JOTA – JOTI Camp Maynard
15th and 16th October 2005.
Summary Report
We had a busy 2005 JOTA at Camp Maynard, Albany, Auckland
We left the clubrooms on the Saturday morning at 08:30
in David’s Nissan Civilian bus loaded with tables, chairs and radios plus
personal gear for the overnight stay at Camp Maynard, which is about 3
kms from Albany. Because of the wet and soft ground conditions, the
bus was parked on the concrete next to the camp buildings which worked
out well. A tent was soon erected and this was the base for the Radio
Orienteering. Next, the mast was assembled and the trapped dipole
erected near the bus for HF activities. By then it was past 10 am
and the first cubs/scouts/guides were upon us. Mark ZL1VMF arrived
to assist Dave ZL1DK with the ‘Radio Chat’ station.
.
While we tried to involve some of the younger hams from
the area, we did have Mark ZL1VMF for part of Saturday. Over the
weekend, John ZL1ALZ organised our group including Ian ZL1AOX, Richard
ZL1BNQ and David ZL1DK with Mark on Saturday and Richard ZL1BNQ on Sunday.
If there were more scouts, we may have been in some trouble.
We were set up by 10am on the Saturday morning. This camp
was run as an open day where scouts (guides, brownies, cubs and others
interested) came in for a period and participated in the activities. There
were 12 activities at the Camp for the weekend and our two radio activities
were outside, housed in a bus and a tent.
The one most important understanding we all had was that
this day was for the kids. We had cubs and brownies from just 6 years old
through to 14 year olds. We saw around 100 scouts, guides, cubs and brownies
over the JOTA weekend. Most did both the Amateur Radio Activities that
we were involved in. These were the Radio Orienteering and the Radio Chat.
The main radio activity provided was 'Radio Orienteering'.
This was a trail or course where items needed to be found and instructions
were given by handhelds, scouts reporting to base and asking for further
instructions. This was very well received by the scouts and all had an
enjoyable time following the clues. Just a couple of 'smart' 14 year olds
became 'lost'. A separate report from base operator Ian ZL1AOX and from
field controller John ZL1ALZ follow this summary.
The secondary activity was the 'Radio Chat'. Due to the
amount of computer noise generated from the 'Internet' activity, our radio
chat was restricted to VHF and UHF. Most of our contacts were on the National
System. The kids thought talking to Wellington was great and Christchurch
was nearly too much to believe. A separate report from David ZL1DK follows
this summary.
We had an enjoyable time here and had just over 100 scouts
go through the radio activities. Ian was kept very busy on the base radio
for the orienteering activity while Mark and later David ran the radio
chat. John walked the orienteering course nearly 30 times and Richard about
12 times. They will no doubt be still tired!
I guess the obvious thing here is the change of direction
we have taken in presenting Amateur Radio to JOTA. Most of the scouts were
9 or 10 with a few as young as 6 and some 13 and 14. While HF radio with
the noise we had was not an option, the camp layout was ideal for the orienteering
course. There was no activity after the scouts had gone home and the last
to leave went around 8pm on Saturday evening and we packed up Sunday around
3pm.
The organising scouting team ran an excellent camp and
we were well provided for with good meals and accommodation. John has been
asked to return for 2006 so there is something to look forward to.
The need for a new course for the radio orienteering and also new question
sheets for the radio chat activity.
Orienteering Reports
Report from Base Operator Ian ZL1AOX
I became the radio operator at the Base for the Radio
Orienteering, assisted by John ZL1ALZ and Richard ZL1BNQ on Sunday.
They briefed each team or sometimes individuals on the procedure of operating
the handheld radios, and the proper radio procedure to be used.
The orienteering course had been set up previously by
John and consisted of 10 points named Alpha to Juliet that had to be found
by listening to instructions issued from Base via the radio. These
were situated within the boundaries of the 22 acre Camp Maynard reserve.
John or Richard accompanied some of the younger contestants
for a major part of the course which kept them fit. John would brief
each group at the first checkpoint; they would then call Base for their
instructions. It was useful to be able to see the first point so
that problems could be checked out, like not pressing hard enough on the
PTT button.
Once past the first point, most of the older groups were
on their own, but it was found that some of the more “confident” participants
were the ones that got lost!
It was also reported that a team was puzzled by an instruction
from Base to cross the tarmac on the way to the trig point. (Well,
it was a tar sealed car park).
We had up to five teams on the course at the same time,
but Base decided that four teams was the most he could handle at one time,
with almost non-stop talking giving instructions to each group.
We wrote the names of each entrant on a sheet and John
reported that when Base called the group by name rather than radio number
their eyes would light up wondering how Base could know their names!
Each group took about 30 minutes to complete the course,
and after having their book signed off they would usually proceed to the
Amateur Radio Chat in the bus.
We had at least 40 groups take part or approximately 100
individuals passed through our course.
