SCOUTING FRS RADIO CODE (revised 22 June 2003) Side 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Family Radio Service is ideal for Scouts where they can learn practical, efficient and safe communications. FRS has 526 ways for people to NOT be able to communicate due to 14 channels and 38 squlech codes. This is OK for a family, but impedes many applications for radios in Scouting. FRS radios are not toys and should not be used as such. Scouting is the ideal place to teach the fundamentals of radio techinque to all kids. Designers assumed consumers would use FRS like a cell phone for one-on-one calls. But for Scouting, FRS radios are used as group RADIO systems to talk to many others need to be used properly to share the channel properly. 1) CALLSIGNS: To tell who is talking, use callsigns! Anonymity encourages abuse. Use callsigns to begin and end any new conversation. Say the call of the person you are calling followed by "this is" and your call. Choose good calls such as your troop number and your initials. For Troop 995, an example would be "995AJB this is 995REB, over". 2) Communications in a group NEVER use the CALL buttons, or RING tones. They cause people to turn their volume down, or off. This makes radio useless. To contact someone, use their callsign. 3) CHANNEL-1 TONE-0: This is the calling channel. If it is quiet, meet fellow hikers and serve others by monitoring this channel for emergencies. 4) SCOUTING CHANNEL: If channel 1 is too busy, try 12, the Scout channel. If still too busy, set tone 5. Remember the 12 points of the scout law and the 5 words in the Scout slogan. GMRS 12 may not be FRS 12 on some radios. 5) PRIVACY TONES: Privacy tones turn off your speaker to 97.5 % of the other users sharing your channel and make it too easy to interfere with others. Also they make it hard for people to contact you. 6) TROOP CHANNELS: At big camps, use your TROOP channel selected as the first two digits of your troop number. If above "14", then use only the first digit. If activity is still to high, then use the LAST two digits of your troop for your tone. If above 38, then use only the last digit. Using these rules will make it possible for anyone to guess your combo and contact you. 7) HAM CHANNEL: Another interesting channel is channel 7 tone 3 where you may find other HAM radio operators using FRS. Only set the tones if you have to... 8) TEACH, NOT SCOLD: Never be critical of someone over the air. Teach proper radio technique by setting a good example and by instruction to new Scouts. Remember, with 38 tones, the other person has a 97% chance of not haring you anyway! Also if someone is acting improperly, you must ignore them. He will get bored and probably go away. 8) FRS NIGHT: Wednesday night at 9 PM is FRS night. Meet new radio friends. Just call "CQ FRS NIGHT, this is xxxxxxx, OVER" on Channel 1 tone 0. 9) MOVE UP TO HAM RADIO: FRS radio is limited in range and power. Learn about HAM radio from a friend or check out http://www.arrl.org. 10) PLAY IT SAFE: FRS radio is a great way to meet new friends and learn about radio. But it is unlicensed and you have no guarantee who may be on the other end. So be smart and use the same safety precautions as with any strangers. Do not reveal any private information and do not meet stangers in any unsafe location. Only communicate with others who use callsigns. HAM RADIO AT CAMP Side 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- WB4APR HAM RADIO is not a boombox or video game or toy. Ham Radio is not anonymous and nothing like a "chatroom". Ham Radio operators are licensed and uniquely identified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Such individuals have learned radio technology and operational techniques and have passed a test demonstrating their knowledge of communications before licensing. HAM RADIO is a two-way radio service for local, national and international communications and especially for emergency communications where normal means of communications are lost or are not available. Ham Radio operators pride themselves in the ability to communicate and practice their emergency communications skills out in the field whenever they get the opportunity. HAM RADIO operation from camp, on hikes, or on trips is fundamental to exploring the limits of communications under a variety of conditions. In this case, Ham Radio is not excluded from camp like other electronics. HAM RADIO can serve several opportunities at camp besides just emergency communications and operating from field situations. Examples: * Hiker communications * camp-to-camp communications * Radio merit badge operations * International awareness and communications * Geography and topography effects on radio waves * Hidden transmitter hunts and Direction Finding (Search-&-Rescue) * Radio Sport (a combinateion of DFing and orienteering) HAM RADIO walkie talkies should not be confused with unlicensed CB or the FRS consumer radios with no individual identification nor individual responsibility for proper operations. Any restrictions on the use of walkie- talkies at camp must consider the distinct differences between these two services in the decision process. Even FRS when properly used can also serve many viable communications needs at camp and as an excellent introduction to radio as long as every-one who uses FRS properly identifies his transmissions and operates responsibly. See the Scouting FRS Radio Code on the reverse of this Pamphlet. Many camps have "HAM Shacks" for the radio merit badge. Consider using FRS as part of that demonstration and teaching these techniques. See the SHACKS-FOR-PACKS section on the reverse side of this pamphlet. SHACKS-FOR-PACKS (and troops and posts) is a program to encourage the permanent installation of HAM Shacks at all camps. These shacks are just simple pre-fab 8x8' sheds which provide a gathering place for kids to learn about radio from any camper or Mom or Dad that has brought his HAM equipment with him. The shack provides a permanent place, an antenna and sometimes a 12 volt power system. Equipment and security are provided by whoever is currently in camp. Thus, the shack is intended to remain open at all times. The only permanently installed electronics will be an FRS base station on the scouting FRS channel 12. For more information see the web page: http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/shacks4packs.html. *************************************************************************** * These guidelines for FRS and Scouting are only a draft. They are not * * yet endorsed by any scouting organization, but we hope to encourage * * their adoption. To keep up-to-date on any changes to this plan, visit * * our web page at: www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/frsplan.txt * * * * Teaching familiarity with this RADIO CODE should be one of requirements * * in the scouting program. I would suggest Tenderfoot. FRS radio can be * * a powerful tool for Scouting, but unless we teach radio technique, FRS * * will become just another noisey toy, banned from all Scout activities * * at great loss to the Scouting program. * * * * Enjoy radio, learn more, and move up to HAM radio! * * Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, Eagle Scout. * ***************************************************************************