Thank you for participating in TechFest 2010!

To all displayers, vendors, and attendees, Thank you for participating in TechFest 2010! It was a pleasure to see and meet all of you, and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. We will be holding the TechFest again next year, but that is far in the future. As of now, we have plenty of great events to participate in: ARMAD in May, Field Day 2010 in June, The BVARA Corn Roast in August, Campaganza in September, and the Christmas Party in December. And this just the tip of the iceberg!...

Photos from TechFest 2010!

Here are a few photos, mostly of setting up, of TechFest 2010, held at the Baden American Legion in Baden, PA on February 14, 2010. If you cannot see the slideshow below, please install Adobe Flash Player. Enjoy!!

TECHFEST 2010 IS TOMORROW!!

The big day is finally upon us: TechFest 2010 will be held tomorrow, February 14, at the Baden American Legion, 271 State Street, Baden PA 15005 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM. We will be having Merit Badge classes for the Boy Scouts, technology displays, amateur radio flea market, geocaching presentation (with Q & A afterward), amateur radio auction and MORE! Make sure to stop by for a day of fun and learning! Grant, KB3QFQ Eagle Scout, Boy Scout Troop 405 Beaver Valley TechFest 2010 Coordinato...

Western PA Section News – John Rodgers, N3MSE

Like many of you I am already tired of the snow we have been receiving. I want to thank the many hams that have helped with Skywarn and other weather related nets during the past week. Here at my qth in Butler, I have measured 22 inches of snow on the deck behind my home. Hamfests for the next month or so are as follows. The first is a new event a tech fest to be sponsored by the BVARA club and the boy scout explorer post 73. The event takes place on February 14 and additional information i...

TECHFEST IS STILL A GO!

We will still be holding the TechFest in spite of the weather! Doors open at 8:00 AM for attendees, and at 7:00 AM for vendors or those who need to set up a display table. You are invited to set up a table on Sunday morning, but there is limited space available! Please contact us at TECHFEST@W3SGJ.ORG to reserve a table. The TechFest will be held this Sunday, February 14 at the Baden American Legion, 271 State Street, Baden PA 15005 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM. We hope to see you there! G...

TechFest Weather Update: Cancelled or Not?

Make sure to check here, on our website, on our TechFest page, on our geocaching page, or on the Greater Pittsburgh Council website for the latest concerning the weather and the TechFest. To learn whether the TechFest has been postponed, please MAKE SURE to keep checking back here. If you have any questions, please email TECHFEST@W3SGJ.ORG

Teen invents underground texting device

By Brad Horn, from NPR Caves are some of the last places on the planet left to explore. Though caving is relatively safe, if something goes wrong deep inside the Earth, a rescue can take days — in part because cell phones and walkie-talkies don't work underground. But a remarkable teenager in New Mexico has invented a device that may significantly speed that process with the ability to text from underground caves. The young man's invention may have other applications, as well. Underground...

Geoscouting Webinar today at 1PM CST

Join GeoScouting.com for a Webinar on February 3. Reserve your Webinar seat now! Learn about two exciting new Get in the Game! geocaching activities for councils, districts, and units. We'll also share with you some fun geocaching ideas from councils across the country and give you more tips on how to make the most of your council starter kits. We hope you can join our Webinar live, but if you can't, it will be recorded and posted to the Anniversary Academy page on YourSource. Feel f...

Ham Radio APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) Demo video

Check out Leigh Klotz (WA5ZNU)'s demo of APRS at Maker Faire 2009! Watch the video below to see the cool part: what happens to the data when it is received. Did you think this was cool? Then be sure to attend TechFest 2010 on February 14 in Beaver County, PA, around 30 minutes from Pittsburgh, PA. Be sure to visit the official TechFest website for more information.

Troop 405 Scout helps get homeless off streets

By Linda Wilson Fuoco, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Boy Scout Troop 405 Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette Boy Scout Michael Deschaine delivers a sofa to a sixth-floor apartment in McKeesport's Isbir Manor. Michael was joined by family and Scouts from Troop 405 in Baden to deliver furniture to clients of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System's Operation Safety Net, which helps to improve the lives of the homeless. When Michael Deschaine of Baden embarked on his Eagle Scout project, he pick...