Coronation activity ideas – get involved!

Please note that the Society Coronation events finished on 30 June 2023.  This page is retained as a record of them, and since some of the activities might be useful for other events.

These are some suggestions for how radio amateurs and clubs can involve their local communities, youth groups, and as an adjunct to a Special Event Station.

A message from Space

The AO-73 FUNcube-1 satellite will be sending a Coronation message to the United Kingdom, as it travels around the world, from 600km up in Space. Any club or individual holding an event can get visitors to help track the satellite by holding the antenna and pointing it in the right direction.

On Monday 8 May, it goes over twice, at 14.28 and again at 16.04.

You will need a receive dongle and Yagi antenna. The software dashboard can be downloaded from funcube.org.uk

Find the Crown

Outside – a hidden, very low power transmitter can be located with a crown (perhaps in one of three containers) and visitors must find it. This uses simple ARDF techniques and demonstrates the principle of direction finding that is used to track animals, planes etc

Inside – instead of battleships, each player has four crowns hidden on a 5-by-5 grid. Use radio to transmit the grid positions, with PMR446 radios, or with Morse keys, or by Morse texting, or radio over BBC micro:bits (for example )

Radio Battleships

Choose one person to be blindfolded but with an accompanying sighted guide for safety. The other participants direct them to the “treasure” across a large piece of ground, with other participants as obstacles to be steered around, using radio messages alone.

Radios could be PMR446 with the public involved, or amateur handhelds at low power if a radio club event.

This demonstrates the skills needed for reliable message passing and is a fun activity, particularly for teenagers.

Paper circuit on a Crown background

A design for a crown is drawn on a piece of paper or card, in the form of an electrical circuit. This circuit is then made up using sticky copper tape or with wires and sticky clear tape. When the circuit is complete, LEDs will light up on the jewels of the crown.

You can download a RSGB designed template (pdf 216kb) that’s free to use; Makerspaces also have various templates.

This activity is ideal for younger children, or could maybe form a club event against the clock?