The Taunton Area Communications Group and the Whitman Amateur Radio Club will join forces on Saturday, October 18, 2008 during the 51st Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) at Camp Norse in Kingston, Massachusetts.
Annawon Council BSA will be hosting the Covered Wagon Derby. Cub Scouts from Sachem District will take part in several Scout activities which will include Amateur Radio and JOTA. Last year KC1TAC and WA1NPO put over 130 Cub Scouts on air. This year we hope to expand to greater numbers by opening a second station for Boy Scout Troops and Venture Crews. Don Burke, KB1LXH and Paul Moss, KB1MTW will be joined by other local hams and Scouts to operate KC1TAC and WA1NPO from 0800 until 1500 local time.
Don, KB1LXH reports: It is out hope to put every Scout on-the-air that wants to speak. We have two to four HF stations and multiple 2M stations to operate from. Last year’s condition were not good for HF, so we opened up 2M rigs and made several contacts over the region. That is the plan again for this year. We have tentative arrangements to talk to the surrounding Scout Councils. They are Cape and Island, Narragansett, Boston Minuteman, Old Colony and Annawon just to name a few. We are still looking for other Scout groups and Amateur Radio Stations that would like to be added to our contact list. We will also be operating on the World Scout Frequencies 80M: 3.690 & 3.940 MHz, 40M: 7.090 & 7.190 MHz, 20M: 14.290 MHz and 17M: 18.140 MHz.
The Jamboree-on-the-Air, or JOTA, is an annual Scouting and Amateur Radio event sponsored by the World Scout Bureau. Thousands of amateur radio stations around the world participate. If the conditions are right, it is common to contact a hundred scouting countries during the weekend.
In the United States, Cub Scout dens and Boy Scout patrols visit a local amateurs’ ham shacks during JOTA. Many districts and councils hold events that coincide with JOTA, where amateurs set up stations giving Scouts and leaders a chance to exchange greetings with Scouts from other areas.
—Thanks, KB1LXH