The following information is courtesy of the Scouts JOTA-JOTI website:
The Jamboree On The Air is an annual event in which Scouts and Guides all over the world connect with each other by means of Amateur Radio. Short-wave radio signals carry their voices to virtually any corner of the world.
It’s the shear excitement of having a live conversation with a fellow Scout or Guide at some other place in the world that attracts so many young people to this event. JOTA is a real Jamboree during which Scouting experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared.
The use of Amateur Radio techniques offers an extra educational dimension for Scouts. Many grasp the opportunity to discover the world of wireless radio techniques and electronics. Thousands of volunteer Radio Amateurs assist the Scouts over the JOTA weekend with their knowledge, equipment and enthusiasm.
When is it?
The JOTA 2020 starts at 00:00 h local time on Saturday, October 17 and runs up to 23:59 h local time on Sunday, October 18. Note that details for use of special radio licenses, operating times and allowance for Scouts to use radio transmitters may vary per country.
World Scout Frequencies
Scout Frequencies are chosen in a segment where low-power, simple stations are transmitting. This allows Scouts to operate such stations from camp sites and still be able to communicate with others.
9M4S – WOSM’s Voice On The Air
The Amateur Radio station of the World Scout Bureau will be active on all short-wave and VHF bands during the full JOTA weekend with the Bureau’s call sign 9M4S. Directly from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
At 9M4S, you can speak directly with local participants and World Scout Bureau staff. The station is run by a team of Scout radio operators. Making a contact with 9M4S may sometimes require patience as usually many stations are calling at the same time.
The operators will do their very best to make contact with Scout stations worldwide and speak to Scouts in as many languages as possible.
Echolink
If you have an Internet connection available at your radio station, we recommend that you use the Echolink system. Its main advantage is that Echolink allows you to make radio contacts over very large distances, regardless of the radio propagation conditions, using even small handheld radios.
Echolink works via computers that are connected both to the internet and to an Amateur Radio station. By contacting one of these, your signals can go from the airwaves onto the internet and vice-versa.
Suppose you are at a location that does not allow you to put up antennas, or you have easy access to the computer classroom in a school building, you will now you have the chance to take part in JOTA from the school’s PCs, simply by connecting to Echolink.
There is a main conference node on Echolink where Scout stations meet: JOTA-365.
For more information about JOTA 2020 please visit:
Background information:
JOTA-JOTI related activities take place simultaneously all around the world each year during the third weekend in October. The program for JOTA-JOTI consists both of activities developed at world level and initiatives developed at national and local level, supported by National JOTA-JOTI Coordinators and their respective teams.
Basic Principles
- JOTA-JOTI is a fun and exciting experience for young people in Scouting.
- JOTA-JOTI seeks to promote quality Scouting in a manner faithful to the purpose, principles and method of Scouting and consistent with the needs and aspirations of young people in today’s world.
- JOTA-JOTI strives for a meaningful engagement of as many young people from as many parts of the world as possible.
- JOTA-JOTI is an occasion to celebrate Scouting and to generate positive energy to support the development of the Scout Movement.
Educational Objectives
- Promote Scouts’ sense of belonging to the worldwide Scout Movement.
- Promote peace, cultural awareness, tolerance, sharing, collaboration and to encourage good deeds and active citizenship.
- Provide opportunities for the development of teamwork and leadership skills through patrol-based activities.
- Provide exciting opportunities for young people to explore technology and to develop technical skills.
- Promote innovation and creativity.
Held on the third full weekend of October each year, this worldwide jamboree requires no travel, other than to a nearby Amateur Radio shack, Scout meeting place, camp or community centre.
JOTA started in 1958 (with the World JOTA Bureau located right here in Ottawa, Canada). In 1997, communicating through the Internet was added, and this was called Jamboree on the Internet or JOTI for short. Both annual events are sanctioned and sponsored by the World Organization of the Scouting Movement. In short, it’s the best way to talk to half a million Scouts and Guides without having to leave your own community!
Scouts Official JOTA website: https://jotajoti.info/
ARRL website: https://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota