Members of the Nashua Area Radio Society recently joined three local scout troops to support their Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) activation. Alan KC1PWB, Dave K1BER, Ethan KC1YZN, Frank KC1ONH, and Fred AB1OC spent JOTA weekend with the Scouts, helping them set up and operate an HF station. We also provided Fox Hunts and supported Scouts as they worked toward earning their Radio Merit Badge.

Antenna Set Up

The Scouts began setting up their antenna early on Saturday. They set up a 40-ft guyed mast at their campground and attached a 40m – 10m Off-Center Fed Dipole antenna to the mast.

The antenna went up smoothly, thanks in part to the pre-event build and test of the antenna and station held a few weeks before the event.

Station Operation

The scouts made quick work of setting up their station and got on the air in short order. The station was powered by a quiet Honda generator and included a 500W amplifier to facilitate contact. You can find more details on the station here.

The scouts took turns making contacts. It took a few contacts for them to get comfortable on the air, but they got the hang of it pretty quickly.

You can see part of one of the QSOs from our JOTA activation by clicking on the video above.

Frank, Alan, and Dave helped Ethan work with the scouts throughout the day to complete the requirements for their Radio Merit Badge. All in all, it was a very enjoyable weekend for everyone involved. We are all looking forward to doing more activities with the scouts in the future.

Consider Supporting Our Youth Outreach Work

The Nashua Area Radio Society is doing great work to bring STEM learning through Amateur Radio to young people. If you’d like to support our work, please consider donating to help fund our programs. You can learn more here.

Fred, AB1OC