Radio Technology Unit
In the Spring of 2018 I began work on a potential Amateur Radio project based curriculum aligned with an existing electronics design unit. I was focused on scaffolding student learning from basic electronics up to PCB design and fabrication.
Initially 3 distinct projects came about:
- Morse Key
- Crystal Radio Fabrication
- Antenna Design for Radio Wayfinding(Foxhunting)
The design and fabrication of a Morse Key was an easy pairing with lectures on simple circuitry and an intro to electronics. Students design and assembl a key and it is wired up at a test bench. This bench allowa students to send messages on a very low power AM transimtter in my classroom. This facilitates a transition to focusing on radio transmitters and recievers.
A Crystal Radio reciever project allows for students to design, troubleshoot, and fabricate circuits. Students learn about wireless radio technology as they prototype crystal radios recievers. Students iterate twice. First using alternate materials that can be used in place of traditional electronics components. During their second iteration students learn how to design and fabricate circuits using CAD and a PCB Mill. With this comprehensive overview or Radio Technology the goal is to now physically see its application outside of the classroom.
For the Antenna Design and Wayfinding portion of this unit students would learn about Amateur Radio, experience Wayfinding GPRS or Foxhunting, and understand various applications of radio tech. As this project ususally runs in the late spring students are tasked with creating a YAGI antenna using any means necessary in our shops. Most students opt to use the Tape Measure Yagi method, however others find whatever conductive materials make sense according to their choice of design. Adjacent to this students briefly revisit the Arduino Platform and learn how to create a transmitter circuit using their PCB design and fabrication skills. Finally the project culminates with students testing their anntenna and transmitters while hooked up to handheld radios(which you need a callsign to operate fully, re:Amateur Radio).
A greater part of the third portion of this unit is thanks to support from ARRL and their Wireless Technology Education team. Not only have they helped with curriculum but also through grants for a classroom shack, gear for foxhunting, and materials of all kinds. This unit was the basis of my former Engineering 1 course and some of it’s lesson plans are now in the ARRL Education Resources Archive. Here is my copy!
Additionally if you’re interested in the PCB design, see here.