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SOUTH FLORIDA SCIENCE MUSEUM DEBUTS AMATEUR RADIO
(West Palm Beach, FL) Anyone out there? The South Florida Science Museum announces its new Amateur Radio station, according to Lew Crampton, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum. With help from licensed Amateur Radio operators, often called “Hams,” museum visitors will be able to “get on the air” and talk around the world using amateur radio. Contacts will also be attempted using ham radio satellites in space.
“The amateur radio station is another new experience we have for guests at the Museum,” saidCrampton. “We have modeled this after an award winning program at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix. It will be exciting to see wherein the world museum visitors are able to make contact.”
Debuting this month at the October 29 “Nights at the Museum,” the new amateur radio will initially be open to museum visitors on weekends, holidays and during the monthly “Nights at the Museum,” the last Friday of each month. In addition to the radio station itself, future fun and educational activities may include amateur radio classes for people who want to get their license, a Boy Scout Amateur Radio Merit Badge program and even a scheduled contact with the International Space Station using Amateur Radio
“Imagine sitting at a radio and talking to people in the distant lands – senators and sailors, astronauts and farmers,” said David Fowler, American Radio Relay League Public Information Officer. “Imagine hearing world events as they happen or hearing a voice break through the air calling you. With technologies such as digital modes, satellites and software controlled radios, museum visitors will see and experience modern amateur radio for the 21st century. Our members will staff the exhibit and look forward to an exciting partnership with the Museum.”
The South Florida Science Museum provides curious minds of all ages with an entertaining and educational journey through science and technology. Located in West Palm Beach, the museum features more than 50 hands-on exhibits, a digital planetarium, freshwater and saltwater aquariums, as well as natural history exhibitions. Each year the museum welcomes more than 120,000 visitors and reaches more than 55,000 students through workshops at the museum and outreach programs to local schools. Established in 1961, the museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to exciting curiosity and furthering the understanding and appreciation of science and technology.
The South Florida Science Museum is located at 4801 Dreher Trail North in West Palm Beach. Museum admission, which includes the “Animal Grossology” exhibition, is: Adults $11.95; Seniors 62+ $10.50; and children ages three-12 $8.95, under three years and Museum members are free. For more information about the South Florida Science Museum or the Amateur Radio station, please call 561-832-1988 or visit www.sfsm.org.
