JOTA 2009
11/07/2009 |
N4S
Cleveland County Amateur Radio Service (CCARS) ,North Carolina
Another highly successful JOTA event has come and gone, and plans are underway for next years event. JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) is a worldwide event held on the third full weekend in October every year in which scouts and amateur radio operators come together to connect with each other over the airwaves.
Well over 150 scouts enjoyed this years JOTA event held at Bud Schiele Camp in Rutherford County. CCARS (Cleveland County Amateur Radio Service) set up both HF and VHF stations. Vince Mates (KF4LVC) set up a spectrum analyzer so that scouts could see as well as hear their radio transmissions. Neal Hodges (W4JNH) brought a Go-box station, a portable station which is designed for emergency communications. Frank Kopenec ( AI4RF) brought the HF radio , antenna, tents and much of the gear. Nancy Kopenec (KB5INA), Craig Medicus (KI8CQ), Herb & Pam Switzer (N4BXB, KJ4MCV) , and Richard Walker ( KB4LTZ) provided operator assistance to the scouts. Brian Gzimes (KJ4NKZ) set up a digital station. Other local ham clubs (SARC-Shelby Amateur Radio Club and GCARSGaston County Amateur Radio Service) monitored the radio from their locations in neighboring counties.
The event started with a chilly early morning setup of antennas, a tent, a covered area and a 20, 40, and 80 meter HF rig, and a 2 meter radio for talking to our repeater station located on the top of Mt. Mitchell. This repeater allowed us to talk to other hams and scouts in a four state area, linking together Boy Scout camps where other amateur radio operators were with other boy scouts.
On the morning of Oct. 17, 2009, Over 100 tiger cubs were funneled through the activities located under and in the sheltered areas. As contacts were made, points were plotted on the map with pins. Contacts were made with scouts in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida, as well as New Jersey, Missouri, Minnesota, Connecticut, and some as far as Germany and Canada.
Local ham members of CCARS were available to guide the boys through the other points of interest. One area of high interest was a code keyer with which the boys could practice sending their name in morse code. Another local ham was kind enough to talk with many of the boys over the radio, sending their names to them in code to hear.
At midday, another member of the CCARS group, as well as the scouting coordinator, Bob Jenkins (KJ4EDH), rounded up the boys for a hot dog lunch.
Later in the afternoon, groups of boy scouts replaced the cubs, and informative sessions were held with the goal of earning requirements toward the radio merit badge. Instruction was given on Q signals, radio frequencies, and radio etiquette.
As the sun went down, the true spirit of scouting emerged, when the scouts eagerly assisted the members of the CCARS club in dismantling the antennas, the tent, and the shelter. They took great care in wrapping the wires, pulling up stakes, and packing the radio gear in the vehicles. JOTA, the event designed to promote global goodwill, did just that.globally and locally.
A special thanks to Randy Johnston KE4RQL, owner of the Mt. Mitchell repeater, who allowed the scouts to use his equipment for the Jota activity. The Mt. Mitchell repeater is situated nearly 6000 feet up the mountain and allows for broad coverage for local hams on the VHF frequencies. -- AI4RF
Another highly successful JOTA event has come and gone, and plans are underway for next years event. JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) is a worldwide event held on the third full weekend in October every year in which scouts and amateur radio operators come together to connect with each other over the airwaves.
Well over 150 scouts enjoyed this years JOTA event held at Bud Schiele Camp in Rutherford County. CCARS (Cleveland County Amateur Radio Service) set up both HF and VHF stations. Vince Mates (KF4LVC) set up a spectrum analyzer so that scouts could see as well as hear their radio transmissions. Neal Hodges (W4JNH) brought a Go-box station, a portable station which is designed for emergency communications. Frank Kopenec ( AI4RF) brought the HF radio , antenna, tents and much of the gear. Nancy Kopenec (KB5INA), Craig Medicus (KI8CQ), Herb & Pam Switzer (N4BXB, KJ4MCV) , and Richard Walker ( KB4LTZ) provided operator assistance to the scouts. Brian Gzimes (KJ4NKZ) set up a digital station. Other local ham clubs (SARC-Shelby Amateur Radio Club and GCARSGaston County Amateur Radio Service) monitored the radio from their locations in neighboring counties.
The event started with a chilly early morning setup of antennas, a tent, a covered area and a 20, 40, and 80 meter HF rig, and a 2 meter radio for talking to our repeater station located on the top of Mt. Mitchell. This repeater allowed us to talk to other hams and scouts in a four state area, linking together Boy Scout camps where other amateur radio operators were with other boy scouts.
On the morning of Oct. 17, 2009, Over 100 tiger cubs were funneled through the activities located under and in the sheltered areas. As contacts were made, points were plotted on the map with pins. Contacts were made with scouts in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida, as well as New Jersey, Missouri, Minnesota, Connecticut, and some as far as Germany and Canada.
Local ham members of CCARS were available to guide the boys through the other points of interest. One area of high interest was a code keyer with which the boys could practice sending their name in morse code. Another local ham was kind enough to talk with many of the boys over the radio, sending their names to them in code to hear.
At midday, another member of the CCARS group, as well as the scouting coordinator, Bob Jenkins (KJ4EDH), rounded up the boys for a hot dog lunch.
Later in the afternoon, groups of boy scouts replaced the cubs, and informative sessions were held with the goal of earning requirements toward the radio merit badge. Instruction was given on Q signals, radio frequencies, and radio etiquette.
As the sun went down, the true spirit of scouting emerged, when the scouts eagerly assisted the members of the CCARS club in dismantling the antennas, the tent, and the shelter. They took great care in wrapping the wires, pulling up stakes, and packing the radio gear in the vehicles. JOTA, the event designed to promote global goodwill, did just that.globally and locally.
A special thanks to Randy Johnston KE4RQL, owner of the Mt. Mitchell repeater, who allowed the scouts to use his equipment for the Jota activity. The Mt. Mitchell repeater is situated nearly 6000 feet up the mountain and allows for broad coverage for local hams on the VHF frequencies. -- AI4RF
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