March 3, 2007
Rudy Stuteville, KA4PLH
Asst. Section Manager, Scouting and Youth

Portuguese National Radiois is offering a Diploma for 100 years of scouting and 50 years of Jamboree on the Air.

Conatcts with specified Portuguese stations need to be made during the period between 00H00 (UTC), 22th-February -2007 (Baden Powell birth date) and 23H59 (UTC) of  31st- December -2007. 

All bands and modes that are authorized for Radio Amateur use can be used, within the segments recommended by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

Follow this link for a look at the full rules governing this specai award.

January 20, 2007
Rudy Stuteville, KA4PLH
Asst. Section Manager, Scouting and Youth

The year 2007 is now here so I am sending a Happy New Year to all Amateur Radio operators in Virginia. This year will be the 50th anniversary of Jamboree on the Air. We in the amateur world should be looking forward making this a important event. I have been reading a lot of things that are being planned around the country. I will be keeping track of these and making a list of the really neat ones. I will then post them on the web site.

You or your club should contact the local scout office in your area and offer support for this event. It will be taking place in October 2007, it is the usually the third weekend, I have not seen the actual date printed yet. This is also the 100 anniversary of the starting of scouting by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. You could offer support for Radio Merit Badge, I just read some interesting facts about this badge. Gary Wilson K2GW wrote that in 2005 it was rated 77 out of 121 merit badges. This was keeping above the dreaded 100 mark. Keeping it from being removed from the list of merit badges. From it's first inception in 1924 there has been 114,558 radio merit badges earned, making it 94th among badges earned. Still just above the 100 mark, this averages about 1,400 badges earned each of the 82 years since it became a merit badge. I know that it will never become a required badge for Eagle Scout but we as amateurs should work to give every scout the opportunity to earn it. Go to http://www.meritbadge.com/mb/093.htm for the requirements for earning this badge.

November 30, 2006
Rudy Stuteville, KA4PLH
Asst. Section Manager, Scouting and Youth

We started our JOTA by three of us meeting Friday night, Al Crawford WA4TCJ, John Matroni and myself Rudy Stuteville KA4PLH. We put a Carolina Windom behind our scout house, the slingshot broke twice. That smarts when it hits you on the arm. Off to get a fishing pole and we got it up about 30 feet, would have liked it higher.

We met at 8am Saturday and set up the equipment, helping us was Rich Davis, W4NMH, who set up a computer station for APRS. This turned out to be a big hit. Also showing up throughout the day were other hams from the Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club. KI4RJZ Steve Holland, KG4KJW Stewart Smokler, AI4CM Marshall Denny. They answered questions about Amateur Radio and their involvement in it.

The day got going at 9am and continued on till 5pm. We had 38 scouts and scouter attend, we had a code key and a bug setup and they like playing with the code. We didn't have any code contacts on the air but I hope to do this next time. We had contact with 13 states and 2 countries. The counties being England and Norway. We were using a Yaesu HF and it worked outstanding. We set up a 2 meter station and the scouts talked several hams on the local repeaters.

We offered Radio Merit Badge and we had 10 scouts start working on this. All were able to get the one requirement a 10 minute conversation on the air. We had one scout complete the badge, he had his license and he was sharp. He had no problem with the badge, his younger brother was there too. He to has his amateur license. But he did not do the Radio Merit Badge because he is only a Cub Scout, he is 8 years old.

The day was a success with everyone have an outstanding time, back home after take down had to undo all the pushed buttons on my radio . We held a follow up day on the Radio Merit Badge with 5 of the 9 left to finish showing up in spite of the bad weather that we have been having. One finished his merit badge at the Methodist encampment at Blackstone Va. this month. We are planning another day after Christmas to complete the badge.

Happenings in other parts of our state.

Thought I’d let you know that last night I gave an amateur radio presentation to a Cub Scout Pack in Winchester. I believe there were approximately 35-40 young Cub Scouts in attendance. I gave a brief power point presentation on some basic amateur radio stuff and how it relates to scouting; showed the new 4-minute ARRL “Hello” video; fielded some great questions from both the boys and adults. After all this, we went right into a hands-on time where the boys got to talk on one of our local 2 meter repeaters, tried their hand at CW, looked at QSL cards. I even had one Scouter (KE4PMS, Wayne Koehler) who brought in his collection of “antique” CW keys that used to be available for Boy Scouts. Some of the keys he had dated back into the 30’s and 40’s. Also helping with our event was the President, Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club (SVARC), Tom Brownlee, AF2D.

We had a great time albeit short and really enjoyed skimming the surface of what ham radio is all about for these young guys. This is the first time I’ve talked to Cub Scouts; it’s most always the Boy Scouts.

Incidentally, AF2D and I are teaching the Radio Merit Badge on Saturday (0800 – 1700) for a local Troop. I hope to be on HF sometime during the day on/near the JOTA frequencies.

In Scouting and Service,
Dave Adsit, KG4BIR
Stephens City, Virginia
[corrected July 7, 2007]

September 26, 2006
Rudy Stuteville, KA4PLH
Asst. Section Manager, Scouting and Youth

The Scouts and Guides Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) is coming in less than a month on October 21-22, 2006. Follow this link for a neat, 2 page, printable Amateur Radio Operator's Guide to JOTA. This concise summary gives all the information you'll need to participate in this event.

Read more ...

