Camps and big events

• Radio Adventure weekend
• Newbies On The Air UK
• Camp Young Radio

Radio Adventure weekend

Weekend Radio Camp

Event Details

• Name of the event: Radio Adventure Weekend
• Participants: 8
• Experience Level: Beginners (newly licensed)
• Duration: 2 nights

Location and Facilities

• Space Needed:
  • Camping site with 2 mobile homes (each housing 4 people)
  • Open space for antenna setup and outdoor activities

Food

• Meals:
  • Total: 91 meals (56 for participants, 35 for organizers)
  • Meals needed: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
  • Simple, easy-to-prepare meals like sandwiches, BBQ, salads, pasta, and campfire cooking
  • Food will be organized by the event team, with supplies from local stores

Finances

• Budget:

  • 600€ for mobile homes
  • 400€ for food
  • 100€ for custom event t-shirts
  • 50€ for souvenirs (small keepsakes, pins, stickers, etc.)
  • Total: 1,150€

• Funding:

  • Event fees (to cover accommodation and food)
  • Small sponsorships from local clubs or businesses
  • Fundraising through social media campaigns

Materials and Equipment

• Radio Gear:

  • Radios, antennas, cables, amplifiers
  • Laptops, monitors for digital logging and data analysis
  • Spare batteries, chargers, and power sources

• Camping Essentials:

  • Mosquito repellant, sunscreen, and basic first aid supplies
  • Sport equipment for free time (e.g., frisbees, balls, etc.)

Organizer Preparations

• Key Preparations:
  • Plan the event timeline and budget
  • Recruit a working group to help with logistics and event management
  • Assign a social media manager to handle promotion and updates
  • Create social media accounts and launch a promotional campaign to attract participants and sponsors
  • Organize and purchase sport equipment, camping gear, and radio equipment

Participant Checklist

• What to Bring:
  • Comfortable clothes (suitable for outdoor activities)
  • Personal medicine and toiletries
  • Flashlight or camping lamp
  • Hat for sun protection
  • Portable power bank for phones/devices

Event Structure

Day One

• Lunch Time: Arrivals, settling into mobile homes
• Afternoon:
  • Program introduction (welcoming ceremony)
  • Brainstorming session: participants come up with activity ideas (the winning idea will be implemented on Day 2)
  • Free time: sports, radio activities, socializing
• Evening:
  • Game night with icebreaker activities to encourage interaction
  • Bonfire: storytelling, music, and campfire songs

Day Two

• Morning:
  • Group sightseeing trip around the area
  • Free time for sports or more radio operation practice
• Afternoon:
  • Hands-on kit building workshop
  • Antenna building session (learning the basics of antenna setup)
• Evening:
  • Meteor scatter communication demonstration (using radio waves to bounce off meteors in the atmosphere)

Newbies On The Air UK

NOTA - Newbies On The Air

Event Details

• Name of the event: NOTA - Newbies On The Air
• Participants: 15 - 20
• Experience Level: Beginner (Newbies)
• Duration: 2 Days (1 Night Sleep)

Location and Facilities

• Space Needed:
  • Dormitory accommodation
  • Fully stocked toilets and shower facilities
  • Canteen with various food options (including vegetarian/vegan)
  • Special events station area for radio operations
  • A small room for teaching and workshops
  • Outdoor areas with marquees for activities

Food

• Meals:
  • Day 1: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, and optionally Dinner (depending on check-out time)
  • Organized by the event team with a variety of options available to accommodate dietary needs

Finances

• Budget:

  • Accommodation: £1,200 - £4,800
  • Food: £1,400 - £3,000
  • Venue: £6,000 - £12,000
  • Bills: £1,000
  • Total Estimated Cost: £9,600 - £20,800

• Funding:

  • Event fees from participants
  • Sponsorships from local businesses or amateur radio clubs
  • Crowdfunding or online donations

Materials and Equipment

• Event Materials:
  • Basic kit-building materials, with pre-organized components and detailed instructions
  • Whiteboard for teaching sessions
  • Radio equipment: transceivers, antennas, cables, computers for logging and digital modes
  • Soldering kits for hands-on activities (seasonal-themed kits like Christmas trees during holidays)
  • Reliable internet connection for research and digital radio modes

Organizer Preparations

• Key Preparations:
  • Create a detailed event timetable, including time slots for operating the event station
  • Pre-prepare kits with all necessary components to avoid confusion
  • Secure access to emergency supplies and snacks
  • Book accommodation and organize food service
  • Set up a Discord server or similar platform for communication and coordination
  • Coordinate with local radio clubs for volunteers to help with setup and mentoring