This was my first major participation in a JOTA activity
for about 20 years, and really enjoyed the two days and would be keen to
repeat the experience next year.
Report from Field Controller John ZL1ALZ
There is no time or need for much formal instruction on
using the radios or radio procedures. It’s kept very simple. I tell
them, press this button to talk, let it go and you listen. Only one station
talks the rest listen. You only talk to the base. Identify your self by
your group number (number on the back of the radio) for each transmission.
Before you call listen, only call when it is clear. They are told how to
call the base and respond to the base calling them. This takes all of 5
minutes.
There is a lot of prompting for the first few course
markers; these two checkpoints were close to the base with a lot of radio
communications between the group and base. The prompting was
not just on the radio voice procedures but getting them to stop and listening
to the directions and instructions from base, confirming they had received
the instructions before moving on.
Unlike the typical JOTA QSO we hear on HF when they read
from a set list of question and one-word answers, this course environment
is completely different and they quickly become very professional sounding.
Thankfully there were no nighttime activities scheduled
as after running around the course all Saturday I don’t think I would have
coped. Richard arrived on Sunday to help us, as well as a fresh lot
of kids. There was also so a lot of parent involvement.
Radio Chat Report
Report from David ZL1DK
The radio chat station was run mainly on the National
System with contacts to JOTA stations locally at Clevedon, South Auckland
to some in Christchurch. The kids were astounded to find that they were
talking to people in the South Island. Some thought they were talking to
someone in the main camp hall. As said earlier, the constant computer noise
did not allow us to really use HF for this activity though one or two contacts
to VK were made.
Scouts came from other activities and lined up for the
radio orienteering or radio chat activity. As they came into the bus, they
sat in front of the radios. No one grabbed at mics or played with the radios.
They sat and listened while Mark ZL1VMF and later David ZL1DK gave a brief
instruction on the PTT, Over and how to put a question. We had come prepared
with a list of questions prepared so they would not get stage fright and
freeze. They all started saying ‘My Name is XYZ and I am XX years old’
The other station would reply and away they went. Many questions ended
up Yes NO answers but we had tried to develop open-ended ones so a conversation
would get underway. It was interesting to see how some kids fell into the
swing of things quickly yet others just did not quite get the hang of it
at all. Maybe just too much to take in at one time.
I found that the kids who had just completed the orienteering
course handled the radio chat better than those who did the chat first.
I expect that those ones handled the radio orienteering better from the
start. Things are vastly different from when I was a cub. Some had hobbies
of ‘maths’ and others ‘reading’ while other played hockey, ice hockey,
soccer and even competition dancing. 10 Year olds talking of enjoying the
Fox Trot or Rumba! When a group of 3 or 4 came in, they passed the mic
from one to another. After their chat, we signed their activity cards and
off they went to the next activity.
The use of the National System worked well for us and
others JOTA station operators on the system did a good job in getting the
kids on and then off the radio. There were a couple of instances where
amateurs came up and chatted for a while only to say that they didn’t have
any scouts at the time. A bit of lost radio time there for the others involved
but we put all but 2 kids through but they had a good listen around on
HF in lieu.
While this years Radio Chat went very well we will do
a bit more planning for next time. A check in sheet, some more questions
and with luck, better HF conditions would be a good start. If, as we expect
scout numbers to increase for 2006, we will need more assistance. We are
all looking forward to 2006.
73,
ZL6JAM Team.
Radio Orienteering
. ..
another way to present Amateur Radio at JOTA
Planning for the 2005 JOTA started some months ago. From
past experience and recent JOTAs I have found you cannot rely solely
on HF contacts with other JOTA stations to fully entertain the Scouts/Guides.
Sadly this is an Amateur problem not a JOTA one. The last thing a scout
needs the be told, 'I can remember when there was 25 JOTA stations on 80'.
'If conditions were better we could talk to the world'.
As in past years it was decided to put the effort into
running the Radio Orienteering Course. With other activities being planned
and introduced as time and operators permitted. These included, send
and receive messages via a signal lamp, identify LF beacons and mark them
on the New Zealand, HF VHF UHF and echolink, making a world time clock.
All the documentation for these activities had previously been developed
so it was a simple matter of changing them for this year.
Several weeks prior to JOTA I made a trip to Camp Maynard
checking out the site and to survey possible orienteering courses.
Armed with the digital camera I walked the camp tracks visualizing possible
courses and taking a large number of photos.
Once home I made up a pictorial of the course and add
directions and clues which direct the scouts/guides to the course markers.
A course check log is also printed.
In addition to finding the course markers they are asked
to supply additional information at each checkpoint. This is not an exercise
in orienteering but using the radio to send and receive instructions in
a formal manner.
One of the first tasks when we arrived at the Camp was
to test the course. David, Mark and Ian followed the course instruction
I had printed out. What looks good at home will not always work in
the field and a number of changes were made and more during the weekend.
An 8 year olds interpretation can be completely different to ours.
John ZL1ALZ
