At YOTA 2017 the participants will be building amazing CW transceivers designed by Hans, G0UPL. The kit is packed with features and can be used after YOTA 2017 too. Take a look… www.rsgb.org/yota-vlogs
During the week some of the YOTA 2017 participants will be visiting Ofcom’s Spectrum Management Centre in Baldock. With the ever-increasing demand for radio-based services, monitoring of the radio spectrum plays a vital role today in keeping the spectrum clean for authorised users, particularly the emergency services. It is also an essential and integral part of the spectrum management process, producing and evaluating data to aid spectrum managers in their day-to-day work. The radio monitoring station, located near Baldock in Hertfordshire is Ofcom’s “listening ear” on the radio spectrum.
We have confirmation from ARISS operations that a contact with astronaut Paulo Nespoli has been scheduled for the participants of YOTA 2017 on Tuesday, 8 August at 18:38UTC. This will be from the Columbus module of the ISS and will include live video from HamTV. Keep an eye on www.rsgb.org/yota for updates on this and all the other activities that will be happening during YOTA 2017.
With less than a week to go, our latest vlog features YOTA’s very own Lisa Leenders, PA2LS! As you know, Lisa is passionate about encouraging young people to enjoy amateur radio and she is looking forward to being part of another successful YOTA summer camp, this year in the UK… Take a look at this and all the other vlogs to remind you of the people you might meet at the event: www.rsgb.org/yota-vlogs
Our latest vlog introduces RSGB Youth Committee Deputy Chair Milo, 2E0ILO who is leading the UK team at YOTA 2017 next month. Milo went to Friedrichshafen to be part of the YOTA handover ceremony, taking the YOTA key and flag from last year’s host, Austria. He’s looking forward to YOTA 2017 and meeting teams from around the world. Take a look: www.rsgb.org/yota-vlogs
The Gilwell Park site is very large so there will be lots of space to hide beacons to track with direction-finding equipment. There’ll be a prize for the fastest time to find all of the hidden transmitters.
There have been some changes to the teams attending YOTA 2017 – unfortunately the teams from Ethiopia, Bosnia and Slovenia are no longer able to attend, but Algeria has been added to the countries taking part and eight countries have been able to add team members.
The new UK team member is Martin Radulov, M0YRM, who has been licensed for two years and is interested both in the physics behind radio communications and construction.
He thinks his biggest achievement so far is making contacts via satellites using a yagi, pre-amplifier and duplexer he made for himself.
Who are your YOTA 2017 team members going to be?
The latest YOTA 2017 vlog #12 features Steve Bunting, M0BPQ who is the Station Manager for GB2GP at Gilwell Park.
During the YOTA camp there will be a five-band SES running from morning to night with the call sign GB17YOTA. The RSGB has provided awards for those who make contact – so listen out for the young people on air that week!
You can see all the vlogs via www.rsgb.org/yota-vlogs
Some members of the UK YOTA Team will be at the Friedrichshafen Ham Radio Exhibition, which takes place 14 to 17 July 2017. They will be there to receive the YOTA key and official YOTA flag from last year’s hosts from OeVSV. If you are attending Friedrichshafen this year, please make your way to the RSGB Stand on Saturday at 15:30 to say hello and see the handover.
As two countries are no longer able to attend YOTA 2017, the other countries who are involved are being invited to nominate additional team members – there are six places to fill. If you’re a young radio amateur aged 15-25 and are free from 5-12 August 2017, contact your national amateur radio society if you’d like to apply or find out more.