Participant Checklist

• What to Bring:
  • Handheld radio
  • Sufficient clothing and toiletries for 2 days
  • Some cash or card for personal expenses
  • Any personal radio equipment participants want to use

Event Structure

• Day One:

  • Morning: Arrivals and check-in, followed by an introductory briefing
  • Late Morning: Basic workshops covering the fundamentals of amateur radio (frequencies, antennas, basic operating procedures)
  • Afternoon: Kit building (beginner-friendly kits with instructions) and setting up the event station
  • Evening: Group dinner followed by an icebreaker event (such as a radio-related game or scavenger hunt)
  • Night: Open-air stargazing or outdoor free time by the fire

• Day Two:

  • Morning: Optional group sightseeing or outdoor activity
  • Late Morning: Time slots for operating the event station, with guidance from experienced volunteers
  • Afternoon: Participants split into interest groups for activities of their choice (antenna building, digital modes, satellite communication demos, etc.)
  • Late Afternoon: Closing remarks, certificates of participation, and group photos
  • Evening (optional): Farewell dinner (depending on check-out time)

• Optional:

  • License exam opportunities for participants (if applicable in the region, e.g., UK sub-regional camp)
  • Free time for socializing, relaxing, and experimenting with personal radio setups

Camp Young Radio

Camp Young Radio

Event Details

• Name of the event: Camp Young Radio
• Participants: 15 participants (ages 10-14), 5 organizers, technical staff, and lecturers
• Experience Level: No experience, no license
• Duration: Friday evening - Sunday afternoon

Location and Facilities

• Space Needed:
  • A country where operating without a license is authorized with supervision
  • Established radio station
  • A classroom for lectures
  • Kitchen for meal preparation

Food

• Meals:
  • Friday evening: Dinner
  • Saturday: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Sunday: Breakfast and packed lunch
  • Meals will be prepared by the organizers and participants, ensuring variety and balanced nutrition

Finances

• Funding:
  • Funded by local community groups, participants' families, and a local amateur radio club
  • Expenses cover food, possible rent for the venue, and equipment maintenance
  • Budget kept minimal with community and volunteer support

Materials and Equipment

• Equipment:
  • Radios: HF radios and PMRs (Personal Mobile Radios) for each participant
  • Wire antennas for outdoor setups
  • Car batteries or access to electricity for powering radio equipment

Organizer Preparations

• In Advance:
  • Prepare lectures and fun, engaging activities
  • Organize radios and local ham operators for QSO (radio contact) simulations
  • Plan games and icebreakers to ensure participants feel comfortable and connected
  • Coordinate with local hams to be on-air for live QSO interactions

Participant Checklist

• What to Bring:
  • Notebooks and water bottles
  • Outdoor clothing (suitable for hiking or outdoor activities)

Event Structure

Friday Evening

• Arrival and Ice-Breaker Games:
  • Introduce yourself using the phonetic alphabet
  • Other fun group games to build camaraderie
  • Overview of the weekend’s schedule
• Night: Settle in, prepare for an exciting weekend ahead, and lights out

Saturday

• Morning:
  • Breakfast
  • QSO Lecture: Introduction to radios, QSO basics (what to say, how to listen), and radio etiquette
  • Off-the-Air QSOs: Practice making contact with other participants using PMRs
• Afternoon:
  • Lunch
  • PMR Hide and Seek: Teams use PMRs to find hidden transmitters or each other, learning about signal strength and direction
  • Free Time: Explore the camp, enjoy outdoor activities, or chat with organizers about radios
• Evening:
  • First Live QSO: Participants make their first supervised QSOs using the station radio, connecting with local ham operators on air
  • Dinner

Sunday

• Morning:
  • Breakfast
  • Special Activity (SOTA/POTA/IOTA): Introduction to SOTA (Summits On The Air), POTA (Parks On The Air), or IOTA (Islands On The Air). Participants go outdoors, break into smaller groups, and build simple stations with antennas and PMRs or HF radios
  • Practice making QSOs from their own stations in the field
• Afternoon:
  • Lunch to Go: Packed lunch as participants finish up their activities
  • Departure: Travel back home or to the event’s end location, closing the camp with a quick debrief

Closing

• Brief recap of the weekend’s activities and a final group photo
• Encourage participants to explore further into the amateur radio hobby, with information about local clubs or online resources