News Page 8 - SARCNET

During the meeting we proposed a joint effort between the MARTG and SARCNET to design, develop, launch, track, publicise and promote a free-floating, sea-buoy equipped with an Amateur Radio beacon capable of reporting its own position and telemetering relevant science information as it is carried around the Earth’s oceans on prevailing sea currents. The purpose of the project would be to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to school students using the world-wide resources of Amateur Radio. It should be possible for all participating Amateur Radio operators to track the buoy over the air and for students to monitor its position and telemetry on-line. The project should promote both Amateur Radio as a hobby and STEM learning in schools. The work would involve a professional level of project management, systems engineering, hardware and software design and fabrication, system integration and testing. The artefacts of which should all be open source, fully documented and freely disseminated on-line. A documentary-style video production would be used to chronicle the effort, success and lessons learnt. Worldwide Amateur Radio magazine articles and bulletins would be prepared to promote the launch and tracking of the device. School lesson plans should be provided to engage and capture the imagination of students around the world. They would present the science behind the venture, the role of Amateur Radio as a global resource and illustrate the use of telemetry from unmanned missions in the discovery of natural phenomena.