[FARC] JOTA

[Eric Gammeter]

What is JOTA?   (from ARRL.ORG)
When Scouts want to meet young people from another country, they usually
think of attending a World Jamboree. But few people realize that each year
more than 400,000 Scouts and Guides "get together" over the airwaves for the
annual Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA). Modern technology offers Scouts the
exciting opportunity to make friends in other countries without leaving
home.

JOTA is an annual event in which Boy and Girl Scouts and Guides from all
over the world speak to each other by means of Amateur (ham) Radio. Scouting
experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared via radio waves. Since 1958
when the first Jamboree-on-the-Air was held, millions of Scouts have met
each other through this event. Many contacts made during JOTA have resulted
in pen pals and links between Scout troops that have lasted many years.

With no restrictions on age or on the number of participants, and at little
or no expense, JOTA allows Scouts to contact each other by ham radio. The
radio stations are operated by licensed ham radio operators. Many Scouts and
leaders hold licenses and have their own stations, but the majority
participate in JOTA through stations operated by local radio clubs and
individual radio amateurs. Some operators use television or computer-linked
communications.


When
JOTA is held the third weekend in October of each year. JOTA takes place
starting Saturday at 0001 hours local time to Sunday, 2359 hours local time,
though some activity continues over from Friday to Monday to take advantage
of long distance (DX) time differences.


How Do We Take Part?
First, contact a local Amateur Radio operator or club to ask for assistance.
If you need help finding a club in your area check the ARRL Affiliated Club
Search page. The FCC's list of amateurs and clubs in your area (enter your
zip code only) can be found here. Radio amateurs are enthusiastic about
their hobby and most will be willing to help you participate in JOTA. The
radio operator may suggest that the Scouts visit his/her station or that the
operator bring equipment to your local campsite. Often, JOTA stations are
set up in unusual locations, such as the top of a mountain, or on a boat. To
order Girl and Boy Scout brochures, contact the Field & Educational Services
Department at ARRL HQ.


Licensing Regulations
Ham radio operators have obtained a radio transmission license by passing an
exam given by national authorities. License conditions vary from country to
country. In some, Scouts may speak over the air: in others, special
permission can be obtained for Scouts to speak over the radio during JOTA.
Please consult the list of Third Party Traffic Agreements.


Rules
Radio operators run their stations in accordance with their national
licensing regulations.

Stations should call "CQ Jamboree," or answer stations doing so. Any
authorized frequency may be used. It is recommended that stations use the
agreed World Scout Frequencies, listed elsewhere in this document. To avoid
congestion, use close-by frequencies.

JOTA is not a contest. The idea is not to contact as many stations as
possible during the weekend.

All participating groups are asked to send a report of their activities to
their National JOTA Organizer (NJO) and to ARRL HQ after the event. See
addresses listed elsewhere in this document. NJOs forward national JOTA
reports to the World Scout Bureau for the World JOTA Report.

Although the worldwide JOTA is organized in October, Scouts can meet on the
air at other times during the year. Regular Scout nets (a pre-arranged time
and frequency when operators meet) are organized nationally or regionally.
An updated list of these nets can always be found in the latest World JOTA
Report, which is published by the World Scout Bureau.


HB9S
The World Scout Bureau operates its own Amateur Radio station, with the call
sign HB9S. There is a permanent radio room in the Bureau's Geneva offices,
and the station is regularly on the air during Scout nets and JOTA weekends.
Transmitters are on the 10/15/20 meter, 160/80/40 meter and (in the Geneva
area) the 440/2 meter bands. Making contact with HB9S requires patience, as
many stations call at the same time. Please follow instructions given by the
operators and do not interfere with on-going contacts. They speak in as many
languages as possible.


Scout Station Call Signs
Each licensed Amateur Radio station has a unique identifier known as a "call
sign." The first letters specify the country. Here are call signs of
well-known stations that can often be contacted:


HB9S -- World Scout Bureau, Geneva Switzerland
K2BSA -- Boy Scouts of America National Office, Dallas TX

JA1YSS -- Boy Scouts of Nippon National Office, Tokyo Japan

PA6JAM -- Scouting Nederland National Station, Sassenheim Netherlands

5Z4KSA -- The Kenya Scouts Assoc. Paxtu Station, Nyeri Kenya

VK1BP -- The Scout Assn. of Australia National Station, Canberra Australia

GB2GP -- The Scout Assn., Gilwell Park, London UK

XE1ASM -- Boy Scouts of Mexico

DU1BSP -- Boy Scouts of Philippines

TF3JAM -- Scouts of Iceland


JOTA Program Activities

Before the event:

Send a report of your plans to local news reporters. Ask them to visit the
station.

Ask a radio operator to talk about ham radio communications. Visit his/her
station to actually see how it works. Learn about radio waves and their
propagation.

Learn to say hello in other languages.

Learn about other countries and prepare questions to ask over the air.

Design special QSL cards for the JOTA weekend. Find a way to print cards or
prepare different handmade cards.

Build a simple antenna.

Build a simple radio-related project.

Learn about electricity and how to do simple electrical repairs such as how
to fix a blown fuse.

Learn and practice Morse code. Use a computer to teach the code. ARRL has a
computer program that helps teach code: GGTE Morse Tutor Gold for IBM or
compatible PCs.

Practice talking into microphones using radio operating procedures and
jargon--see examples.

Find out about your local area in order to answer questions from Scouts in
other regions.