ZL1BQ is planning to do JOTA from ZL1/AK-023 on Sat 18th.
Hopefully we can get a decent crop of VK’s on (probably) 15m,17m.
Is anyone else going to be doing JOTA that weekend, esp anyone DX.
btw, Does anyone in ZL (esp AKL) have a QMX we could borrow?
Do you mean QMX?
I’ll be doing jota with my daughters scout troop on Sunday morning Pacific time. I haven’t done it before and am curious if you have any activity recommendations that have worked will with the kids (these are 8-10 YO girls).
Edit :location california
I’m afraid not, this is new to us too. Perhaps someone else has tips?
I have been told that talking to other scouts far away is the key thing.
It is my thinking that SOTA might be a more interesting radio activity for scouts, hence doing it from our local summit.
Having a QMX they can see gear they can carry, can afford and can build.
If this year pans out, we have thought to have them make the antennas, bamboo poles and also take the club’s hidden transmitter hunting gear out too.
Planning to have one radio on 40m for local, one for 20/17/15 to VK or further and 2m.
I was about to start writing a reply when I remembered a couple of places to look. the first one is the Radio scouting Ireland website https://www.radioscouting.ie which has some great resources. Another good place is somewhere in the RSGB site where someone (M0KPW) put on a radio club for a primary school, and most of the ideas would translate really well into J(/S)OTA. I’ll try and find the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBL22CRyS_Y 73. Paul
If things go well this year I hope to plan a pota or SOTA with the girls for next year but this year is just going to be a learning experience! I think we will mostly operate on 10m ssb on my daughters license if it is open. We also have a nice ISS pass during the time we blocked out so we will try our hand at satellite ops.
I’m also planning to play with the jota dmr talk groups and see if they are active. I’ll see if I can chase you with my daughter at night when your group might be active. Good luck and hope everyone has fun!
We are likely to be on 4-7pm Friday PDT. 10m might be a go.
Probably more useful might be IRLP. Our local node is 6950
I see from QRZ, your local nodes would be 8240 and 7540
I didn’t consider DMR. We will have a DStar radio with us, but probably harder than IRLP.
ISS is a fun idea, but a pass happens at 6pm here.
If it isn’t too late, Simon, do try to include the hidden transmitter gear. Kids absolutely love this activity, especially if you up-sell it as “Let’s go catch a spy” 
Hint - if there is a YL (and it will always be a YL, trust me) who absolutely excels at this, appoint her the hunt master, and go have coffee. That way, the less-gifted spy-hunters get a go….
I’ve never tried IRLP but it does look like we should be able to hit that node from our QTH. I’ll be home a bit after 5pm local and me we can give it a whirl. I have hit ZL a few times on 10, so fingers crossed!
And I really like the “let’s catch a spy” take on the T-hunt!
I tried 8240 this morning and the operator got back to me and said the node is down, I’ll see if we can find an alternate. I can’t hit 7540 from my QTH.
I’ll check this after 5:30pm your time.(1:30NZDT)
We can see an echolink #537233 from the hill also.
call ZL1BQ
Well, managed to get one TX going in time…
That’s all we ever had. One transmitter (actually, just an 18 MHz crystal oscillator with enough 8th harmonic energy to be chased on 144 MHz), and 8 screaming kids . The few microwatts @ 144 gave it about a 400 mtr range - perfect, since the scoutmasters could not see the humour of having the kids dodge motorway traffic
We were able to get into the node. You will be called by ko6kzo.
Thanks for the Contact! Alice really enjoyed talking to Mattie (sp?) Hope the rest of your crew had a good time despite what sounded like an otherwise slow day. And Alice KO6KZO is saying she want to come visit NZ now. 73 and have a great rest of your weekend.
Tony
KM6AM
Thanks for making the effort Tony. Maddie also was really chuffed to talk with Alice!
As it turned out we appear to have inadvertently chosen Australia Stay in Bed Day, and not a single VK appeared or even spotted SOTA, so having the IRLP worked out very well.
About 2hrs after we set up was it for most of the kids, most of whom were cubs. Overall successful.
Franklin branch (probably ZL1SA) is doing JOTA our Sunday morning:
A team will be at the Bombay Hall to assist Scouts in Jamboree on the Air on Sunday 19 October 9am to 4pm NZDT.
i.e. they will be on from 1pm PDT, if you want.
We were there for you, Simon. Unfortunately, it was also “Zero Propagation Across the Ditch on 15 mts” day 
I had a listening watch on 21310 for several hours until a JA on 21309 made it just too irritating…VK4TJ.
Will they be on the same irlp? We are doing an intro talk with Alice’s scout troop at 2pm Pacific and we can try to call later in that time window if the kids want. Will it be the same call ZL1BQ? Also going to have the girls work on qsl cards, send them to ZL1BQ or you? Btw the dmr talk group seems to be pretty active as well, planning it as a backup if hf is dead!
73
Yes same IRLP.
ZL1SA is at Bombay Scouts, he is setting up now, so should be on with scouts by 10am NZDT, 2pm PDT
Also going to have the girls work on qsl cards, send them to ZL1BQ
Sound like ZL1SA has actual proper QSL cards also.
Send eqsls to ZL1BQ ( Jim ZL1DI can set up an account for the club or whatever, I know he gets them)
Unfortunately we didn’t get up on the radios, the girls got really into the morse code senders and the trial fox hunt so they all had to leave before we could get on the radio. We’ll be on tomorrow, but that’s Monday for you! Hope everyone had a good day today!
Skipping the gateway drug and going direct to mainlining straight-key.
Sunday was busier here - we’ll probably opt for a Sunday next year.
Are you making eqsl or going cardboard?