I’ve just started working with the 2019 World Jamboree leadership on the amateur radio activation. It will be a part of Centro Mondial and in turn part of Living in the 21st Century and Communications/Media. This broader area includes exhibits that support conservation, sustainability, ethics/faith/belief, STEM, vocations/avocations, and inclusion.
The amateur radio operation fits nicely with STEM, avocations or hobbies, and certainly serves as an entry point for vocations. You can see the early operational vision document at World Jamboree — NA1WJ. Our goals are to introduce the science, technology, fun, and magic of amateur radio operation to Scouts and Scout leaders from around the world. We’ll also serve as the amateur radio voice of the Jamboree via two-way radio contacts within the Jamboree and worldwide.
The current vision by and large sees a similar operation to the 2013/2017 USA National Jamborees with an extensive demonstration station, ARDF-Foxhunting, and special events that include satellite contacts, an International Space Station contact, balloon launches, as well as low-power portable activation at Garden Ground on the Summit property. Since the Radio Merit Badge doesn’t apply worldwide, we won’t offer that instruction.
Much of the equipment is in storage at the Summit. This includes antennas, cables, and more. We also hope to have Icom America transceivers on loan.
The chosen amateur radio call sign is NA1WJ, representing the first North American hosted World Jamboree. We would have liked to have WSJ as the last letters. But the USA’s FCC doesn’t allow three letters in a call sign for the NA prefix. They also don’t allow two numbers, such as 24 for the 24th World Scout Jamboree.
We did not feel that the K2BSA call sign would be suitable as the World Jamboree hosts are Scouts Canada, Scouts Mexico, and the Boy Scouts of America. The NA1WJ call sign seems more inclusive of this team effort for all of North America.
Stay tuned to learn more about this upcoming operation in July 2019.
