For the second year running the Lothians Radio Society ran a station for Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) from Bonaly Camp near Edinburgh using the callsign GB0BSS - Bonaly Scout Site. The operators were John Cooke GM8OTI, Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL and Alan Masson GM3PSP. One of the Scout helpers was David Ferguson GM3YMX, a former LRS member. 32 contacts ("QSOs") were made, 17 with other JOTA stations. (Details with QSL card below). 

 

 The HF aerials were John's SOTA V-dipoles for 10/15/20m supported by a fibreglass fishing pole.

 

Long shot of the aerial and the operating location - the large barn, not one of the tipis!

 

The HF rig was Alan's Kenwood TS-2000X. We also ran the LRS promotional

Powerpoint show on a laptop to demonstrate the range of LRS activities.

 

John GM8OTI checking out 20m before the start of JOTA.

 

The first of several rotating groups of Scouts watching John operate and in some cases speaking into the mike themselves. Other activities related to the Communicator badge, such as learning the ICAO phonetic alphabet, and JOTI - Jamboree On The Internet (believe it or not!) were also run in parallel with the JOTA station. 

 

 John persuaded this Scout to speak into the mike in a contact ("QSO") with another JOTA station. 

 

Malcolm GM3TAL, wearing his Scout Leader uniform, with one of the Scouts.

 

Malcolm with a Scout who was persuaded to speak into the mike. 

 

 Malcolm also took time to explain how short-wave radio works.

 

Malcolm demonstrated how the ionosphere round the earth works to reflect signals

beyond the visible horizon, using an inflatable globe and a red laser pointer. 

 

 Looks like these Scouts got the idea!

 

 A pleasant surprise was to find that one of the Scout helpers was David Ferguson GM3YMX,

a former member of the LRS, and father of one of the Scout leaders..

 

 David doing one of the little tutorial sessions with a group of Scouts.

 

 

Wrap-up session by one of the Scout leaders (and time for tea)!

 

 Nice QSL card produced by the Scouts themselves, similar to the 2012 card.

John GM8OTI had the 38 QSLs despatched to the QSL bureau within a week

for onward distribution to the other stations contacted.

 

List of contacts ("QSOs") made.  The callsign prefixes shown designate the countries

in the same way that "GB0" is Great Britain, e.g. D stands for Deutschland (Germany).

 

                  20 Great Britain - all 40m

                  2 Germany - DF0, DG1, both 40m

                  3 USA (AA!, W3, WEX3, all 10m

                  1 European Russia - UA6YD on 10m

                  2 Ukraine - US5 on 10m & 20m

                  1 Portugal - CR7 on 20m

                  2 Netherlands - PA3 on 20m & PA1 on 40m

                  1 Sweden - SK7 on 20m

 

 Mug-board seen outside the operating building.

We should have got the operators to stick their heads in the holes!