JOTA Handbook

for Scouts

Scouting Ireland
For further information about Radio Scouting or Jamboree on the Air
(JOTA) contact

National JOTA Organiser, Scouting Ireland, Larch Hill, Tibradden, Dublin

16.

e-mail to jota@scouts.ie

Contents Page

What is radio 2-3

What is Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA)???? 4
Where can JOTA be held? 4
What Other Activities are Associated With JOTA? 4-5
Can Anyone Become a Radio Amateur? 5
The JOTA Station 5-6
What preparation is needed? 6-7
What is the Phonetic Alphabet? 7
What are Q Codes? 7-8
Other Useful Abbreviations 8
What are J Codes? 9
How do I Call Another Station? 10
What do I Say? 11
Logging Contacts. 12-13
Where can I get further information? 14

Acknowledgements Brian O’Daly, EI4GL (2nd Kerry Sea Scouts)

Joe Dillon, EI4FV (132nd Dublin)
Dan Cussen, EI9FHB (7th Wicklow)
Richard Gaskell, G0REL (NJO / JOTA – UK Scout Association)

1

What is radio?
Radios used to be called wireless
because unlike things like home
phones these require no wires yet
are capable of listening to music
sent from far away.
Radio signals cannot be heard by
the ear alone so some sort of radio
sensitive device is needed.
How radio works
The voice of the person talking is
picked up by an electric
microphone, which is connected, to
a transmitter. This transmitter
converts the voice into radio waves
that can be sent through the air
many hundreds if not thousands of
miles.
Frequencies
Every radio signal has a frequency
and each radio station is given a
different frequency so that two
radio stations don’t talk over each
other. In order to hear your station
of choice your radio needs to be
set to the same frequency. For
example 98FM broadcast on a
frequency of 98.1 Megahertz and
East Coast Radio broadcast on
102.9 Megahertz.
High Frequency and Skip
Each radio station has their own
frequency and depending on what
frequency it is it may be possible to
pick it up further away. Radio
stations like Team Talk 252 have
very low frequencies 0.252
Megahertz, which means they can
be heard in France even though
2
their transmitter is in Ireland.
Stations that transmit from 88 to
108 Megahertz can only be heard
for up to 60 miles which means you
won’t hear East Coast Radio when
you are in the west of Ireland.
Special things happen to stations
that transmit between 1 and 30
Megahertz. There is a layer up in
the sky, like the ozone layer, that is
invisible but can bounce back radio
signals sent up to the sky. These
signals bounce and land in another
part of the world. For example a
signal sent from Wicklow could
bounce and come down again in
America. Depending on the time of
day different frequencies are used
to bounce signals around the world.
At different times of the day radio
transmitters change frequency so
their signal can always be heard in
different parts of the world.
What is Amateur Radio?
The Amateur Radio Operator, or
Ham, as he or she is sometimes
called, is a non-commercial
operator and is required to pass an
examination before being licenced
to use particular Amateur Radio
Frequencies.
In Ireland, Scouts are fortunate in
being allowed to operate under the
direct supervision of the licenced
operator.
Bands Used
Amateur Radio Operators are given
frequencies on which to talk to
other people. These are called the
Amateur Bands. Scouts use these
frequencies to talk to Scouts in
other countries.
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

Rather than learn from A to Z, it is 6 7 8 9 0

far more interesting and easier to -.... --... ---.. ----. -----
learn the letters and numbers by dah dah
dah dah dah
association, and not by DOTs and dah di dah dah dah dah
DASHs, but by DITs and DAHs, as di di dah di dah dah dah
it will sound over the airwaves, the dit di dit di dit dit dah
DAH being 3 times the DIT. For
example learning morse by sound The key to learning morse is
DI DAH – DI DAH DAH and DI practice and revision. As you
DAH DAH DAH for A, W and J is master each group you must keep
easier than following the alphabet revising the previous groups learnt.
DIH DAH – DAH DI DI DIT and
DAH DI DAH DIT for A, B and C. Contents

3
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.

JOTA was begun in 1957 and is

held on the third full weekend of
October each year.

Few Scout Leaders have the

necessary licences to own and
operate a Radio Transmitter and
may have to contact a local
Amateur Radio Experimenter.
Modern radio equipment still
remains heavy, bulky and sensitive.
Why not find out where your
Your help in moving and setting it
nearest Radio Operator is and ask
up will be appreciated.
if he or she will help you to get
Contents
involved in JOTA.

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

4
JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Codes, Phonetic alphabet etc.
Other activities can include
Construction Projects: Bring in an
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.
Morse Code: Learn to receive and
send Morse, otherwise known as
Continuous Wave (CW).
Catering: Set up a galley kitchen
and supply endless cups of tea and
the occasional snack for visitors.
Contents
Can Anyone
Become a Radio
Amateur?
Yes, courses in Amateur Radio are
generally available where Clubs
exist. Having your Radio Licence
is a gateway to another aspect of
Scouting and while regarded as an
expensive hobby, a lot can still be
bought for a little.
Contents
The JOTA
Station
A typical station will consist of High
Frequency Transceiver, V.H.F.
Transceiver with possibly packet
radio, computers, Radio Teletype,
a Shortwave Receiving Station,
5
searching for and logging activity,
with many newer modes being
resolved by radio linked with laptop
PC’s loaded with suitable software.
An ample supply of relevant books
on radio and a workbench
complete with electronics projects,
components, tools, and old radios
are also very desirable, and, of
course, a world map to plot your
progress.
Can any Aerial (Antenna) be
Used?
No, aerials have different
applications and each may require
careful adjustment for the
frequency being transmitted on to
avoid expensive damage to the
transceiver.
The Callsign
Every radio station has a callsign
unique to that station. Each
callsign consists of a prefix, which
identifies the country or territory, a
number, usually between 0 and 9,
and a suffix, which range from one
to three letters.
The prefix for Radio Stations on the
mainland of the Republic of Ireland
is EI – Echo India. The prefix for
Radio Stations on the Republic of
JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Ireland’s off shore islands is EJ –
Echo Juliet.
In Northern Ireland the prefix for
Radio Stations is either GI – Golf
India or Mike India or for Amateur
radio Clubs; GN – Golf November
or MN – Mike November.
Some other prefixes are :
G&M- England.
GM &MM - Scotland.
GW& MW - Wales.
GD & MD - Isle of Man.
F- France.
ON - Belgium.
PA - Holland.
I- Italy.
LA - Norway.
SM - Sweden.
HB - Switzerland.
DL - Germany.
VK - Australia.
VE - Canada.
Can you add to this list? A full list
can be found the Leader’s and
Station Manager’s JOTA
Handbook.
In the Republic of Ireland you will
find callsigns consist of:
– A licence callsigns. The suffix
has either one or two letters,
i.e. EI4GL.
– B licence callsigns. The suffix
has three letters the last of
which is “B”, i.e. EI9FHB.
– Club Stations. The suffix
sometimes has two letters, i.e.
EI3SI, Larch Hill, or three, i.e.
EI4BST, Bayside Scout Troop.
– Special Event callsigns can
have two to four letters e.g.
EI1SI and EI2KSS, which both
belong to 2nd Kerry Sea Scouts.
– Jamboree stations may use the
extension /j after the suffix of a
club or personal callsign.
6
– Mobile stations use the
extension /M after the suffix.
– Maritime mobile stations use
the extension /MM after the
suffix.
In Northern Ireland generally you
will find suffixes have three letters
and callsigns consist of:
– Advanced class callsigns.
These can be found with any
number other than MI prefixes
with the number 3, i.e. MI0XXX.
– Intermediate class callsigns.
These only have the prefix 2I1,
and are divided into two
classes;
– Class A with either the numbers
0, 2, 3 and 4, i.e. 2I2XXX.
– Class A with either the numbers
1, 5, 6, 7 and 8, i.e. 2I5XXX.
– Foundation class callsigns.
These only have the prefix MI
and number 3, i.e. MI3XXX.2
– Club Stations, i.e. GN4SIW.
– Special Event callsigns, i.e.
GB0FAS, 4th Antrim Scouts.
Contents
What
preparation is
needed?
In practice, amateur radio
operators use certain codes, which
Scout participating in JOTA should
learn. These include the phonetic
1
2
Holders of Intermediate and Foundation
Class Amateur Radio Licences are not
permitted to operate in the Republic of
Ireland unless supervised by the holder of
a CEPT Class 1 or Class 2 Licence. Nor
can they supervise JOTA Stations in
Northern Ireland
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

A Alpha QRP Low Power

B Bravo
C Charlie QRT Closing Down Station / Ceasing
Transmission
D Delta
E Echo QRX Wait - Please Standby
F Foxtrot
G Golf QSB Signal Fading
H Hotel
QSL Conform Contact or Confirm
I India Receipt of Message / Information
J Juliet
K Kilo QSO Radio Contact
L Lima
M Mike QSP Pass on Message
N November QSY Change Frequency to ..............
O Oscar Mhz.
P Papa
Q Quebec QTH Location
R Romeo
S Sierra Examples
T Tango
My QTH is Dublin My Location is
U Uniform Dublin
V Victor
W Whiskey Please QRX 2 Please Wait /
X X-Ray Standby for 2
Y Yankee Minutes
Z Zulu
Contents

7
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

Please QSL via Please send the TRX Transceiver

Bureau your QSL Card (Combined Unit)
through the
bureau DX Long Distance
(Outside Europe)
QSL Please Please Confirm
receipt of INFO Information
message /
information Mickey Mouse Marine Mobile
I am now going I am now
QRT 73’s closing the Land Line Telephone Call
station, good-
bye Lima Lima Telephone Call
Additional Q Codes
(add other codes you hear on air) Sked Arranged Time
and Frequency
for a Radio
Contact

Additional Abbreviations
(add other codes you hear on air)

Contents

Other Useful
Abbreviations
73’s Good-bye

88’s Best Wishes Contents

8
JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
What are J Codes?
English is the universal language of radio.
However not all Scouts speak it. In order
to overcome the language barrier during
JOTA and make simple conversations
possible between Scouts of different
cultures and languages, a group of
National JOTA Organizers devised a code
called the J-code. It is similar to the well-
known Q-code used by the radio
amateurs. See it as a game and a
challenge to try to communicate with
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

9
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

This is Echo India Four X-Ray Sierra Juliet

Echo India Four X-Ray Sierra Juliet

Echo India Four X-Ray Sierra Juliet

Calling and Standing By Over

If you are answering a CQ call made by another

station
Call out the Callsign of the station calling CQ followed by your callsign.

To pass back to the other Station

On completion of the message state the Callsign of the other Station
followed by your callsign

To end the QSO with the other Station

Complete the final message followed by “Goodbye, 73’s” the Callsign of the
other Station (followed by) your callsign.

Contents

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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.

The following may assist you in preparing a script

My Name is ____________________________________________________
(First name Only)

(In Phonetics)

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

I am __________ years old. I am in the ____________________ Patrol / Six

My Troop is the _________________________________________________

(Group No. and County)

My QTH is _____________________________________________________
(Name of City / Town)

I enjoy ________________________________________________________
(Camping) (Hiking) (Pioneering) (Campfires) (Canoeing)

My hobbies are _________________________________________________

My favourite football team is _______________________________________

My favourite Pop Group is ________________________________________

Contents

11
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 GMT / UTC?

Greenwich Mean Time or Universal Time Co-ordinated is the time universally

used in radio across all time zones. Each year in Ireland, we advance our
clocks by 1 hour from GMT to give Summer Time from the last Sunday in
March and again on the last Sunday in October we take one hour to revert to
GMT / UTC. Therefore during JOTA we subtract one hour from Summer
Time to record GMT / UTC in our logbooks. You should use the 24 hour clock
when recording the time.

What is Mode?

Mode describes the type of modulation used. FM is Frequency Modulation,

AM is Amplitude Modulation. AM can be divided into side bands; USB - upper
side band and LSB - lower side band. Modes are coded with regard to their
use e.g. .F3E is speech on FM, J3E is speech on side band, A1A is morse
code on AM.

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),

What is a Signal Report?

Radio Signals can vary from weak to strong and are described as RS(T) for
Readability and Signal Strength (plus Tone – used with Morse).

12
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

1 -- Faint signals, barely perceptible

2 -- Very weak signals
3 -- Weak signals
4 -- Fair signals
5 -- Fairly good signals
6 -- Good signals
7 -- Moderately strong signals
8 -- Strong signals
9 -- Extremely strong signals

What is a QSL Card?

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.

So why not have a competition in the Group to “design a Card”. Sample

cards can be obtained from the amateur radio operator or National JOTA
Organiser (NJO) to show what information should also be printed on the card.

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

13
JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006
Where can I get further information?
National JOTA Organiser: jota at scouts dot ie

Useful Web Pages

Scouting Ireland
Radio scouting www.scouts.ie/international/jota

World JOTA Organiser www.scout.org/jota

UK Radio Scouting www.radio-scouting.org.uk/

United States JOTA

Pages www.scouting.org/international/jota.html

Australia JOTA
Resources www.scouts.com.au/main.asp?iStoryID=877&iShellID=706

New Zealand Radio Scouting

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~jim-p/jota/jota.html

American Radio Relay

League JOTA Page www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/jota.html

Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) www.irts.ie/

Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) www.rsgb.org/

Contents

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JOTA Handbook for Scouts - Revised October 2006