Help GSARA Build 20 Complete Ham Radio Kits for Local Students
This summer, GSARA will help introduce 20 students to amateur radio through a hands-on youth radio camp.
The goal is not simply to demonstrate a radio or let each student make a quick contact. We want every participant to build something, understand how the components work together, and leave with a complete radio and antenna kit they can continue using after the camp.
For many children and families, the cost of getting started in amateur radio can be a significant barrier. A radio, antenna, feed line, connectors, adapters, and hardware may not seem like much individually, but the total cost can quickly make the hobby inaccessible.
As amateur radio operators, we have an opportunity to help remove that barrier and give these students a meaningful start in the hobby.
Twenty Radios for Twenty Students
Through a joint effort between GSARA, N1JUR and Radioddity, 20 Baofeng UV-5R Mini radios will be donated—one for each student attending the camp.
This donation provides the foundation for the project, but a radio alone is not a complete station. Each student will also need an antenna, a coax feed line, a radio adapter, mounting hardware, and other components required to complete the build.
Our ultimate goal is to prepare 20 complete kit bags before the camp.
Each bag will contain the radio, prepared building materials, antenna components, coax assembly, adapters, fittings, and hardware needed for the project. By organizing everything into individual kits in advance, we can hand each student a complete package and get them started quickly.
This preparation will reduce delays, prevent missing parts, and allow our volunteers to spend more time teaching, answering questions, and helping the students successfully complete their builds.
Materials We Still Need
We are asking club members, local amateur radio operators, businesses, and community supporters to help us collect the remaining supplies.
Coax, Connectors, and Adapters
We currently need:
Approximately 25 PL-259 coax connectors, either crimp-on or solder type
A spool of RG-58 coax cable OR
Long or miscellaneous lengths of RG-58 that can be cut and reused
20 SMA-female-to-SO-239 pigtail adapters for connecting the antennas to the Baofeng Mini radios
The pigtail adapters can be found here: https://amzn.to/4pkOLCs
Each student kit will require approximately 2 feet of RG-58 coax with a PL-259 connector installed at the radio end. The opposite end of the coax will be attached directly to the antenna.
PVC and Antenna-Building Materials
We are also seeking donations of:
3/4-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe
3/4-inch PVC cross fittings
3/4-inch PVC T-fittings
Stainless-steel hose clamps sized from approximately 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches
14-gauge wire
For each student kit, we expect to need approximately:
Two 3/4-inch PVC cross fittings
Two 3/4-inch PVC T-fittings
Six stainless-steel hose clamps
One five-inch piece of 14-gauge wire
Pre-cut sections of 3/4-inch Schedule 40 PVC
Donations of full PVC lengths are welcome. We will also need volunteers who can help measure and cut the PVC into the required sections.
Kit Assembly at Our August Club Meeting
At our next GSARA club meeting in August, members will work together to prepare and assemble the student kits for the camp.
There will be several ways to help, regardless of experience level. Members can assist with:
Measuring and cutting RG-58 coax
Installing PL-259 connectors
Measuring and cutting PVC pipe
Preparing short sections of 14-gauge wire
Sorting fittings, clamps, adapters, and hardware
Placing the components into individual kit bags
Checking each bag against a master parts list
Confirming that all 20 kits are complete and ready for the students
This preparation is essential to the success of the camp. A missing connector, adapter, clamp, or piece of PVC could prevent a student from completing the project.
By assembling the bags in advance, we can begin the camp with everything organized and ready to go.
How You Can Help
Before purchasing anything new, please look through your shack, workshop, garage, storage bins, or leftover project supplies.
A partial spool of RG-58, unused PVC fittings, spare connectors, hose clamps, or leftover wire may already be exactly what we need. Used or surplus materials are welcome as long as they are safe, serviceable, and appropriate for the project.
You can support this effort by:
Donating materials
Purchasing one or more needed components
Helping cut and prepare PVC
Helping assemble coax feed lines
Attending the August meeting to sort and pack the kits
Sharing this request with other amateur radio operators or community partners
Every donation and every hour of volunteer time brings us closer to preparing 20 complete kits.
More Than Just a Radio
Our goal is not simply to hand a child a radio.
We want every student to receive a complete and usable setup, successfully participate in the build, understand what they assembled, and leave with the confidence to continue exploring amateur radio.
A connector or piece of coax may seem like a small contribution, but it could be the final part needed to put a working radio station into the hands of a young person.
With the help of our members and community, we can give these students more than equipment. We can give them an opportunity to learn, build, communicate, and discover where amateur radio might take them.
Thank you for helping GSARA invest in the next generation of amateur radio.
Please email membership@gsara.org with your donation details, questions, or other requests.