http://www.baylor.edu/~Michelle_Toon/BEARS/Additional_Pages/SchoolClubs.html

A Basic Crystal Set -- Amateur Radio Tutorial Pages
http://my.integritynet.com.au/purdic/crystal_set.htm
ARRL: American Radio Relay League - national amateur radio organization
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/ - Educational Activities
http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html - Getting Started in Ham Radio
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/teacher/ - Teacher Support Programs
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/teacher/curriculum.html -- table of related skills learned

How Radio Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/radio.htm
The Simplest AM Radio
http://www.howstuffworks.com/radio6.htm
Class Workshop: How to Build a Crystal Radio
http://www.moah.org/education/catxtalradio.html
My First Ever Crystal Radio Kit for My 6th Birthday
http://www.hanssummers.com/radio/crystal/intro.htm
Build Simple Radios
http://scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/homemade_radio.html
Build Your Own Crystal Shortwave Receiver
http://antiqueradio.org/econmain.htm
Crystal Set Society -- kits, parts, plans, books, and many other resources
http://www.midnightscience.com/
Crystal Radio Kit for $6.25
http://www.elexp.com/kit_x901.htm
Radio Science Kits at The Science Store
http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/Technology/sound-comm/ts220.htm
A Selective Razor Blade Crystal Radio
http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/BUILD_XTAL_RADIO_1.html

Antique Radio Supply -- crystal radio kits & old-style ear & headphones
Antique Electronic Supply
Over 10,000 square feet of: vacuum tubes, books, radio kits, transformers, sockets, capacitors, resistors, literature, cabinet restoration materials, wire, grill cloth, gifts, tools, information.
Antique Wireless Association
http://www.antiquewireless.org/
American Museum of Radio
http://www.antique-radio.org/
Antique Crystal Sets -- German Museum
http://www.rmrl.de/guest/radios/radio_e.htm
Antique Communications: Radio, Telephone, Telegraph, Phonograph
http://www.purveyor.com/radio.htm
Antique Radio
http://hamgallery.com/links/antique/
Antique Radio Links
http://www.ddy.com/oldradios.html
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/
Hammond Museum of Radio
http://www.kwarc.on.ca/hammond/
Photos of Antique Crystal Radio Sets -- French Museum
http://jcverdier.museum.online.fr/misc_crystal_sets.htm
Radio Revolutionized the World -- Lesson with Media Activity
http://www.justthink.org/lessons/2radiolessons/radio.html
Radio Reflects Society: Roaring in 1926
http://www.justthink.org/lessons/2radiolessons/actradio.html
United States Early Radio History
http://www.ipass.net/~whitetho/index.html

Foxhole Radios -- WWII
http://members.aol.com/djadamson7/articles/foxhole.html
WWII Foxhole Radio
http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/FOXHOLE_RADIO.html
Construction of Radios in a Japanese POW Camp -- WWII
http://histru.bournemouth.ac.uk/CHiDE/
Oral_History_of_Defence_Electronics/r_g_wells.htm
Notes on Crystal Sets for the Guidance of POWs
http://www.adonald.btinternet.co.uk/Crystal/Crystal.html
WWII Foxhole and P.O.W. built radios: History and Construction
http://freeweb.pdq.net/headstrong/foxhole.HTM

Where to Buy Shortwave Radios on the Web:

Universal Radio, Inc. - Ohio
friendly people, good service, sells used equipment radio sales, low prices, & publishes the best free print catalog http://www.universal-radio.com/

AES - Amateur Radio Supplies
radio sales, low prices, free print catalog, sells used equipment stores in 4 locations, closest in Cleveland, Ohio http://www.aesham.com/index.html

Grove Radio - North Carolina
radio sales & publisher of Monitoring Times magazine http://www.grove-ent.com/

Ham Radio Outlet
radio sales, print catalog, low prices, sells used equipment & free shipping if $100
stores in 12 locations, closest in Salem, New Hampshire http://www.hamradio.com/

C. Crane Radio - Fortuna, California
-radio sales outlet with print catalog,high prices http://www.ccrane.com/
http://www.ccrane.com/becker_mexico.asp - for your car

The RadioFinder - Plymouth, Michigan
good photos of old radios, sells rebuilt vacuum tube radios, friendly owner & good work done by skilled radio restoration craftsmen http://www.radiofinder.com/

Radio Receiver Shopping List - no sales here, just good information
consumer reviews from Radio Nederlands Techies
http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/index.html
http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/rx_index.html


LESSON PLANS

"Radio Revolutionized the World" (Classroom Lesson with Accompanying Media Activity) http://www.justthink.org/lessons/2radiolessons/radio.html

School of the Air Radio http://www.side.wa.edu.au/etu/hfradio.html

LEARNZ99 for Teacher http://www.learnz.org.nz/99/Teachers/

WEB QUESTS

Radio Days
http://www.branson.k12.mo.us/langarts/radio/radio.htm
"Back before there were televisions and computers, there was radio. Families of the 1930s and 1940s would gather around the radio and listen to their favorite programs such as Little Orphan Annie, Amos and Andy, The Guiding Light, and The Shadow. Millions of Americans tuned in daily to their favorite programs, just as today we tune in to our favorite television shows. Radio allowed the listener to create their own images of characters and settings, a luxury that we no longer have in these days of television. Take a journey back to the "Golden Age of Radio" as you learn about Radio Days."

