December 29, 2019
1

Kidsday 4 January 2020

By | Publication | No Comments

Just in the beginning of 2020 it’s time for a new Kidsday. Kidsday is generally on the first Saturday in January and the third Saturday in June. This event is especially created to promote Amateur Radio to youth. This is a moment where you can share your amateur radio hobby with your family, grandkids, friends, scouts or even to the general public. This day can be the first time for youth to experience a real radio QSO, hopefully they get interested in becoming a licensed amateur radio operator.

You could make use of this suggested exchange: Name, age, location and favourite colour. Be sure to work the same station again if an operator has changed. To draw attention, call “CQ Kids Day.”

Suggested frequencies IARU R1:
10 Meters: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz
15 Meters: 21.360 to 21.400 MHz
20 Meters: 14.270 to 14.300 MHz
40 Meters: 7.080 to 7.120 MHz
80 Meters: 3.650 to 3.750 MHz

Other suggested frequencies by ARRL:
12 Meters: 24.960 to 24.980 MHz
17 Meters: 18.140 to 18.145 MHz
40 Meters: 7.270 to 7.290 MHz
80 Meters: 3.740 to 3.940 MHz

Are you taking part in Kidsday? Share your experience with us by email, via facebook or Instagram @hamyota_offical.

Visit the ARRL website for more info.

December 17, 2019
2

Winter YOTA – Day 4 – Recap

By | Publication, Subregional Activities, Winter YOTA PA 2019 | No Comments

Sunday marked the day of departure from the winter YOTA camp in Oosterhout. During the morning the participants were shuttled to the train station from where they made their way home.

Over the last 3 days the youngsters learnt a lot about the amateur radio hobby. Many of them discovered new things to delve into, like satellite communications. Many had the opportunity to have their first QSOs on HF with the special event callsign PA6YOTA. But this week was also about learning activities and skills which the youngsters can take home to their country and use to get more youngsters fascinated by the hobby. Combining amateur radio with fun activities with like-minded youngsters is the key to spreading the hobby among young people.

On the previous evening the sponsors of Winter YOTA were invited to the camp. The participants presented all the activities they had done over the last days and what they had learnt. The presentations included a short recap of each activity. For example, the satellite workshops, off-air contest and QRM finder kit. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the winter YOTA games. The teams could accumulate points during all the activities of the camp, such as the treasure hunt and pub quiz. Furthermore, points were awarded to the team with the most QSOs and the team with the furthest QSO.

Special thanks to all those who made this unforgettable camp possible. Thanks to the crew and to the sponsors, without them it would not have been possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 17, 2019
0

Winter YOTA – Day 3

By | Subregional Activities, Winter YOTA PA 2019 | No Comments

After a fun day yesterday, the last day of winter YOTA started with a fun energising game. Day 3 was “QRM day”. The day kicked off with a presentation about sources of QRM by Edwin Vos PA3GVQ, it was fascinating to see how a small fault in a power supply for example can cause significant QRM. But this knowledge would be useless without knowing how to locate the source and being able to prevent the QRM. Furthermore, we learnt how to best work together with your neighbours when complaints about interference come up. Edwin works for the Dutch telecommunications agency, so he knows QRM better than anyone.

After lunch we took the traditional group pictures with all participants. The afternoon activities were started off by a treasure hunt. The youngsters had to answer amateur radio related questions in order to find the location of the next question. For example: “Which country has the most DXCC entities?”. The weather was “Dutch dry”, it only rained lightly but this did not stop the youngster’s enthusiasm. Then it was time to continue with QRM day. First of all, the participants built a signal finder kit which can be used to detect sources of QRM. The instructions can be found on www.kitbuilding.org. For many it was the first time soldering such a kit. It was great to see the more experienced youngsters helping the ones who had less experience. Once the kit had been assembled a test bench was set up to try out the detectors. At the same time Edwin demonstrated the vehicle used by the Dutch telecom agency to find QRM sources, both for amateur radio and commercial operations. The sensitive technology and directional antennas were impressive. Yet another career in amateur radio.

The day ended by the participants presenting what they had done and learnt to some of the camp’s sponsors, more about this in tomorrow’s blog.

