Courtesy of Youth On The Air Americas | July 6, 2024 –
In memory of Bob Heil, K9EID, the Youth On The Air (YPTA) shack will be named the Bob Heil, K9EID Memorial YOTA Camp Amateur Radio Shack.
Bob Heil, along with the company he founded – Heil Sound – have supported Youth On The Air from the very beginning. Regardless of what was needed for the YOTA Camps, Bob would never fail to send what we needed and more to use at camp. Youth on the Air will forever remember his legacy in the Amateur Radio community and his support for YOTA in the Americas.
Activation of the VE1YOTA callsign from the camp in Halifax, Nova Scotia will begin the evening of Sunday, July 7 and conclude on Friday, July 12. Campers will operate the memorial station as they finish projects, between sessions, and during free time.
In addition, campers will have the opportunity to operate the Bob Heil Memorial Shack during the following dedicated times:
Sunday, July 7: 0000Z to 0200Z and Monday, July 8, Wednesday, July 10 & Thursday, July 11: 2100Z to 0200Z
Campers will also have dedicated satellite operating times on Wednesday, July 10 from 1230Z to 1500Z.
Upcoming ARISS Contact and POTA Activations
Campers will be able to ask questions of an astronaut on the International Space Station during the camp as well.
The ARISS contact is currently scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 9 at 1430Z or a backup of Wednesday, July 10 at 1345Z.
A highlight of the camp will be a day of Parks on the Air (POTA) activations, one of which will be on an island with a lighthouse – which according to the Parks on the Air website has only very recently been activated once previously. Georges Island National Historic Site POTA ID CA-4838 & ILLW ID CA0053 will be active on Thursday, July 11 from 1300Z to 1800Z. Activations will simultaneously take place from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the HMCS Sackville POTA ID CA-5821, and possibly the C.S.S. Acadia POTA ID CA-5432.
The opening and closing ceremonies and the International Space Station contact (ARISS) will be streamed live on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel. The opening ceremony is Sunday, July 7 from 2000Z to 2200Z. The closing ceremony is Friday, July 12 from 1300Z to 1400Z. The channel will also feature a daily highlight video spotlighting the activities of the previous day.
For more information about the camp, see the Halifax 2024 page.