“During the week of the 9th to 13th of February over 18,000 students took part in a range of interactive engineering related activities in 20 counties across Ireland. The activities ranged from the following:.. more

I was asked if I could co-ordinate with Waterford IT the running/scheduling of the event on behalf of the Irish Radio Transmitters Society. The IRTS had developed a Morse Code Oscillator Kit, along with a presentation to be given beforehand. As it turned out, I ended up doing the presentation myself, along with assistance from a colleague.

We entertained students from Waterpark College on the first day and students from the Ursuline Convent the second (some pics here). I say entertained, as all the students were quite sceptical at the beginning of the class. But seemed prepared to give the kit a chance after watching the Jay Leno Clip (below).

At the end of the first day, only one group from Waterpark hadn’t got their oscillator going, the second day, there were a two or three kits that weren’t fully functional by the time they had to leave.  That said they all seemed to have a go at it, glad of the distraction from normal classes.  Some even had a go at sending Morse Code to one another.

I was reliably informed last week that at least one student out of the two classes intends to have a go at the Radio Experimenter exam, so I guess we can chalk that down as a ‘success’, and as good experience.