Radio Discovery

http://www.windarooss.qld.edu.au/Main_Pages/Radio_Webquest/welcome.htm

"Believe it or not... There was once a time before television, a time when people had to use their imagination. There were no pictures and no colour to help tell the story, only actors' voices, sound effects and music. It was the heyday of radio!"

Radio Production WebQuest http://pd.impaq.com.au/Talo_Online/webquests/radio/
"We all listen to our favourite radio stations and enjoy the music programs and sometimes the talkback. Radio DJ's make it sound soooo easy don't they? But is it a matter of getting a number of CD's and broadcasting them? Or do you think there is more to it? But have you ever thought about the work that goes into producing a radio show? Or the role of the other people acting behind-the-scenes in getting a radio broadcast ready?"

Radio-Locator - formerly the MIT list of radio stations on the Internet http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/home
"Welcome to Radio-Locator, the most comprehensive radio station search engine on the internet. We have links to over 10,000 radio station web pages and over 2500 audio streams from radio stations in the U.S. and around the world."

Scanner Listening Resources - local VHF & UHF FM transmissions

Live Scanners on the Web: Police, Fire, Aircraft
http://www.policescanner.com/
http://www.yesic.com/~pilon/securityinfo/radio.htm

How Scanner Radios Work
http://www.howstuffworks.com/radio-scanner.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/radio-scanner6.htm (scanner links)

Scanner Radio Web Ring -- 400 websites
http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=radioscanner&list

All Ohio Scanner Club -- scanner listening resources http://aosc.rpmdp.com/

CARMA - Chicago Area Scanner Club - scanner listening resources
http://www.theramp.net/shabec/carma.htm

Listen to Fast Food Restaurants on Your Scanner -- frequency list
http://www.panix.com/clay/scanning/Frequencies/handy-info/fast-food.txt

Police Ten-Codes -- meanings listed, i.e. "10-4", etc.
http://www.theramp.net/shabec/codes.htm

SW Radio Listening Organizations

Ontario DX Society & "Intro. to Mediumwave and Shortwave DXing" excellent SWL club site, with many resources & listening guides
http://www.odxa.on.ca/
http://www.odxa.on.ca/beginnersguide/dxguide.html

MARE - Michigan Areas Radio Enthusiasts - lots of SWL, ham & scanner info
http://detroit.freenet.org/sigs/radio/

ACE - Organization of Clandestine Radio Enthusiasts (spy stations)
http://www.frn.net/ace/

ANARC - Association of North American Radio Clubs
http://www.anarc.org/

NASWA -- North American Shortwave Association
http://www.anarc.org/naswa/

SPEEDX -- Shortwave & DXing Club
http://www.cybercomm.net/~slapshot/speedx.html

Pirate Radio News -- unlicensed radio stations, mostly on shortwave
http://www.0171.com/ciuk/pirate.htm

ICECAST
You can stream your music collection to the whole Internet from your favorite Linux distribution. Take some playlist files, add in the functionality of the Icecast server, and you have your own Web-based radio stream. Use it to listen to music remotely on your home machine, or tell your friends and become the next Internet radio phenomenon.

Introduction - GNU Radio GNU Radio is a free & open-source software development toolkit that provides signal processing blocks to implement software radios. It can be used with readily-available low-cost external RF hardware to create software-defined radios, or without hardware in a simulation-like environment. It is widely used in hobbyist, academic and commercial environments to support both wireless communications research and real-world radio systems.
GNU Radio, a free software defined radio discussion list.
Mailing List: discuss-gnuradio IRC: #gnuradio on freenode.net Slack: slack.gnuradio.org

John Gilmore re: "How to secure Software Defined Radios"

Amateur Radio International Space Station (ARISS)
School Application Form for an organized radio contact with the International Space Station
ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station The ARISS program provides a thrilling introduction to space exploration, an opportunity to learn about life on board the ISS as well as a hands-on taste of how exciting Amateur Radio can be.

Tutorial on Spread Spectrum Radio and it's application

Find out who is the the nation's longest running high school radio station since 1949!

ISS - the International Space Station Fan Club

6/12/03 (IEEE) approved the new 802.11g standard for wireless local area networks (LANs) after a complicated three-year standardization process. The new standard sets requirements for wireless LAN equipment that will have to meet a carrying capacity of 24Mbps to 54Mbps in the 2.4GHz radio spectrum range. Wireless LAN gear under the new standard will still have to be backward compatible with existing 802.11b equipment.