Scouts Learn About Amateur Radio At JOTA Event

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Calls of “Special Event Station K7B Jamboree on the Air CQ CQ” rang across the lawn of the Old Logandale School on Friday and Saturday as Boy Scouts of all ages and ranks joined members of the Moapa Valley Amateur Radio Club for the 59th Annual Boy Scouts of America Jamboree on the Air-Jamboree on the Internet (JOTA-JOTI).

This international event is organized by the World Scouting Organization and is the largest Scouting event in the world with over 1 million Scouts participating across over 150 countries. It is held annually on the third weekend in October and its purpose is to use amateur radio to link Scouts across the world.

The event was open to all Scouts, regardless of rank and included Girls Scouts. The MV Amateur Radio Club was available to help interested participants run the radios and make contacts across the world for several hours.

MVARC president Jimmy Gollahan explained why local radio operators were willing to set up their equipment and take time to help the scouts. “This is a great opportunity for us to get together, participate in the jamboree and have a good time,” he said. “We also get to share our hobby with the youth.”

Scouts enjoyed the opportunity to play with the technology and to try their hands at contacting other Scouts. At this particular Jamboree, local Scouts were able to contact other Jamboree participants in Wisconsin, Georgia, Alaska, British Columbia, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and many other states.

Gollahon explained during each contact, both sides share their call signs and they are recorded. Then a card is sent out to that call sign and they send one back. The cards can be collected and kept as a record to show all the contacts a radio operator has made, creating a world-wide map of unity.

Logandale resident Craig Fabbi is the Public Information Officer for the MVARC and was the organizer of the local jamboree. “Amateur radio is really a great hobby and I enjoy it,” he said. “I enjoy talking to people in the United States and around the world. Everyone is friendly and respectful to each other. I enjoy that. I also love Scouting and am glad that this is something Scouts can experience.”
Chris Morley, Vice-President of the MVARC, was also on hand to help kids make contacts. “HAM radios are really accessible to everyone,” he said. “I’ve seen kids as young as 8 get their operator’s licenses. The tests are just memorization and aren’t hard. Anyone can do it.”

Don DeCaria is the club’s Morse Code specialist and has made his equipment the epitome of transportable by making his truck a mobile radio unit. DeCaria has been practicing Morse code since 1966, when he was a radio operator in the Navy. He can hear and translate Morse as easily as English. Although Morse code is considered the most accurate way to transfer information, knowledge of Morse code is not required anymore for a license.

MVARC meets on the air every Thursday night at 7:30 pm to do a status check of both operators and equipment. They practice emergency procedures and get to know each other before branching out and making contacts all over the world. Anyone who is interested in learning more about amateur radio can contact Gollahan or any other member of the club.