W3TSR, Jonas PA

FLASH July 2009: Boy Scout gets ticket!

    Newly minted ham, KB3TEH, Justin, operates the station at W3TSR. This summer Justin prepared for, and then passed, the Technician examination during a VE Session held at the Trexler Scout Reservation, earning his own callsign.Welcome Welcome to the world of Amateur Radio Justin, well done - WS3S

JOTA 2008,

     Scouts and Scouters of the Minsi Trails Council joined Scouts from all around the world to take part in Jamboree On The Air (JOTA). This event takes place on the third weekend of October each year. This year was the 51st time that with the assistance of Radio Amateurs, Scouts had the chance to talk to their fellow Scouts from other countries.

KB3OVB, Al, explains the finer points of SSB communications prior to a contact with Dutch Scouts, from W3TSR

With help from the Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Radio Association, the Pocono Amateur Radio Klub, Shack Hoppers - Amateur Radio Communicators, and The Camp Trexler Radio Club, contact was made with JOTA stations in The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, Great Britain, and Germany as well as with Scouting groups in Michigan, Texas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. 

This was the second time JOTA was held at Trexler Scout Reservation.  W3TSR opened during the 2007 summer camp season on the occasion of the 50th Aniversary JOTA ,under the firm and guiding hand of avid Scouter, and W3TSR Trustee, N3AOI, Daryll.

More than a dozen amateurs and sixty Scouts and Cub Scouts had a wonderful weekend of radio and face to face communications.  The high point for the hams on Saturday night was being chosen to be the judges for the Dutch-Oven cooking competition.  Senior Patrol Leaders  cooked up plenty of excellent, dinners and desserts.   Good food and good radio in the rustic hills of Pennsylvania, it just doesn't get any better than that.  

Hope to see you there for next year's JOTA, 73 de WS3S