Download the PDF of the YOTA ZS Newsletter here: YOTA ZS Newsletter 1
With only a few weeks to go to YOTA 2018 in South Africa, the SARL Events Team is hard at work to conclude preparations for a 7 day programme filled with a range of amateur radio related activities, excursions and lots of fun!
The event will be held in the beautiful central region of Gauteng at the Kopanong Hotel and Conference Centre easily accessible from the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
All teams and participants will be met at the airport with a traditional South African welcome and be transported to the venue.
Being in the Southern hemisphere and August in Gauteng, it will expectantly be a mild winter with sun-filled days with day time temperatures in the low 20 degrees C and will be a “pseudo-Summer” camp for the overseas visitors.
The week will offer many opportunities to learn more about amateur radio and getting to know fellow amateurs from various other countries.
Highlights planned for the week include learning about SDR technology with your own SDR dongle, build a mini CubeSat and experience launching it as well as tracking it into near space on a high altitude balloon. Learn about Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio (RaDAR) which is in essence amateur radio on the move and build a QRP HF transceiver kit.
A visit to a game reserve to view the Big Five including some cultural experiences like a traditional braaivleis in an open-air boma and operate the ZS9YOTA special events station.
The theme of “Train the Trainer” will be explored, to enable participants to return to their home countries, equipped and inspired to organize and promote radio amateur activities to other youth groups or ultimately starting a youth group.
Should you have any specific questions about travel arrangements, documentation or any other specific information, please do not hesitate to ask, we are happy to assist: info@zs9yota.co.za.
The Events Team will keep participants informed in the next newsletter to be released soon. In the meantime bring your laptop, and if a licensed radio amateur your hand held radio and a copy of your amateur radio license.
We are looking forward to welcoming all teams in August this year!
On the weekend around the 22nd June the annual His Majesty The King of Spain SSB contest took place.
We (David, OE5DFL, and Benjamin, OE3BVB) had the chance to participate from EC2DX station in spain.
On Friday we flew to Spain and we were warmly welcomed by Imanol (EC2DX). After a two hour drive we arrived at the station and had some meal together. Since we arrived very early in EA-land we helped Imanol with some of his new projects. We helped to concrete the foundation for his new homemade tower and we also helped bulding his new 10/15m yagis.
After that we started to prepare for the contest. We errected the 80m fullsize 4-square, put the station together and did some first tests. Everything worked well.
After prepearing the station Imanol showed us some local spanish habbits also including drinking coffee at 11 pm. After a good dinner we went to sleep for the contest next day.
For the contest we were able to use EF0F, thanks to Jose EA7KW, URE and the EA5RS contest group for making this possible. We were active on 2 bands at the same time, sometimes also on 3 bands. Some stations could make contact with us on all bands 160-10m as well. The contest went very good but in the night we took a short break since there was almost no activity.
In the end we were able to achive a little bit over a million points and almost 2200 QSO‘s.
On our last day we visited San Sebastian and had a great time with the locals.
Thank you EC2DX for hosting us at your station, also a big thanks to his wive for supporting us.
Also thanks to IARU for making this possible with the YCP Program
73 de David (OE5DFL) & Benjamin (OE3BVB)
We got the opportunity by the WRTC organizers to be part of the ham radio Olympics 2018 in Germany.
The World Radiosport Team Championship takes place every 4 years in another country.
During IARU HF Championship contest 63 teams from all over the world participate to find the world champion.
Now we have the possibility to send 20 youngsters aged 16 to 26 to be part of the WRTC volunteer team at this mega event located in Wittenberg area. Meet some of the worldwide best-known contesters and have an eye to eye contact with them.
Use your chance and make it yourself a lifelong memory.
Be a part of the Youngsters On The Air team at WRTC 2018 in Germany!
If you want to join fill in the following link.
https://goo.gl/forms/tb2jP6DSdqwwLOgf2
73 de YOTA PR Team
| Place | Youth Hostel Wittenberg |
| Time | 11.07. (arrival) – 17.07.2018 (departure) |
| Costs | accommodation and breakfast covered |
| Application deadline | Friday, 29.06.2018 (2359 UTC) |
| DATE | TASKS and SCHEDULE |
| Whole time | Occupation of the HQ station in the Luther Hotel (radio operation / support in shifts) |
| 11.07. or 12.07. | Meet youth teams |
| 12.07. | – Afternoon Support of the organization of the opening event- — Evening Opening event |
| 13.07. | – Afternoon WRTC Academy – Open Format Competition and WRTC Training, Presentation and Workshops |
| 16.07. | – Morning Meet WRTC competitors especially youth teams – Afternoon Support of the organization of the final event |
| Special task for “Jugend forscht” science project | Implementation of remote operations for the WRTC competition, which can lead QSOs out of the Luther HQ Hotel with the WRTC stations during IARU HF Championship. |
HAM Radio 2018 was incredible, we have never seen so many youngsters and YOTA friends. We were proud to be part of the IARU booth for 3 days long. In our Flag ceremony at the mainstage the YOTA flag and key were handed over from the UK to South-Africa. And yes, YOTA ZS is coming closer! Florian (OE3FTA) and Lisa (PA2LS) introduced the audience to Youngsters On The Air and gave an overview of all activities and news, YOTA keeps on growing and developing its program.
The IARU R1 International Youth Meeting on Saturday was attended by a group of youngsters and youth coordinators. Koos (ZR6KF) and Nico (ZS6QL) updated of all youth activities in South-Africa as part of SARL (South African Radio League) and Hammies. Followed by a discussion of Alex (IV3KKW), Florian (OE3FTA) and Lennart (PD5LKM), who are part of the IARU taskgroups which are working on the future of amateur radio. Their work is still in a starting point and are going to use the input to their relevant groups working on education and outreach, it’s not an easy task, but an important one.
In the afternoon a train full of youngsters visited all IARU member societies, questioning, does your society have a youth program? We were happy to have Silvio (IZ5DIY) as our train driver.
On Saturday evening we had the famous YOTA dinner, attended by more than 60 youngsters and YOTA friends from more than 10 countries. The family keeps on growing!
And last but not least, we had the chance to think about new future plans and took the time to say thank you to many of our sponsors which were attending HAM Radio. Without them we are not able to host all our many activities.
#hamyota #FHN2018
When my Friend Fiodor IZ7YBG told me about his YCP experience I decided to apply myself.
I have been chosen for ES5TV station for ARI DX contest so I booked flights to Tallinn.
I met Tonno and he brought me to the station, where I met Oleg, YL3DW and Valeri, ES5QA. Tonno gave me a nice welcome to his station, he explained me how the station works. The Friday evening before the contest he let me use the station for practicing, I made some QSO’s together with his son Jasper, ES5JASS.
Other people joined us for the contest, and at 12:00Z Saturday the contest started. This was first Multi operator-Multi station contest for me and I learned many things, especially how big contest station works. I have been awake all night long as I was so enthusiastic about the contest. Even once the contest was finished, I could not get “ES9C CQ Contest” out of my head.
Tonno managed everything perfectly, he picked me up at the airport and provided food at the station. It had a lot of fun operating with the Latvian guys: Kristers YL3AJA, Oskars and Ritvars (from YL1ZT); I am also glad to have met Tarmo, ES5NHC, Tauri, ES5HTA and many other people.
The funniest thing was when I was speaking Italian to the Italians stations because they did not expect an Estonian station speaking their own language!
I am very happy for this experience, it has given me the opportunity to improve my ham radio skills, seeing a big gun station, but also meeting new people and visit a new country.
The day the contest finished I got the chance to take ferry to Helsinki (only 80km from Tallinn) and I visited Finland too.
I suggest every youngster to apply for the YCP, you will not regret!
73 de Riccardo, IV3CVN
(YCP member @ES5TV 2018)
A train full of youngsters stopped at all IARU member societies at HAM Radio Friedrichshafen.
Questioning: Does your society have a youth program?
#hamyota #FHN2018
Did you know that there are about 300 educational licenses, all hams under 18 years, in South-Africa? Koos ZR6KF and Nico ZS6QL, youth coordinator and president of SARL, the South African Radio League, presented their youth program at the IARU R1 International Youth Meeting.
The youth meeting started with a short introduction about all YOTA activities in 2018. There is still enough to come! You can still sign up for YCP events, the Italian sub-regional event is coming closer, as well as YOTA South-Africa and YOTA December Month.
We had a discussion about the future of amateur radio. IARU R1 dedicated task groups which are working on this topic, keeping in mind that a huge part of the audience is our future, the taskforces encouraged several discussions and are going to use this input to develop their programs. More to follow regarding this topic which is still at a starting point.
YOTA UK was fantastic, now it’s time for YOTA South Africa.
Only 2,5 months to go!
The flag and CW key were handed over during HamRadio 2018 in Friedrichshafen 😁
#hamyota #FHN2018
HAM Radio is coming closer! YOTA is present and you are invited to all events:
YOTA Flag Ceremony
Friday 1 June, 16:30, Mainstage
YOTA UK 2017 (RSGB) will officially hand-over the YOTA flag and CW key to the YOTA South-Africa 2018 team (SARL).
Interested in YOTA and want to learn more? This is also a perfect moment to meet YOTA, next to the official flag ceremony we will give a short introduction about Youngsters On The Air.
Hope to see you at the mainstage!
IARU R1 International Youth Meeting
Saturday 2 June, 10:00, Room Liechtenstein
This youth meeting is especially for young radio amateurs, young radio amateurs to-be, youth coordinators and persons who are interested in organizing youth activities.
Program:
- Welcome and introduction by Lisa PA2LS & Florian OE3FTA (Chair + Vice-Chair IARU R1 Youth Working Group)
- Presentation Youth Program SARL/South-Africa by Koos ZR6KF (Youth Coordinator SARL)
- There will be two short workshops. IARU R1 is working for the Future of Amateur Radio and created 3 Task Groups dedicated to this topic. We need your help to gather input and want to have a fruitful discussion with the Education Task Group (by Florian OE3FTA) and the Outreach Task Group (by Lennart PD5LKM)
- As tradition we end the Youth Meeting with a group picture!
Can’t get enough of YOTA? Visit us at the IARU stand A1-449 in the main hall
