Middle School Survived from Earthquake gets New Club Station

BY8BC, the new club station of the Beichuan Middle School of Beichuan county, Sichuan province, went on air for the first time on 18 Nov, 2008. The township of Beichuan county, which is near to the epicenter of a major 8.0 magnitude earthquake in May, was completely devastated. The middle school, more than half of its students killed in the quake, is now based in a temporary campus in a neighboring city. The Sichuan Changhong Group(Ltd) in Mianyang city "adopts" the school with its training facilities.

Ham radio operators in China played an important role in the rescure works of the May 12 quake. Radio enthusiasts all across the country called on for donations and assistances to build more elementary and middle school club stations after the disaster. Hams from Chengdu, Mianyang, Beijing and other parts of China donated the equipments needed for a school club station and applied for the call BY8BC, the surfix prepresents BeiChuan county, which is under reconstructions, where all those school children to return home someday in the future!

The young operators of BY8BC tasted their first ever pileup with calm and stubbornness on the openning ceremony, according to Mr. Yang, BA8AG, from Chengdu. Looking for BY8BC on 14.270Mhz, the Bravo station's calling frequency.










(Translation based on info from BG8AAS)

BY8BC opening ceremony:
http://sccq.net/down/movie/beichuan/zc.rm

BY8BC on air QSOs:
http://sccq.net/down/movie/beichuan/st.rm

 

HAM CLUB TO ALL QUAKE AND TSUNAMI ZONES

U.S has a lot of these quake fault zones and tsunami zones. Installing an accessible amateur radio communication with solar panels or wind turbine power near these areas would be a good idea. Teaching high school kids on how to use a radio and basic operation would be a big help. 75 - 105 years old ham can't run or climb. You might be good in ragchewing but you can't run or carry heavy stuff like car battery.A high school kid is a sprinter who can run and operate the radio ASAP. Ham radio must be included in high school curriculum at least once a year of actual training or this could be credited for community service. Learning how to operate a ham transceiver and not a CB. Let's not wait for another CHINA!
During extreme emergencies; earthquake, tsunami, bio-terrorism,bomb attacks etc..operating a radio for help, FCC license is not important/necessary to operate a radio at any frequency.

>Dandy,K6ZRH

 

Good Luck and 73's to the kids in China. I'm a high school teacher and have a mini shack set up in my classroom. I put in to have the school sponsor an amateur radio club, and I volunteered to use my own equipment. The Board of Ed. shot my request down not seeing an educational value....but there's a fashion club....I put up a G5RV anyway, and the kids who come in work DX etc. Some are getting their licenses too.

 

Great Idea!

This is a great idea to simulltaneously prepare the school and it's students for emergencies! Best of luck to all of you!

73

Gary Wilson, K2GW