Tiger Cub Scouts chat via ham radio with astronaut

By WALTER O'BRIEN
Correspondent

Ground control to Astronaut Bob: There's a whole pack of Tiger Cub Scouts down here who want to chat.

The New Providence Amateur Radio Club brought outer space a little closer to home for children from the Watchung Hills area Jan. 7 as they operated a public ham radio station at the Berkeley Heights Community Center.

The event marked the club's participation in the annual worldwide ham radio event known as Kid's Day. Sponsored by the national amateur radio organization known as the American Radio Relay League, it's meant to pass a passion for getting "on the air" to the younger generation.

Members of Boy Scout Tiger Cub Den No. 268 from Berkeley Heights lined up to ask astronaut Bob Barns, KB2IKC, the club's resident extraterrestrial expert, about space travel and the solar system. Barns answered their questions over the two-way radio.

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