Jamboree on the Air 2025

Stuart, Pete, Nigel, Phil, arrived early Saturday morning to set up. We ran coax to the courtyard meeting rooms all ready to operate. Initially, we used a half size G5RV which, after tests we found it had an issue at the coax connection end so Pete did a quick trip home to get his 20/40m antenna.

We had two stable meeting rooms, one for HF, along with posters maps and information about amateur radio and the other for our new activity of ‘Send your name in morse code’ activity which was run by Phil.

The Scouts on site, had grown their group by 50 (Grow 50), so had an option to attend a free activity day at Lower Grange Farm.

Last year, as it was our first JOTA, so we were not part of the program but this year we were, so every 50 minutes a new group of young people and leaders arrived which kept us busy.

It did not take long to find other JOTA stations and greetings messages were being passed between young people on both sides which went down very well and the morse activity was popular too.

There was a JOTI (Jamboree on the Internet) station which was being run by a Scout group.

The weekend went very well, the bands did get busy with a German contest late Saturday and through Sunday but we did manage to keep contact with some of the stations we had contacted on the Saturday which ensured that everyone who wanted got to speak over the radio.

Thanks to Nigel M0OQU, Peter M0PLG, Phil M0IMA and Sam for helping this great event along with the support of the staff at Kent Scouts Lower Grange Farm who also ran a game using their PMR set.

We have been asked back next year along with options to run stations there again, which I am looking into doing as there will be support for an antenna of some sort on site if we do. Want to help let Stuart know.

Stuart G7JYF

Kent Scouts - County Media, Communications & Data Team Member