Scouts Worldwide to Participate in Jamboree On The Air 206

NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 10, 2006 -- Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) -- a nearly 50-year-old tradition -- provides an opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio for Boy and Girl Scouts and Guides, Cub Scouts and Brownies around the world, some of whom will be part of the next generation of radio amateurs. JOTA takes place this year over the October 21-22 weekend. JOTA founder Les Mitchell, G3BHK, said in 2000 that he never imagined when he drew up the plans and rules for the first JOTA in 1958 that its popularity would increase and spread around the world.

"Even more astonishing is the fact that after all this time it still holds its popularity and now has a participation of some half a million Scouts and Guides in over 100 countries involving some 10,000 Amateur Radio stations," Mitchell remarked. "In fact it has become the largest international Scout event ever."

During a typical JOTA, experienced radio amateurs or local clubs invite scouting groups to experience ham radio firsthand. Sometimes JOTA activity takes place during a campout or Field Day-type event or involves a big setup with lots of antennas, modes and, of course, contacts with other Scouters. Small or large, simple or elaborate, JOTA not only is a great chance to promote Amateur Radio but it's a lot of fun for everyone involved. Scouts can work toward merit badge credit at the same time. The Valencia County Amateur Radio Association has produced some exceptional materials that will help you organize a Radio merit badge seminar.

Here are the basics: JOTA 2006 gets under way Saturday, October 21, at 0001 local time and wraps up Sunday, October 22, at 2359 local time. This means some activity will take place from Friday to Monday because of time zone differences. The main idea is for scouts to meet each other on the air via ham radio, under the tutelage and oversight of a licensed control operator. Scouts who are already licensed are encouraged to serve as mentors or "Elmers" and show the ropes to their peers. These are the suggested worldwide scouting HF frequencies:

The published frequencies are only a starting point, since JOTA participants are likely to find scout contacts all over the bands. The worldwide scout frequencies are not specific to the US. Participating stations call "CQ JOTA." Listen before calling CQ. While most activity will take place on HF, contacts on VHF, UHF (including satellite) and even via voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) modes such as EchoLink and IRLP also are permitted.

ARRL Regulatory Information Branch Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, offers some tips that apply to JOTA and other events involving unlicensed third parties communicating via Amateur Radio.

US Amateur Radio licensees may contact any other radio amateur provided the US licensee is operating within his or her license privileges. There are no "banned" countries for US hams.

Non-hams may participate but may not operate an amateur station. A control operator must be "present at the control point monitoring and supervising the third party's participation" The applicable FCC rule is §97.115(b). The control operator is responsible for ensuring compliance with all FCC rules.

Any time an unlicensed "third party" participates in an Amateur Radio contact, the US must share a third-party traffic agreement with the country where the other station is located. "If this agreement does not exist, the communication cannot take place," Henderson points out. A list of countries with which the US enjoys third-party traffic agreements appears on the ARRL Web site, The ARRL FCC Rule Book and in The ARRL Operating Manual. The applicable FCC rule is §97.113(a).

When making international contacts involving third parties, both the call sign of the US station and the call sign of the foreign station must be exchanged at the end of the contact. The applicable FCC rule is §97.115(c).

Additional information on control operators and third-party communications appear in a Frequently Asked Questions page and in The ARRL FCC Rule Book. Henderson says that while these FAQs were designed for Field Day, they apply equally well to JOTA.

Henderson further advises keeping safety in mind. "Nothing can disrupt the fun more quickly than a careless mishap," he says. "If you are setting up a temporary JOTA station, make sure antenna guys, other wires and anything else that could be dangerous are well secured from curious hands. An RF burn is probably not the best way for someone to remember Amateur Radio!"

In addition, he notes, young people are influenced by our behavior, so it's important to put our best foot forward. "Don't overlook the simple ways we can demonstrate good on-the-air operating procedures," he advises. "Listen before transmitting. Always use appropriate language. Put courtesy and friendliness first."

The ARRL asks JOTA participants to complete a simple survey following the event. Completing this form will help ARRL see the growth and the needs of this activity.

AMSAT is once again supporting JOTA by placing AO-51 in dual repeater mode. The mode V/U FM 145.88 MHz uplink (no CTCSS tone required)/435.150 MHz downlink repeater is being reserved for JOTA activity. While AMSAT normally requests only low-power (QRP) operation on this transponder, JOTA stations are encouraged to use it regardless of their power level. AMSAT asks those hearing JOTA stations working the QRP repeater to yield to their QSOs. A second mode V/U AO-51 repeater uplinks on 145.920 MHz (no CTCSS tone required) and downlinks on 435.300 MHz FM. AMSAT has suspended the CTCSS tone requirement on the 145.920 MHz uplink for a week.

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