for Scouts
Scouting Ireland
For further information about Radio Scouting or Jamboree on the Air
(JOTA) contact
e-mail to jota@scouts.ie
Contents Page
1
their transmitter is in Ireland.
Stations that transmit from 88 to
What is radio? 108 Megahertz can only be heard
for up to 60 miles which means you
Radios used to be called wireless won’t hear East Coast Radio when
because unlike things like home you are in the west of Ireland.
phones these require no wires yet
are capable of listening to music Special things happen to stations
sent from far away. that transmit between 1 and 30
Megahertz. There is a layer up in
Radio signals cannot be heard by the sky, like the ozone layer, that is
the ear alone so some sort of radio invisible but can bounce back radio
sensitive device is needed. signals sent up to the sky. These
signals bounce and land in another
How radio works part of the world. For example a
signal sent from Wicklow could
The voice of the person talking is bounce and come down again in
picked up by an electric America. Depending on the time of
microphone, which is connected, to day different frequencies are used
a transmitter. This transmitter to bounce signals around the world.
converts the voice into radio waves At different times of the day radio
that can be sent through the air transmitters change frequency so
many hundreds if not thousands of their signal can always be heard in
miles. different parts of the world.
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
What are the Amateur Band
Frequencies? A W J U V
.- .-- .--- ..- ...-
di
They are as follows: dah
di dah dah di di di di
Band Frequencies Jota di dah dah dah dah di dah
Suggested
Calling E T I M S O H
80 3.500 – 3.740 . - .. -- ... --- ....
di
Meters 3.800 di dah di
40 7.000 – 7.090 di dah di dah di
Meters 7.100 dit dah dit dah dit dah dit
20 14,000 – 14.290
Meters 14.350 R L P F
15 21.000 – 21.360 .-. .-.. .--. ..-.
di dah di dah di dah di di
Meters 21.450 dit di dit dah dit dah dit
10 28.000 – 28.990
Meters 29.700 N D B G Z C
-. -.. -... --. --.. -.-.
The Leader’s and Station dah dah dah
Manager’s JOTA Handbook has full dah di dah dah di
details of the Band Plan dah di di dah di dah
dit dit dit dit dit dit
Allocations.
K Q Y X
Is Morse Code Still Used? -.- --.- -.-- -..-
dah di dah dah dah di dah di
Yes, it is and it opens up a world of dah di dah dah dah di dah
abbreviations not used in speech.
RPT – Report, ABT – About, AGN 1 2 3 4 5
– Again, VY – Very, 73 – Best .---- ..--- ...-- ....- .....
di dah di di di di
Wishes.
dah dah di di di di di
dah dah dah di di di di
The Morse Code dah dah dah dah dit
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
her SHACK, which is usually a
What is converted spare bedroom, garage
or garden shed, too small for
Jamboree-on- entertaining more than 1 or 2
visitors at a time. A Scout Den or
the-Air campsite will have the necessary
space for stringing an aerial 40
(JOTA)???? meters or more in length.
Alternative arrangements may
Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) is a need to be made on your Radio
unique experience in which Scouts Operators advice. Good advance
throughout the world can contact preparation is the secret to success
each other using amateur radio in JOTA.
frequencies.
What Other
Activities are
Associated With
JOTA?
In addition to Transmitting to other
Contents stations, a Short Wave Listening
(SWL) Station can be set up to
Where can JOTA monitor and log Radio Traffic
heard. Logging, with the aid of an
be held? atlas, a world map can be drawn
and contacts logged on it, marking
with flags. Posters and wall charts
The Radio Operator keeps and can be drawn for ‘Q’ and Morse
uses his or her equipment in his or
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Codes, Phonetic alphabet etc. searching for and logging activity,
Other activities can include with many newer modes being
resolved by radio linked with laptop
Construction Projects: Bring in an PC’s loaded with suitable software.
old transistor radio, some tools and
a soldering iron. Desolder (take
care) the circuit components and
with the aid of books and your
operator, identify them by colour
code and learn their uses. Try
constructing a morse code buzzer
or oscillator, a crystal radio set and
some basic circuits.
