Members Articles

PARA Operator Involved in STEM Immersion Program on Amateur Radio Satellites

By Anthony Guiller E. Urbano, DU1AU
June 2023

Students from the Philippine Science High School - Central Mindanao and Southern Mindanao Campuses and Ateneo De Davao University participated in a STEM Immersion Program with UP NISMED. During the immersion program, the interns built a satellite antenna using inexpensive materials such as copper tubing and PVC pipes to communicate via amateur radio satellites. They used a radio transceiver to send and receive signals to and from a satellites in orbit. They also learned about Morse Code transmissions, and discussed amateur radio licensing requirements.

STEM Immersion interns build an improvised satellite antenna using copper tubing and PVC pipe (left). Interns use an amateur radio equipment to contact nearby and distant radio users (right)

The immersion program on 26 to 27 June 2023 was supervised by Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA) member and licensed operator Mr. Anthony Guiller Urbano (DU1AU) and Dr. Mark Angelo Purio of Adamson University’s Space Technology and Research Laboratories (STARLab). It is a pilot program of University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED) which aims to expose students to activities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that will help them in their future careers.

Night Sky in Focus | Astronomy and Amateur Radio
© Anthony Urbano | Manila, Philippines