JOTA is held the third weekend in October of each year. JOTA takes place starting Saturday at 0000 hours local time (12:00 AM) to Sunday, 23.59 hours local time (12:00 PM), though some activity continues over from Friday to Monday to take advantage of long distance (DX) time differences.

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.

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.

To review FCC control operator rules, refer to the discussion of control operator rules as it pertains to Field Day operation.
Learn More

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). The BSA address is jota@scouting.org . You'll find a report form to download on the BSA JOTA web pages.

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.

Go to the Boy Scouts of America 2011JOTA information page for a wealth of information to help you plan and publicize your event as well as details on ordering JOTA cards and patches and  the BSA JOTA report form to download and print.  You'll  find operating guidelines and recommended frequencies for operation in the U.S. and a a registry of stations planning to participate. Use the online form provided to register your station and operating plan!

You’ll find some additional resources at ARRL’s JOTA resource page.

The official site for the most current  World Scouting Organization JOTA information is at  www.scout.org/jota.
Learn More

These fact sheets provide a quick summary of details for scout leaders and radio amateurs who want to support 2011 JOTA/JOTI activities.

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
• DX1BSP -- Boy Scouts of Philippines
• TF3JAM -- Scouts of Iceland

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.

Scouts and Scout Leaders share their stories and photos of JOTA experiences.
Learn More

To prepare for JOTA consider doing the following:

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. Find tips on learning Morse code and its history on our website.  Other websites provide Morse code practice.  These and other resources are listed on the JOTA resources page.
• 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.

During the Event:

• The global weather situation. Get a large wall map of the world. Ask the Scouts with whom you speak to give the local weather. Mark it on the map for the area where they are located. At the end of the weekend you will have a global weather picture.
• Determine the distance between each radio contact that you made and add them all up. Can you reach 100,000 km (62,000 miles) in one JOTA weekend?
• Learn to say "Scout" in several different languages. Use it whenever possible.
• Invite parents and other friends to visit your JOTA station.
• Organize a weekend hike and take portable radio equipment with you.
• Keep a personal logbook. Include names, addresses and other information for Scouts contacted.
• Set up an information section with maps, atlases and other sources. When a contact is made, Scouts can find out details about the country or region.
• Plot contacts made on a world map.
• Invite the media to your station. Ask a newspaper to take photos.
• Organize a fox hunt, where Scouts have to locate a small hidden transmitter. This can include the use of a map and compass.

After the Event:

• Write to the Scouts contacted. Establish individual (pen pal) or troop links. Send your badge and other information about your area.
• Send your reports (and photos!) to the ARRL. Maybe you'll see your picture in our magazine, QST!
• Or you can send a report to your NJO. He'll send his national JOTA report to the World Scout Bureau.
• Start planning for next year!

Please note that the World Scout Frequencies changed 1 July 2007. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) changed its band plans to create space for more digital transmissions. Some Scout frequencies are affected by this.  Traditionally, Scout Frequencies were chosen in a segment where low-power, simple stations are transmitting (QRP). This allows Scouts to operate such stations from camp sites and still be able to communicate with others. Some of these frequencies have changed over time. The amateur radio bands are increasingly busy with competitions. With the Scout frequencies chosen outside of the contest segments as far as possible, Scout stations can operate undisturbed.

Consult the BSA JOTA information Web pages for frequencies recommended for U.S. JOTA operations.

Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) offers an alternative to direct radio contacts.  Scouts make connections around the world using computers and the Internet and various techniques.

Read more.

JOTA patches are temporary insignia to be worn on the right pocket of the Scout uniform or on jackets/vests, and they cost $4 each. Patches will be available after August 1 and in LIMITED QUANTITY, so order early!

Please allow four weeks for delivery. Checks or money orders will be accepted and must be made payable to Boy Scouts of America. We also accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. Send requests for cards and/or patches to:

Boy Scouts of America
Jamboree-on-the-Air S221
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, Texas 75015-2079

Or, call the International Department at (972) 580-2405.

At the link below are PDF versions of a JOTA participant certificate that includes a contact log section for recording the stations that were contacted during your event. Download and print as many as you need.

JOTA Certificate of Participation and Contact Log (Color)
JOTA Certificate of Participation and Contact Log (B&W)

Printed flyers describing Amateur Radio that can be used as hand-outs at Scouting events or other public events are available from ARRL.  You may order these materials online from ARRL's Forms & Media Warehouse.

.

The World Scout Bureau of the World Organization of the Scouting Movement sponsors JOTA.  The official details and any information specific to the event, yearly theme, special international activities, etc. can be found on the official international event website.

 
Learn More

You'll find additional ideas and resources to organize JOTA activites on ARRL's JOTA resource page.
Learn More

BSA sponsors a

where you can post your JOTA event to let others know how to contact you or join in.