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Ireland’s off shore islands is EJ – – Mobile stations use the
Echo Juliet. extension /M after the suffix.
– Maritime mobile stations use
In Northern Ireland the prefix for the extension /MM after the
Radio Stations is either GI – Golf suffix.
India or Mike India or for Amateur
radio Clubs; GN – Golf November In Northern Ireland generally you
or MN – Mike November. will find suffixes have three letters
and callsigns consist of:
Some other prefixes are :
G&M- England. – Advanced class callsigns.
GM &MM - Scotland. These can be found with any
GW& MW - Wales. number other than MI prefixes
GD & MD - Isle of Man. with the number 3, i.e. MI0XXX.
F- France. – Intermediate class callsigns.
ON - Belgium. These only have the prefix 2I1,
PA - Holland. and are divided into two
I- Italy. classes;
LA - Norway. – Class A with either the numbers
SM - Sweden. 0, 2, 3 and 4, i.e. 2I2XXX.
HB - Switzerland. – Class A with either the numbers
DL - Germany. 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8, i.e. 2I5XXX.
VK - Australia. – Foundation class callsigns.
VE - Canada. These only have the prefix MI
Can you add to this list? A full list and number 3, i.e. MI3XXX.2
can be found the Leader’s and – Club Stations, i.e. GN4SIW.
Station Manager’s JOTA – Special Event callsigns, i.e.
Handbook. GB0FAS, 4th Antrim Scouts.
Contents
In the Republic of Ireland you will
find callsigns consist of:
What
– A licence callsigns. The suffix
has either one or two letters, preparation is
i.e. EI4GL.
– B licence callsigns. The suffix needed?
has three letters the last of
which is “B”, i.e. EI9FHB. In practice, amateur radio
– Club Stations. The suffix operators use certain codes, which
sometimes has two letters, i.e. Scout participating in JOTA should
EI3SI, Larch Hill, or three, i.e. learn. These include the phonetic
EI4BST, Bayside Scout Troop.
– Special Event callsigns can 1
2
have two to four letters e.g. Holders of Intermediate and Foundation
EI1SI and EI2KSS, which both Class Amateur Radio Licences are not
belong to 2nd Kerry Sea Scouts. permitted to operate in the Republic of
Ireland unless supervised by the holder of
– Jamboree stations may use the
a CEPT Class 1 or Class 2 Licence. Nor
extension /j after the suffix of a can they supervise JOTA Stations in
club or personal callsign. Northern Ireland
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
alphabet and Q Codes. Also, some
JOTA stations, especially in Non- What are Q
English speaking countries, use J
codes. Codes?
Contents
Basically they are abbreviations for
common words used and help to
What is the break down language barriers. Q
codes are also used when seeking
Phonetic information.
Alphabet? Q Codes
In poor radio conditions it may be QRA Station Address (i.e. Scout Den,
necessary to repeat a message Dublin Road)
Not to be confused with QTH (i.e..
and even spell words using the Location - Dublin)
phonetic alphabet e.g. Echo India
Two X-Ray Yankee Zulu for QRM Interference or Man Made Noise
EI2XYZ.
QRN Static or Electrical Noise
Phonetic Alphabet QRO High Power
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
I have QRM There is
interference (i.e. WX Weather
Voices, Door
Slamming etc.) TX Transmitter
Thank you for Thank you for
the QSO the contact
RX Receiver
Additional Abbreviations
(add other codes you hear on air)
Contents
Other Useful
Abbreviations
73’s Good-bye
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
What are J Codes?
English is the universal language of radio. National JOTA Organizers devised a code
However not all Scouts speak it. In order called the J-code. It is similar to the well-
to overcome the language barrier during known Q-code used by the radio
JOTA and make simple conversations amateurs. See it as a game and a
possible between Scouts of different challenge to try to communicate with
cultures and languages, a group of Scouts that do not speak English.