December 14, 2019
0

Winter YOTA – Day 2

By | Subregional Activities, Winter YOTA PA 2019 | One Comment

December 13th 2019: Day 2

 

After breakfast the organisers gave a short presentation about what would happen today. The program changed a little due to the weather but was still packed with interesting and fun activities. We started the morning of with a short game to wake up and get to know each other better. After this, the first workshop of the day started. Han Jenniskens PA0JEN gave a presentation about the satellite QO-100. The youngsters learnt about the different systems that can be used and how easy it is to listen to the satellite via SDR. After learning about this fascinating type of amateur radio the youngsters had the opportunity to make QSOs via the satellite themselves. After a short break Lennart Kieft PA2LEN continued with a presentation about other amateur radio satellites. Satellites such as SO-50 are easy to work with a handheld radio and homemade yagi-antenna. A great way for youngsters to get into satellite operation. In the evening the youngsters got an opportunity to practice their contest skills in a fun way. The “off-air” contest is a classic at YOTA camps. Benches are set up to represent the HF bands. By sitting on the bench, you occupy a frequency and can call CQ. Other participants are running between the bands making QSOs with those occupying the band. Other people (mostly crew) were creating QRM by playing SSTV recordings and other sounds found on the real bands. It was an organized fun chaos. The logs were checked meticulously. The 2 best stations had 40 contacts in 2 10-minute periods. After dinner it was time for a pub quiz. The topics ranged from DXCCs and technical questions to questions about the host country and the IARU.

Of course, the call PA6YOTA was on air nearly the entire day and late into the night. The youngsters were eager to get on the air with the ICOM radios. Everybody is looking forward to the next day and many more interesting and fun activities.

December 13, 2019
0

Winter YOTA 2019 – Day 1

By | Subregional Activities, Winter YOTA PA 2019 | No Comments

December 12th 2019: Finally the day has come, winter YOTA has begun.

Today the participants arrived at the location of the first ever Winter YOTA camp held in Oosterhout in the region of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. Teams from 10 countries across Europe arrived during the course of the afternoon. As more and more motivated youngsters arrived there were a number of activities to get to know each other. For many of the youngsters this was the first ever YOTA event, but there were also some familiar faces. Once all the participants had arrived it was time for a traditional Dutch dinner. After which the organisers of the event introduced the activities we would be doing in the upcoming days. The participants are divided into groups of 5, named after famous inventors and scientists: Hertz, Tesla, Morse, Maxwell and Marcconi. Every team can gain points by winning different competitions such as the off-air contest. There will also be points for the team with the most QSOs and the QSO with the furthest distance. The organisers of the camp prepared a tight schedule of interesting and educational activities, for example kit building, working satellites and a workshop about QRM by the Dutch telecommunications agency. All the participants are looking forward to the upcoming days. The highlight of the evening was the intercultural evening which has become a YOTA tradition. Each countries team brought traditional food and drinks from their country. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying international food and getting to know each other better. Tomorrow the first workshops start, everybody is excited to start learning!

During the entire weekend, the youngsters will be on the air with the callsign PA6YOTA on HF and VHF, we hope to see you on the band.

December 8, 2019
0

Upcoming Winter YOTA – PA 2019

By | Publication, Winter YOTA PA 2019 | No Comments

With only a few days left till Winter YOTA, we want to thank our sponsors to make this event possible! Young amateur radio enthusiasts coming from Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Romania, Serbia and The Netherlands will be travelling to Oosterhout, in the Southern part of The Netherlands. Listen for PA6YOTA 12-15 December and make a QSO with one of the youngsters. Follow the YOTA pages for updates on the event!

November 17, 2019
0

Youth on the Air Camp Coming to IARU Region 2

By | Publication | No Comments

The first camp for young amateur radio operators in North, Central, and South America is coming to West Chester, Ohio in June, 2020.

A summer camp for licensed amateur radio operators ages 15 through 25 will take place June 21 through June 26, 2020 at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township (North Cincinnati), Ohio, according to an announcement today by the Youth on the Air (YOTA) committee in IARU Region 2. The camp is being hosted by the museum and the West Chester Amateur Radio Association (WC8VOA). The camp, a modified version of the popular Youngsters on the Air camps in IARU Region 1 covering Europe and Africa, is operated by Electronic Applications Radio Service, Inc. (EARS). EARS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to wireless technologies and activities. IARU Region 2 covers North, Central and South America. The camp will focus on building peer & mentor relationships and learning how to take amateur radio to the next level. Campers will attend workshops and activities in multiple STEM-related subjects, such as Radio Contesting, Electronic Kit Building, D-STAR, APRS, Satellite Communications, Building Antennas, and Radio Direction Finding and Orienteering. Campers will also build teams and contesting skills by using amateur radio at nearby Kings Island Amusement Park. A high altitude balloon launch is also being planned. Social and team building activities include a pizza and pool party, a trip to Dave & Buster’s and operation of a special event station using the call sign W8Y. The event is a pilot for what hopefully will become a future series at other locations. This is the first camp specifically for youngsters 15 to 25 living in the Americas who already have their amateur licenses.

