11/14/2019

Taking a cue from International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1's Youngsters On The Air annual summer camp, the Youth on the Air (YOTA[1]) committee in IARU Region 2 has announced the first camp for young radio amateurs in the Americas next June. Sponsors hope the Region 2 camp, a modified version of the Region 1 camp, will also become an annual event.

The inaugural IARU Region 2 summer camp will take place June 21 - 26 at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township, Ohio, the YOTA committee in IARU Region 2 said. The West Chester Amateur Radio Association (WC8VOA[2]) will host the event. Operating the camp will be Electronic Applications Radio Service, Inc. (EARS[3]), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to wireless technologies and activities.

According to the announcement, the camp will focus on building peer and mentor relationships and taking amateur radio "to the next level." Campers will attend workshops and activities in multiple STEM-related subjects, such as radio contesting, electronic kit building, D-Star, APRS, satellite communication, antenna building, and radio direction finding and orienteering. A high-altitude balloon launch is also being planned. Campers will learn and exercise on-the-air skills at special event station W8Y, at nearby Kings Island Amusement Park.

Contributors include Icom America, Heil Sound Ltd., X-Tronic, and R&L Electronics. Major financial supporters so far include the ARRL Foundation, the Yasme Foundation, the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, Orlando HamCation and Orlando Amateur Radio Club, the Northern California DX Foundation, Dayton Hamvention and the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, the Huntsville Hamfest, Southwest Ohio DX Association, Radio Amateurs of Canada, and Gary West, K8DEV, and Dee Dee West, KA8DXE.

Donations to support the activity may be made via PayPal by visiting the YOTA Region 2 website and clicking on the donate button or via the GoFundMe[4] crowd-funding site. YOTA Region 2 has a social media presence on Facebook[5], Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

For more information, email[6] Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, or call (812) 327-0749).


[1] http://www.yotaregion2.org/
[2] https://wc8voa.org/
[3] https://w9ear.altervista.org/
[4] https://www.gofundme.com/
[5] https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=YOTAregion2
[6] mailto:yotaregion2@gmail.com

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