Update/Clarification: This event is Friday December 3rd at 6:00 PM Central until Saturday December 4th at 6:00 PM Central.

The 12th Annual SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) Special Event will take place Saturday, December 4, 2010. SRD is co-sponsored by the ARRL and the National Weather Service (NWS) as a way to recognize the commitment made by Amateur Radio operators in helping to keep their communities safe. During SRD, Amateur Radio operators can visit their local participating NWS office, working as a team to contact other hams across the world throughout the 24 hour event.

For more information on the SKYWARN Recognition Day Event please visit the ARRL Website.

Click Here for a slideshow of the 2009 SRD Special Event at Amarillo!

Raymond Winter, W5RAW, has volunteered to bring in an operating station and logging software. We need an antenna or two–we might know someone with a very nice tower trailer! Also, we need operator pairs (loggers and operators) who can work in shifts to cover a 24-hour period. Terra and I will take the early, early, early morning shift (0400-0800) unless someone else wants it! This year the Amarillo NWS will design and print the QSL cards for us.

To volunteer to help out with the Amarillo SKYWARN Recognition Day Special Event, please contact:

Chris Seright, KE5ZRT

Send me some mail!

or call 806 231-4227

or Twitter: @chris_seright

Update/Clarification: This event is Friday December 3rd at 6:00 PM Central until Saturday 6:00 PM Central.

Update: Photos from the 2011 JOTA are now on the ARES website, and can be viewed on the right sidebar of the page. You can click on a photo from the slide show to view the full-size image, and right-click to print or save a photo.

What is Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA)?

The JOTA is an annual event in which Scouts and Guides all over the world speak to each other by means of amateur radio contacts. Scouting experiences are exchanged and ideas are shared, via the radio waves.

When Scouts want to meet young people from another country they usually think of attending a World Jamboree or another international gathering. But few people realize that each year about half-a-million Scouts and Guides “get together” over the airwaves for the annual Jamboree-on-the–Air (JOTA). Modern communication technology offers Scouts the exciting opportunity to make friends in other countries without even leaving home…..

Since 1958 when the first jamboree-on-the-Air was held, thousands of Scouts and Guides have “met” each other through this event. Not only is it fun to talk to Scouts from other parts of the world but it provides also a chance to find out about other countries and about Scouting elsewhere. Many contacts made during the JOTA have resulted in penpals and links between scout troops that have lasted for many years.

With no restrictions on age, on the number that can participate and at little or no expense, the JOTA provides an opportunity for Scouts and Guides to contact each other by amateur radio. The radio stations are operated by licensed amateur radio operators. Many Scouts and leaders hold licences and have their own stations, but the majority participates in the JOTA through stations operated by local radio clubs and individual radio amateurs. Today some operators even use television or computer linked communications.

Date and duration of the event

The world–wide Jamboree-On-The-Air is organized to coincide with the third full weekend of October each year. The event starts at 00.00 hours local time on the Saturday and concludes 48 hours later at 24.00 hours local time on the Sunday. Each station can choose its own operating hours within this period.

The Amarillo event will occur at Camp Don Harrington, which is located in the west section of the Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle just 10 miles south of Amarillo on south Washington Street (FM 1541).

To volunteer to help with this year’s event in Amarillo, contact John Robinson, WDFOI at 806 206-3648 (cell) or 806 355-7889 (home). Please call after 12:00 (noon).

The Texas State ARRL Convention and Austin Summerfest 2010 will be held at the Austin Airport Marriott South on August 6th and 7th. Registration Friday begins at 5:00 PM. Indoor swapfest doors open at 6:00 PM and close at 9:00 PM.  Doors open Saturday at 8:00 AM with swapping until 3:30 PM and dealers and sessions until 4:30 PM. More Summerfest information at http://www.austinsummerfest.info/ 

Summerfest has made arrangements with the Marriott hotel and the adjacent SpringHill Suites for a special per room night rate. The rate is good for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Call 1-800-228-9290 and request a room from either the Austin Airport Marriott South or the Springhill Suites Austin South at the Austin Summerfest rate to get the special pricing.  Hope to see you in Austin at the hamfest or one of the many forums.  73, John Dyer, AE5B ARRL Section Manager West Texas Section ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio tm

For us Amateur Radio operators, the BP 150 serves two purposes. First and foremost it is a fun time to get together and give back to the community. We always have a lot of fun with this event each year. Second, and also equally important, it is practice for an actual emergency situation where Amateur Radio operators would be called upon to provide emergency communications. For more information, visit the Event’s Website

Enjoy the weekend and put your hobby to a good use for a wonderful cause. Helping with the BP 150 Bike Ride is where the true spirit of amateur radio is. Let’s keep active with public service events and keep amateur radio alive and useful!

Update: Thank you all for volunteering to assist with communications for this event. Hope to see you all at breakfast at Denny’s at I-40 and Ross, Saturday morning at 4:00 am. Otherwise, we will see you at the Amarillo College East Campus at 6:00 am. If you are driving a SAG vehicle, please remember to bring a cooler if you have one, and pick up some water, ice, fruit, etc. at the start line, for the riders. I want to thank everyone for helping with the MS BP 150.

Current Volunteer Assignments: