World Scout Jamboree, Picarquín, Chile.
The 19th World Jamboree will bring together 25.000 Scouts and Guides from all over the world. The camp site is situated 60 km South of Santiago, at the foot of the Andes mountains that locally reach 5500 m.

Activities with the theme "Building peace together" include excursions, workshops, hikes, sports, scout crafts, community service and aquatics. The enchanting radio-scouting programme offers electronic-kit building, an 80 m fox hunt, a plot chart, a Morse-code competition, a separate SWL station, a packet-radio message service, an ATV workshop and world-wide amateur radio contacts in phone, CW and SSTV. The station XR3J is the Jamboree's voice on the air and will make many contacts to scout and other stations abroad. It is organised and operated by a truly international team of scout radio amateurs from 10 different countries on 4 continents.

International meetings play an important role in the exchange of ideas and mutual understanding between youngsters of all Nations. The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) holds a World Jamboree every four years where youngsters of many cultures meet.

WOSM, P.O. Box 21, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.

Previous World Jamboree radio stations.
In the past the following World Jamboree Radio Stations were active:

  • 1957 - 9th World Jamboree - Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England - Callsign: GB3SP
  • 1959 - 10th World Jamboree - Laguna, Philippine Islands - Callsign: DU1BSP
  • 1963 - 11th World Jamboree - Marathon, Greece - Callsign: SV1SV
  • 1967 - 12th World Jamboree - Farragut State Park, Idaho, USA - Callsign: K7WSJ
  • 1971 - 13th World Jamboree - Asagiri Heights near Fujinomiya City, Japan - Callsign: 8J1WJ
  • 1975 - 14th World Jamboree - Lillehammer, Norway - Callsign: LC1J
  • 1983 - 15th World Jamboree - Kananaskis Country, Canada - Callsign: VE6WSJ
  • 1988 - 16th World Jamboree - Cataract Park, Appin, Australia -Callsign: AX2SWJ
  • 1991 - 17th World Jamboree - Mt. Soraksan National Park, South Korea - Callsign: 6K17WJ
  • 1995 - 18th World Jamboree - Dronten, Flevoland, the Netherlands - Callsign: PA6WSJ

Activities and workshops for Scouts
The activities show a high-tech, well-organized profile, where simplicity and visuality are the two key-factors. Since the radio station is a free-time activity, participants will only stop by for a short visit. This means that the various activities that are offered are short in time (max 30 minutes), attractive and easy to do. The support staff at the station accompanies the participants and provides for adequate assistance with each activity where needed.
An estimated number of 7000 Scouts can be active at the radio station.
Each participant receives an amateur-radio-activity passport in which the activities he or she completed can be marked. When he or she completes at least 5 different activities a badge can be earned. The activity passport also has information about amateur radio and radio scouting that can be used by the scouts once they returned home after the Jamboree. It is a resource booklet and a memory of the radio activities at the Jamboree as well.

The main activities: Workshops, Listen to the world, Radio-Scouting specials

Workshops for Scouts.
1. Technical programme
An introduction about technical matters that can be seen in the station. Explained in a simple and interesting way. Radio transmitters, antennas, radio propagation and radio language are the main topics.

2a. Taking part in the radio contacts
Instructors demonstrate how amateur radio contacts can be made world-wide. They explain the amateur radio jargon, helped by notice boards with the most common phrases and greetings. Those scouts wanting to speak themselves via amateur radio are encouraged to do so. Auxillary means are available to overcome "microphone shyness". Standard texts will be available in various languages to enable a conversation by radio. Scouts can actively take part in contacts made on five different amateur radio bands. This gives them a world-wide coverage.

2b. Internet coupling
One of the radio's on the 10/15/20 meter band will be computer controlled. This computer is also connected to the internet web site of the Jamboree via a cable between them. The web site will thus show the actual radio frequency that Jamboree station is using at a given moment. Amateur radio stations can immediately see the frequency where they can contact the Jamboree for a live conversation.

3. Plotting, calculating and QSL
Plot chart.
A large world map on which scouts indicate the established contacts. They can pin-point each station they've spoken to and mark it with a small flag. They can make the flags themselves. A coloured thread will connect the flag and the location of Picarquin. Gradually an enourmous spider web is created, clearly showing the parts of the world that were in contact with the Jamboree.
Calculate the time differences with a given country.
Using a 24-hour clock that indicates various parts of the world, scouts can find out the time differences between the Jamboree and a given country, to facilitate radio contacts
QSL cards.
Each contact is confirmed with a QSL card. Scouts collect the technical data for these cards with some help of the radio operator. They can enter the information into the station's logbook computer and write their name on the QSL card that will be send to the radio station that was contacted. These QSL cards are send via an amateur radio distribution system for QSL cards.

Listen to the world.
Your own receiver
Three short-wave receivers with visual operator instructions will enable scouts to listen in to world-wide radio traffic. Not only can they monitor the ongoing contacts in the radio station, but also the contacts between ships, aircraft, mobile and fixed installations, press agencies and listen to foreign broadcast stations. Documentation to find these stations on the air will be available. Scouts will log any transmission that they listened to in the station logbook.
In advance, short-wave world-service broadcast stations will be asked for their porgramme information, so the scouts can prepare their listening schedule. Some broadcast stations will send messages to specific groups of listeners. We will ask them to broadcast messages to groups of scouts at the Jamboree in their own language. Information about these messages will be made available to contigents. It will also generate a world-wide publicity for the Jamboree as thousands of listeners around the world will hear these messages.

Digital communications
Scouts can operate a packet-radio station, connect different remote digital stations together and retrieve data from amateur radio bulletin boards. Via the conversation modes direct digital contacts can be made world-wide. Two computers will offer this service.
The same packet-radio system offers a message handling capability. All scouts at the Jamboree can send and receive messages to and from anywhere in the world. Incoming messages are delivered to the subcamp staff of the addressee. Outgoing messages can be delivered to the radio station. A third computer will offer this radio-message service.
A packet-radio Jamboree news bulletin will be prepared and send to the network servers well in advance. It will indicate technical details how to reach the Jamboree via packet-radio.

Radio-Scouting specials.
Fox hunt
Four small transmitters are hidden on the Jamboree campsite. With a portable receiver, one for each participant, Scouts can try to locate these transmitters individually. Each transmitter that is found gives a bonus point.
The foxhunt uses the 80 m band. This facilitates small ferrite rod receive antennas, that are safer to handle by the scouts.
Each fox transmitter has an indentification puncher that scouts punch into their fox hunt certificate. The actual time to complete the coarse will be recorded. The scouts with the fastest time wins.

Amateur television
An amateur television (ATV) link connects the radio station with the visitors area half way up the mountain. A camera is mounted on top of the central mast and allows scouts and visitors to look at the "view from above".
SSTV, slow-scan television, connected to the shortwave transmitters on the 10/15/20 meter band. This will allow transmission of pictures world-wide. Most pictures will be prepared in advance from photo's taken at the Jamboree site. This mode will be an addition to the standard operating postion for voice.

Morse code competition.
Who is the fastest to read the morse code letters generated by a computer? A daily competition with a small prize for the winner.

Electronics
Scouts can construct a simple electronic circuit (knightrider badge - pdf file) by using a soldering iron and several electronic components. A kit will be prepared containing all the components and battery. Guaranteed working at the first try.

            

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