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The Southport and District Amateur Radio Club is happy to visit youth groups throughout Merseyside, West Lancashire and Sefton in Southport, Formby, Ormskirk, Tarleton, Skelmersdale, Bootle, Burscough, Maghull, Crosby and Liverpool.
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Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) &
Thinking Day on the Air (TDOTA)
A Scout sends a message thousands of
miles using Amateur Radio
The Southport & District Amateur Radio Club have been running Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) and Thinking Day on the Air (TDOTA) events for several years now, but what are they?
They are annual events during which Scout troops and Guide units from all over the world communicate with each other by means of Amateur Radio - Scouting and Guiding experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared via the radio waves. Modern communication technology offers Scouts and Guides the exciting opportunity to make friends in other countries without even leaving home (or the group 'hut').
Since 1958 when the first Jamboree on the Air was held, and 1985 when the Thinking Day on the Air event was established, thousands of Scouts and Guides have "met" each other through these events. Not only is it fun to talk to Scouts and Guides from other parts of the world but it also provides a chance to find out about other countries and Scouting and Guiding Around the world. It is also a great opportunity to learn about radio communication technology and earn the Scouts and Guides Communicator badges. Many contacts made during JOTA and TDOTA have resulted long standing friendships between Scout troops and Guide units that otherwise might never have come about.
With no restrictions on age, or the number that can participate, JOTA and TDOTA provide an opportunity for Scouts and Guides to contact each other by Amateur Radio. These special event stations are operated by licensed Amateur Radio operators.
Many Scouts and Guides leaders hold Amateur Radio licences and have their own Amateur Radio stations, but the majority participate in JOTA and TDOTA through special event stations operated by local radio clubs such as the Southport & District Amateur Radio Club.
48th Southport Air Scouts,
home of GB5SAS
When are the events run?
TDOTA is organized to coincide with the third full weekend of February and JOTA the third full weekend in October each year. The event starts at 00.00 hours local time on the Saturday and concludes 48 hours later at 24.00 hours local time on the Sunday. Each special event station can choose its own operating hours within this period.
How to take part in JOTA and TDOA?
If you would like the Southport & District Amateur Radio Club to help you run a JOTA or TDOTA event for your Scout Troop or Guide Unit, please try and contact us approximately four to six months before the event is to run.
Scout & Guide Leaders - get licensed!
Have you thought about the benefits of becoming a licensed Amateur Radio operator yourself?
The Southport & District Amateur Radio Club run Foundation Courses and Intermediate Courses regularly during the year. We can also help prepare you for the Advanced Course, the exams for which are held four times a year at a nearby venue.
For further information, please contact us.