On Saturday, October 20, 2012, the Plattsmouth ARC set up their radios for the Scouts Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) at Camp Eagle southwest of Fremont, NE in northern Saunders County. JOTA is an annual event that enables Scouts around the world to communicate via amateur radio. See: http://www.scouting.org/jota.aspx
The AKSARBEN ARC set up their JOTA operation at Camp Cedars just a short distance west of Camp Eagle.
Wes, KD0PGV and Jarad, KD0EFC from the Pioneer Amateur Radio Club made the KD0EFC repeater in Fremont available on Echolink for JOTA. Echolink combines radio and the Internet and allows amateur radio operators to make long-distance contacts at any time.
On Saturday morning on my way out to visit the operations at both camps, I listened to the Camp Cedars group working 9W6DEN in Malaysia. Echolink contacts continued to be made all day from both camps through the KD0EFC repeater.
When I arrived at Camp Eagle, I started looking for antennas. I spotted them leading to one of the cabins with a group of Scouts standing outside.
The pictures below show one of their antennas; John, KC0HYD briefing a group of scouts outside the cabin; Ray, N5SEZ running the 15 meter SSB station while waiting for the next group of Scouts to come into the cabin; and Dudley, KD0NMD at the 20 meter PSK31 station.
After visiting with them and watching the Scouts on the radios, I headed west for Camp Cedars.
Camp Cedars is the larger of the two camps so the JOTA antennas were not immediately visible. After receiving directions to head off in a northeast direction, I finally spotted them. I never did find the road leading to their building, so I reached them by a short hike cross-country on a cool but beautiful October day in Nebraska.
The pictures below show their HF triplexer that allowed them to work several HF bands at the same time on one trap vertical antenna; Pat, K0CTU with one of the HF SSB radios with a Scout and an adult with Bill, WA9ASD off to the left; Bill, WA9ASD setting up a second HF rig; Mary, N0TRK at the briefing table, and their VHF antenna.
After watching their operations and visiting with one of the Scoutmasters about a possible Scout Radio Merit Badge course sometime in the future in Fremont, I headed back home while listening to the Echolink contacts being made on the repeater.
Judging by everything I saw and heard, JOTA was a successful venture. I am sure that the Scouts all benefited from the combined dedication of the amateur radio operators who made it all possible.
Wes, KD0PGV will have more information when he presents a program on Echolink at the next PARC meeting in Fremont on Friday, October 26 at 730 PM at Hero's/Gambino's.