Personal Scouting
JWN = My name is ______ JCS = I am a Cub Scout
JFC = I come from ______ JSC = I am a Scout
JHO = I am ____ years old JGI = I am a Guide
JWA = My location is _________ JRS = I am a Venturer / Rover Scout
JEM = Our Group’s e-mail address is _____ JRG = I am a Ranger Guide
JWL = The Language I speak is 1 JLS = I am a Scout Leader
JWG = I belong to the Group ____
1 = English JHJ = Happy JOTA / JOTI
2 = French JSW = Best Scouting wishes to you
3 = Spanish
4 = Portuguese
5 = Russian
6 = German
7 = Dutch
8 = Italian
General
JAC = We are camping
JWB = The weather here is ___
1 = overcast
2 = rainy
3 = very heavy rain
4 = snowy
5 = fine
In order to ask a question, just add the letter “X” to the end of the particular code, i.e.
JWN = My name is ________ JWNX = What is your name?
JHO = I am ____ years old JHOX = How old are you?
Imagine the following exchange between an Irish Scout and his friend to be in Caracas,
Venezuela. All words can be spelled using the phonetic alphabet:
Hi JWN John
Hi JWN Paco
JHJ Paco, JFC Ireland, QTH Dublin, JWL 1
OK John, QTH Caracas, JHO 12, JHOX
JHO 14 Paco, JSC, JAC, JWB 1.
Bye JSC, JWB 5, JSW John
JSW Paco
Looks like code to you? Well, that’s exactly what it is, the J-Code. John and his friend Paco
may otherwise not be able to have this basic contact. Can you? Give it a try for JOTA.
Contents
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
How do I Call Another Station?
When a call is sent, the response can be from Scouts as far away as
Australia, or from as near as your neighbouring Troop. When you first send
out a call use a script such as the one below
CQ Jamboree CQ Jamboree
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
What do I Say?
Have a prepared script ---“ My name is David – Delta Alpha, Victor, India,
Delta. I live near Tralee, South West Ireland. I have been a Sea Scout for 4
years. I have camped in France. I like….. “. Speak briefly, speak slowly,
speak clearly. Remember, English is not the first language of everyone.
My Name is ____________________________________________________
(First name Only)
(In Phonetics)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
My QTH is _____________________________________________________
(Name of City / Town)
I enjoy ________________________________________________________
(Camping) (Hiking) (Pioneering) (Campfires) (Canoeing)
Contents
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Logging Contacts.
Regulations require that all contacts must be logged. The local amateur radio
operator or amateur radio club will have their own logbooks. Contacts can
also be logged on computer. Alternatively Groups can keep a log of all
contacts in a hard covered copybook. A logbook could contain the following
information.
Date Time UTC Freq. Mode Station Signal QSL Name Location Remarks
Called / of Scout
Mhz Report Card of Group
Worked
Scout Called /
Called / Worked
Worked
Start Finish Sent Recd Sent Recd
The minimum requirements are that the date, time, frequency mode, the
station called / worked, the signal reports exchanged are recorded.
What is Mode?
Also non-voice modes include FSTV (Fast scan Television) and SSTV (Slow
Scan Television) together with the computer based modes of PSK (Phased
Shift Keying), Packet (Packet Switching) and APRS (Automatic positional
Reporting System),
Radio Signals can vary from weak to strong and are described as RS(T) for
Readability and Signal Strength (plus Tone – used with Morse).
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Readability
1 -- Unreadable
2 -- Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable
3 -- Readable with considerable difficulty
4 -- Readable with practically no difficulty
5 -- Perfectly readable
Signal Strength
The final courtesy of the JOTA is the exchange of QSL cards to the Stations
contacted, usually after the event. Nowadays these cards are easily designed
and printed out on the computer.
You can also print your own design of QSL cards from a simple template to be
found at http://www.hfradio.org/wb8rcr/ (WB8RCR QSL Maker BL2 v2.2).
Contents
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Where can I get further information?
National JOTA Organiser: jota at scouts dot ie
Scouting Ireland
Radio scouting www.scouts.ie/international/jota
Australia JOTA
Resources www.scouts.com.au/main.asp?iStoryID=877&iShellID=706
Contents
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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006