This camp could not take place without financial and equipment support. Campers will use the latest and greatest amateur radio equipment courtesy of ICOM America, Heil Sound, X-Tronic, and R&L Electronics. Major financial supporters at the time of this press release include: the Yasme Foundation, the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, Orlando Hamcation and Orlando Amateur Radio Club (OARC), the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF), Dayton Hamvention and Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA), the Huntsville Hamfest, the ARRL Foundation, Southwest Ohio DX Association (SWODXA), Radio Amateurs of Canada, and Gary West, K8DEV & Dee Dee West, KA8DXE. Their financial support makes it possible for these aspiring young amateur radio operators to attend the camp at a greatly reduced cost. Clubs and individuals who wish to donate to help further defray the costs of the camp can do so via PayPal by visiting YOTAregion2.org, and clicking on the donate button. Donations can also be made on GoFundMe. More information about YOTA in the Americas as well as the summer camp can be found at YOTAregion2.org, and on YOTAregion2 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. YOTAregion2.org is also sponsored by ICOM America.

October 28, 2019
0

Train the Trainer report – France – October 2019

By | Train the trainer | No Comments

For the past two months, few things happen in France. Back from Sofia, I wrote first a CR for the REF society and the administrators who were convinced about the fact that what they did for me this year has to continue the next few years with me but not only, with the objective to see a YOTA France born. Then I have the ascent of the REF to write an article for RadioRef Mag, who is the only and the most read by the French amateur community radio magazine. At mid-October I met F5DJL President of REF and F1AGR who is the “coordinator” of the youth activities. I made two proposal who were quickly accepted. First, creating a website/page in French with goals to explain what YOTA is to the 15-26 population of F licenced, and to let know to the French amateur community that there are some youngsters involved in this hobby in their own country. The other goal of this page is to allow everyone who is interested by YOTA to get directly a contact with someone who knows what he is talking about (not someone who’ll ask someone else and then no answer). The last goal comes with the second initiative I took, create a Telegram YOTA France, a unique group, not one on WhatsApp, not one on snapchat, a unique Telegram group where all Youngsters from France can start to speak and organise events together (so inform that there is a formal group of discussion for those who don’t think that it could be exist or don’t find the person who can enter it in the group). If they are interested by the international part of the YOTA Group, of course they’ll be added on the Gen Group.

So, after LZ YOTA :

-CR to the REF

-Article

-Meeting with the REF

-Building the website (simple but functional)

-Creating the unique known place of chat to bring together the France youngsters

After that, using every social media and our Website to encourage everyone interested to be added to the group. It’s just starting. By the way for the next activities, we will be active as TM19YOTA, I’ll represent Youngsters in the French contest commission at the end of November, and I have been contacted by F4GKR to be with him in Serbia next year for the IARU meeting. For the Website and the Group, I hope that before December it will be operational. I think that this is doable.

Just for information : REF has a list of potential 26 youngsters in France (in age of being selected). We have no information about those who are in age but not in the REF list.

Best regards, CU perhaps in the WE during the WW, Tom F4HWS.

October 23, 2019
0

Train the Trainer report – Austria – October 2019

By | Train the trainer | No Comments

 

In the last 2 months important achievements were made for youth in Austria. The support from our society OEVSV has greatly increased. After we put lots of effort into convincing them of the importance of youth.

At the general assembly of the society, youngsters were present to put pressure on the representatives of each region of Austria. They all agreed to organise youth activities with their regional youth coordinators and support the youngsters already in their regions with any activities they want to organise. Additionally, the youth coordinator on the national level secured a budget specifically for youth activities. It shows that slowly the OMs are realising that youth is the way forward.

Some other important achievements were also made:

There will be an OEVSV online learning platform so that youngsters can learn for their license exams online when and where they want to. Before we often had the problem that youngsters were interested but it was too difficult for them to learn for the exam because there were no courses near them etc. and with time, they lost interest. This online learning platform will solve this problem. On the platform there will be video lessons, but the users will also be able to ask questions and get feedback on their progress.

The youth team in Austria will create a website, which is independent from the website of the OEVSV website. There was a youth section on the society website before but that was difficult to find and there was not a lot of content on there. We want to make the website “by youngsters, for youngsters” so all the content on the site is made and written by youngsters. We have lots of great ideas for things we could do with the website. We will also make social media channels, to start off we will make an Instagram account and do our best to upload content on a weekly basis. A goal like uploading content every week is also a good motivator to go out and do something. All of our platforms will be named YOTA-Austria.

Our plan is to create a stronger youth community in Austria, at the moment very few youngsters actually know each other. Getting the support from the heads of the individual regions was key to connecting youngsters across Austria more. First of all, we will do some activities to bring the existing youngsters closer together. Once we have a group of motivated and active youngsters, we can start focusing on getting new youngsters interested in the hobby. For instance, going to schools and universities etc.

The highlight of the coming year will no doubt be a sub-regional camp in Austria. After organising the YOTA summer camp in 2016, enthusiasm about the camp was very high within the society. Now with the sub-regional camp we have the opportunity to organise a camp again. We hope to make it a large sub-regional camp with lots of cool activities and workshops.