The Radio Club welcomed Scouts from 6th Greenock and District Scout Group, together with their leader Mathew. They were visiting the shack to complete their Communicator Badge. Prior to arrival the Scouts had completed most of the requirements, as detailed in the radio club workbooks, ably assisted by their leader.

All participants enthusiastically played our Morse Code Battleships and Bomb Disposal games as well as a number of other computer-based games, designed by various members of the radio club, to test and enhance their knowledge of Amateur Radio.

Additionally, the remaining requirement for the badge were completed i.e. tuning a radio, sending messages over the airwaves and logging stations received. They were the first group to use the new electronic logging and mapping software. All of which was voted a great success by the group.

A most enjoyable and fun evening was had by all. Thanks again to Mathew for all his hard work in preparing the group and the Scouts for their enthusiasm.

The Scout Radio Club would like to thank Tim Makins EI8IC for the mapping software and Inverclyde Community Fund for additional funding.

Greenock District Scouts Amateur Radio Club, using the call sign GB0GGR, joined with Girlguiding Renfrewshire to celebrate World Thinking Day.

Greenock Division of the Girlguiding organisation welcomed approximately 500 young people and their leaders from across Renfrewshire County to the town on Saturday 17th February.

The radio club provided radio related activities and for many of the participants it was their first experience of Amateur Radio. Most of them were able to send greetings messages across the airwaves. This was enhanced by our ability to show the young people the paths taken by our signals in order to reach the contacts, using the excellent software Timemapper UHD devised by Tim Makins EI8IC.

Using an idea taken from a contact of we made during Jamboree on the air (JOTA) we introduced a survey regarding Pizza Toppings. The idea was for the participants to feel more relaxed when using the microphone by asking the question of their contact “should pineapple be on a pizza?” For those interested, the answer was a resounding NO!

Also on offer was our ever-popular Morse Code Battleships game and various radio related desktop activities. The Brownies in particular eagerly participated in radio and Thinking Day Bingo.

Outdoors, there were a number of activities including a QR code game, featuring Amateur Radio and Thinking Day questions.

Our Scout operators were ably assisted by Gourock District Commissioner, Jane Morwood, who ensured a smooth throughput of visitors as well as leading the young people in a number of the activities.

Throughout the day the station was visited by a some Girlguiding dignitaries including Girlguiding Renfrewshire County Commissioner, Sheila Young and Girlguiding Greenock Division Commissioner, Wilma Caroll.

All in all, a good day was had by everyone, operators and visitors, and we look forward to welcoming more young people at our next event.

The January 2024 edition of the Radio Society of Great Britain’s Monthly Magazine, RadCom, features an article on the 2023 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). The article highlights our club’s participation in the event and is illustrated with a photograph of one of our District’s Explorers.

Greenock and District Scouts Amateur Radio Club, MM0TSG, hosted a very successful JOTA/JOTI event, using the call sign GB0GDS, over the weekend of 21^st and 22^nd October 2023. Club members were ably assisted by a young Scout who is just beginning his amateur radio journey. Having recently completed the Scout Communication Award, he has now begun working towards gaining the Foundation Licence.

Young people from all sections of the Scout organisation were able to speak with Scouts from other areas of the UK and across the world using the clubs HF radio equipment and the Scout Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel. Among the many stations contacted was the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park, GB3RS.

Other internet and computer related activities included Scout Minecraft and a bomb disposal game where communications skills are required to relay details of how to defuse the remote bomb. Our younger attendees were able to explore the environment and find hidden creatures using the Under Leaves game.

Also on offer were a number of radio related games developed by club members. Beavers enjoyed a Phonetic Alphabet and Morse Code treasure hunt and the highly popular Radio Bingo. Our call sign and radio terminology word searches and crosswords were well used by all including the Leaders.

The return of Morse Code Battleships introduced the code and although used by all, was a particular favourite with the Explorer Scouts, where it was developed into a fiercely fought competition.

All of these games were developed for the prime purpose of introducing Radio Communications to Scout Groups and are used by club members who help deliver the various levels of Scout Communications Awards throughout Greenock and District Scouts. 

We would like to give our thanks to all who participated, the young people, their leaders and friends of the club from the Amateur Radio and Scouting world.

Special thanks to the Amateur Radio operators who took the time to speak with our young people.  
Photographs MM3UVL