Amateur radio has been a part of the Jamboree experience since at least 1953 when K6BSA was in operation from Irvine Ranch in California. This was followed by K3BSA in 1957 and 1964 at Valley Forge, KØBSA in 1960 from Colorado Springs, K7WSJ at the 1967 World Scout Jamboree in Idaho, KF7BSA in 1969 from Idaho, and KJ3BSA in Moraine State Park and KJ7BSA in Idaho for the 1973 Jamboree. K2BSA has been in operation at the Jamboree since 1977. Over that time it has provided demonstrations of amateur radio to thousands of Scouts, provided training that helped Scouts earn hundreds of Radio Merit Badges, The 2017 Jamboree operation at the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve in West Virginia will take advantage of lessons learned during the 2013 Jamboree, the three VHF/UHF repeaters installed by Icom America, as well as other existing infrastructure from 2013. K2BSA's goals for the event include: Provide Scouts exposure to amateur radio, explain what it is, how it is relevant to them, and provide an opportunity to try as many aspects of the hobby as possible within the constraints of the Jamboree. Provide demonstrations to at least ten percent of Jamboree participants, including HF SSB and PSK as well as VHF/UHF FM. Provide Radio Merit Badge training, counseling, and activities sufficient to allow a Scout to earn the badge within a four-hour time commitment. Target 400 badges earned. Provide outdoor, high energy ARDF—Foxhunting training and activities. Set up a course within the Summit Center. Achieve 100 teams of Scouts completing the course during the Jamboree. Provide exposure to the Jamboree for radio amateurs throughout the USA and around the world using a special event station. Now that we're onsite, the team has really shown their capabilities in getting all the stations on the air. We currently have 8 stations on the air (Satellite, Echolink/D-Star, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 10m/6m). Bill Bode, N4WEB, the demonstration station lead, says "We're focusing on contacts that we can get the Scouts on the air with. We know people want to make contact with the station on the various bands/modes, but our purpose here is for the Scouts first." Propagation has been best on 40m, 20m, and 17m, but we have been working with a lot of Scouts on D-Star (WV8BSA, Module B, and Reflector 033A) and on our Echolink Conference Node *JAMBO*. Mike Crownover, AD5A, and William Stearns, NE4RD, activated for the first time W8V/NR-058 (Garden Ground Mountain) for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program on the 19th of July. Stations were worked on 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, and 2m. We hope activate this peak several times throughout the event. We are trying to update frequently where we're operating, so those stations wishing to work some Scouts can find us, on Twitter @K2BSA_Scouting, on Facebook K2BSA, and on our website at www.k2bsa.net/jamboree-live. The event runs from the 19th through the 27th of July. 73 de NE4RD
