Radio In The Park / Scouts – JOTA
Radio In The Park / Jamboree-On-The-Air
Our usual Radio in the Park in October will also include Scouts coming to get on the air! We expect to have several Scouts from multiple troops coming to make contact with other stations including other JOTA Stations with the help of a GOTAham radio operator.
Jamboree-On-The-Air or JOTA is Scouting’s largest annual event. JOTA uses amateur radio to link Scouts around the world. At the park they will need to make and log some contacts to get credit towards earning the Radio Merit Badge. We are planning to have several stations set up to accommodate the Scouts.
As always, all interested parties are welcomed, no need to be licensed, or a club member, we look forward to sharing the hobby with anyone interested and welcome any/all questions!
Come to help the Scouts or just enjoy the day in the company of other Hams! You may want to bring a chair and some water. Some people may bring food or snacks. We encourage you to bring and set up your radios and antennas!
Larkin Park, Claremont, CA, 660 N Mountain Ave, Claremont, CA 91711.
Gridsquare: DM14dc, CQ Zone: 4, ITU Zone: 7
Larkin Park has shade trees and a few tables. If you are bringing a radio you may want to bring a table. We meet near the Northeast section of the park near 7th street.
As usual remember to listen to the WG6OTA repeater before or on the way to the park, just in case there is a change in plans. See you on the Air!
Jamboree-On-The-Air
You can help by:
- Set up a radio station and help Scouts; learn how to use the radio, make contacts, log those contacts on paper.
- Help guide scouts to the various stations that are set up.
- Bring a HT and help Scouts make contacts on repeaters or Simplex frequencies.
- From anywhere, you can listen to; WG6OTA repeater, 146.580Mhz, and any of the HF frequencies below. You might be able to make some contacts with the Scouts.
The Scouts looking to earn the Radio Merit Badge will need to do the following:
“Using proper call signs, Q signals, and abbreviations, carry on a 10-minute real or simulated amateur radio contact using voice, Morse code, or digital mode. Properly log the real or simulated amateur radio contact, and record the signal report.
Note: Licensed amateur radio operators may substitute five QSL cards as evidence of contacts with five amateur radio operators.”
The Scouts, with a licensed radio operator, can use any legal frequency or mode including VHF/UHF and repeaters to make contacts.
HF Frequencies
Here are some commonly used HF frequencies for Scouting events like JOTA. You can also use other frequencies. Any contact counts, it does not have to be with another Scout.
Bands SSB (phone) CW (morse)
80 m 3.690 & 3.940 MHz 3.570 MHz
40 m 7.090 & 7.190 MHz 7.030 MHz
20 m 14.290 MHz 14.060 MHz
17 m 18.140 MHz 18.080 MHz
15 m 21.360 MHz 21.140 MHz
12 m 24.960 MHz 24.910 MHz
10 m 28.390 MHz 28.180 MHz
6 m 50.160 MHz 50.160 MHz
Brandmeister
The 907 Talk Group will be used to let Scouts make contacts worldwide, under appropriate
supervision, following individual country’s guidelines.
List of the different lounges reserved for JOTA on the Brandmeister network
TG 907 – JOTA Call, when contact is established, you will have to go to one of the chat rooms
below:
TG 9071 – JOTA Room 1 TG 9072 – JOTA Room 2
TG 9073 – JOTA Room 3 TG 9074 – JOTA Room 4
TG 9075 – JOTA Room 5 TG 9076 – JOTA Room 6
TG 9077 – JOTA Room 7 TG 9078 – JOTA Room 8
D-star
There are two D-star reflectors, REF33A and XLX005J can be used.
REF033A has been assigned as a full-time D-STAR JOTA / Radio Scouting reflector.
Once contact is made, stations should disconnect from REF033A and connect to either repeater
or migrate to an unused reflector.
XLX005J is linked to the FreeDMR TG907, which is the dedicated JOTA / Radio Scouting
Talkgroup.
Connect to XLX005J through your D-STAR radio or your hotspot.
On your Hotspot, set the mode to D-STAR and select DCS005 or XLX005, and then select Node
J.
If you want to see more information use these links.
Scouting JOTA Manual for Amateur Radio: https://www.jotajoti.info/sites/default/files/uploads/JOTA-JOTI%202024/Activity%20files/2024%20-%20Jota-Joti%20-%20Manual%20for%20amateur%20radio%20activity%20-%20EN.pdf
The Radio Merit Badge requirements: https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/radio/
The Radio Merit Badge book: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/Merit_Badge_ReqandRes/Pamphlets/Radio.pdf
ARRL JOTA page: https://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota
Radio Scouting: https://k2bsa.net/