SLARC: Second Life Amateur Radio Club

As someone who's into amateur radio myself, I'm taking it upon myself to form up an in-world club for those who share the interest.

If you currently hold your license, or are just interested in what amateur radio is, this would be a great opportunity to get together with others and enjoy two hobbies (radio and SL) at once!

For those who aren't so much in the know with respect to what amateur radio is, here's a quick rundown on some of the things amateur radio operators do:

1. Send e-mail back and forth using networks other than the Internet (even via our own satellites!)
   
2. Talk to people all around the world, even in places where they don't have access to the Internet
   
3. Use IM-like facilities to chat with one another...without using the Internet
   

Of course, there's the more serious stuff too, like...

1. Provide communications for the public, both during emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina and during less stressful events such as bike races
   
2. Provide spotting services during severe weather events
   

So, whether you're licensed now or just think it sounds interesting, become a charter member of SLARC today! Just IM Morse Dillon for details...

I am a radio amateur in the VE7 region of Canada. I am a member of several ham clubs and participate in numerous nets and programs such as OSCAR, SAREX, IPARN and AMSAT.

Unfortunately, I am unwilling to divulge my complete call sign because my license is associated with my station location (QTH) and is public information as to my full name, street address and city.

I don't need a big neon sign over my house, there are some creepy people in SL.

lol in this day in age weedy you know for a fact there are various ways to get that info but yes Sl does have weird folk *buys plane tickets to get a cup of coffee from weedy* lol

As for the radio, thats a great idea I guess, don't know much about Amatuer Radio but i don't see why you cant use SL to make a club or that

You just killed the whole stereo type I had for amateur radio in my head.

I'm pretty sure Weedy was talking about me!

Weedy:

I had thought about the privacy aspect, and came to the conclusion that there's no real reason we *have* to share callsigns to participate in the group. In fact, I hadn't planned on making my call public (at first anyway). Would you be interested if there was no requirement to ever share your call?

i've moved this thread from General to Notices and Well Wishes.

the announcement of groups is an increasing trend on the forum and unfortunately we have no particular place for such announcements, except for where i've moved this thread to.

if anybody would like to propose the idea, i'm of the mind that another new forum (hey, we can never have enough, right? hehe) might be a good idea for these type of announcements.

in any case, i wish your SLARC group well.

Absolutely!

ROFL Beau

No, not all hams are not feeble old men locking themselves in the radio shack, with little else to do but talk someone's ear off about the war.

A few years ago, the morse code requirement for amateur radio was removed as a pre-requisite from licensing for radio operators above 30 MHz. Power is limited to 250 watts at input. However, 8 and 15 words per minute code proficiency is still required for the HF bands. All radio amateurs still must pass an examination as to technical theories and practices, because many hams build and service their own equipment.

Computers play a large role in amateur radio these days with CW (electronic morse coding and decoding), Satellite tracking, SSTV (Slow Scan Television), Packet (computer to computer links) and radio repeater control. I particularily enjoy satellite and other space communications with OSCAR (Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) and SAREX (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment). I have made contacts with the space shuttle and several with the cosmonauts aboard MIR, which is no longer in orbit.

Hams are often the first line of communication during civil disasater. For example, I happened to be in L.A. during the Northridge earthquake. Needless to say, the airwaves were highly active, with first-hand reports.

I highly encourage anyone to learn amateur radio.

You move this thread to Notices and Well Wishes, and yet you leave the 2.0 preview thread, which has nothing to do with SL, and which you commented in more than once, in General?

Go consistancy!

please refer to the 2.0 thread for an explanation about why it remained there.

Yeah, I did, it's bullshit.

Jonq,

Please don't hijack my thread...pretty please?