September 9, 2006
Rudy Stuteville, KA4PLH
Asst. Section Manager, Scouting and Youth

When Scouts want to meet young people from another country, they usually think of attending a World Jamboree. But few people realize that each year more than 400,000 Scouts and Guides "get together" over the airwaves for the annual Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA). Modern technology offers Scouts the exciting opportunity to make friends in other countries without leaving home.

JOTA is an annual event in which Boy and Girl Scouts and Guides from all over the world speak to each other by means of Amateur (ham) Radio. Scouting experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared via radio waves. Since 1958 when the first Jamboree-on-the-Air was held, millions of Scouts have met each other through this event. Many contacts made during JOTA have resulted in pen pals and links between Scout troops that have lasted many years.

The ARRL suggests using 7.270 as the US JOTA frequency. Units may operate for 48 hours or any part thereof, from Saturday 00.00 hours until Sunday 24.00 hours local time.

JOTA 2006 Possibilities

• The ARRL has received a few comments referring to the possibility of using more SSTV during JOTA. Wouldn't it be great to send a picture of your girl and boy scouts to the troop they are talking with? These pictures would be a great addition to a scout scrapbook.
• Demonstrate a simple 2-meter HT and mobile rig. It is much easier for scouts to see themselves owning this type of radio as opposed the "top of the line" radios. Remember to show both the scouts and leaders how ham radio will compliment the scout program. With a little guidance, a girl or Boy Scout leader will be able to work ham radio into several badges such as electricity, communications, and, of course, radio.
• This is also an opportunity to discuss the value of a 2 meter HT while on a hike or field trip. I know from passed experience that scouts want to go at their own pace especially on a hike. With a few licensed ham/scouts in the group everyone will be able to keep in contact.

With no restrictions on age or on the number of participants, and at little or no expense, JOTA allows Scouts to contact each other by ham radio. Licensed ham radio operators operate the radio stations. Many Scouts and leaders hold licenses and have their own stations, but the majority participates in JOTA through stations operated by local radio clubs and individual radio amateurs. Some operators use television or computer-linked communications.

Participation Certificates

Postcard-size certificates are free and are available to anyone participating in any way. They may be ordered beforehand for presentation during the JOTA, or they may be awarded at Scouting or amateur radio club meetings later. Send requests to the order address below.

All certificate orders must be received by December 31 of the year for which certificates are ordered.

Pocket Patches

Temporary insignia to wear on the right pocket of the Scout uniform or on jackets / vests are available again for $4.00 each, postpaid. Insignia are available in limited quantity only and will not be reordered when supplies are exhausted.

 

Jube 2006
 

A group of radio amateurs active with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has established an HF calling plan for scouting camps. Dubbed the "Scout Camps Calling Protocol," (SCCP), the plan aim to make it easier for scouts in the US and around the world to contact other scouts for Radio merit badge requirements, Amateur Radio demonstrations, emergency preparedness, passing traffic or to just get acquainted.

Given the multitude of scout camps and time zones, SCCP proponents acknowledge that the likelihood of one scout camp contacting another specific camp would be slim. The concept depends on ham-scouters and other interested radio amateurs not at camp to support scouts who are by providing contacts for them.

Here's how it works:

Use traditional scout calling frequencies ±10 kHz, avoiding any nets or QSOs in progress. Scout camps and interested ham-scouters not at camp are encouraged to get on the air at 1300, 1900, and 2100 local time.

The SCCP uses two bands: At 1300 and 1900, use 20 and 40 meters. At 2100 use 40 and 80/75 meters.

The recognized call will be "CQ scout camps." Transmit on the higher-frequency band starting at 5 minutes before the hour and on the lower-frequency band on the hour until 5 minutes past.

Scout camps, scouts and scouters are encouraged to monitor according to the plan from 1700 to 2000 UTC and from 2300 to 0400 UTC to support Scout camps with traffic or for talking with other scouts.  

July 2006
Rudy KA4PLH
ASM for Scounting and Youth

I have just returned from a week at Tidewater Council's Camp Pipisco located in Surry County Va. The weather was hot, the bugs big and many. What a great time.

I set up a QRP station I was not prepaired to do a high power one, We will be ready next time. I took a Yaesu FT-817 and a Pac-12 antenna which I had coils for 40 and 20 meters. I had an ringo ranger 2 meter antenna too. With the movement to have scout camps set up radio stations and a calling plan has been set up. The plan is dubbed Scout Camps Calling Protocol or SCCP for short. This calling plan was posed as a challenge by Nathaniel Frissell W2NAF to members of the Yahoo Scout Radio Group. We spent the week try to make a scout camp contact but was unable too. 2 1/2 watts is fun but hard to compete with the big boys when the bands are not in good shape. We set up at the mess hall on Wednsday night and had a good response, we didn't make a scout camp contact or any kind of HT contact, but we heard lot of stations that the scout could listen too. We made 2 meter contacts in the area that the scouts were able to talk too.

I came away with a troop who wants a radio merit badge class. The scoutmaster said he will have at least 10 scouts. I also receive a report from David Adsit KG4BIR. He reported his council had no problem with setting up a station and doing radio merit badge at camp. His council being Shenandoah Area and the camp is Rock Enon near Gore Virginia. The Camp's call sign is KI4OMO at this time, they are planning on applying for a vanity call ending with a CRE suffix.