When you drive home on Saturday evening after a day like this one, you are tired, a little hoarse and thoroughly happy. The special callsign OE8JOTA was on the air from 16 to 18 October 2026. On Saturday, 17 October, we were also on site with the Girl Scouts. We made plenty of contacts there, laughed a lot, talked about technology and, above all, everyone got involved. It was a joy.
On site with the Girl Scouts on Saturday were OE8ASR André, OE8CXC Sergio and me, OE8YML Michael. You already know the programme from the announcement. Here is how it really went.
A Small Antenna Park in the Garden
Behind the house we set up a proper little antenna park. From the multiband vertical to the trapped dipole and the vertical on a magnetic mount, all the way to the 2 m/70 cm Yagi, everything was there. The idea behind it: the kids should not only see a radio, but also understand what hangs on the mast outside and why different antennas behave so differently.
Hands-On Theory
Besides operating, theory was not neglected, and it went down well. We talked about the propagation of electromagnetic waves: why one signal can travel halfway around the world while the next one vanishes behind a mountain. The Girl Scouts thought along, asked questions and sometimes pressed harder than we would have liked.
Measure Instead of Believe: EMF and Radiacode
The practical part was especially exciting. We showed how easy it is to carry out EMF measurements (electromagnetic fields). And with a Radiacode we made visible how to detect ionising radiation. When the device suddenly starts ticking and the curve jumps, all eyes are on the display.
That brought up the questions every group asks sooner or later: Are mobile phone emissions harmful to health? And from what level? OE8CXC Sergio answered these and many more questions patiently, clearly and without scaremongering. Exactly as it should be: anyone who measures for themselves and knows the orders of magnitude can tell rumours from facts.
PMR, CB and MeshCore: Radio Without an Exam
Besides amateur radio, we deliberately explained on site the systems anyone can use without an exam: PMR446, CB radio and MeshCore. What can they do, how far do they reach and where do they differ? If you want to read the comparison, you will find it in PMR446 vs. CB Radio vs. Freenet and in CB Radio in 2026.
MeshCore is a radio network without any mobile network, where messages are passed on from device to device. Why now is a good moment to get started is explained in MeshCore: Radio Without a Mobile Network. And what is allowed for children and teenagers in Austria is covered in MeshCore for Children and Teenagers.
On the Bands
The callsign OE8JOTA was kept on the air from 16 to 18 October. On Saturday on site, the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts sat at the microphone themselves, spelled out the callsign and got an answer. That feeling when a voice from another country suddenly answers from the loudspeaker cannot be explained, you have to experience it.
The Logbook in Numbers
A look at the logbook shows what came together over these three days:
- 286 QSOs with 270 different stations.
- 31 DXCC countries on 4 continents, from Canada via Kenya to the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.
- 8 bands, from 160 m to the 2 m band. Most activity was on 40 m and 80 m, plus 20 m, 15 m, 30 m and 60 m.
- Most contacts went to Germany (70), Poland (31) and the Netherlands (27), followed by Austria, France and Italy.
Campfire and Radio Tales
On Saturday evening, a day with the scouts of course includes a campfire. The best conversations about antennas, propagation and the next project famously do not happen at the table, but with a warm face and a cool back around the fire.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Three days on the air and a day on site only work because many people pitch in. So here is a heartfelt thank you:
- To all the helping hands in the background, for setting up, guying, running cables, cooking and tidying up.
- To everyone on the bands who spoke kindly with the Girl Scouts. You were patient, spelled callsigns along with them and turned a short QSO into an experience.
- To the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts themselves for curiosity, questions and good humour.
- To Kärnten funkt for sponsoring the callsign OE8JOTA. With today's fees, it is not a given that a club covers these costs. Simply great.
Download Your Digital QSL Card
Everyone who had a QSO with OE8JOTA can pick up their digital QSL card themselves:
- Go to qrz.com/oe8jota.
- Look for your own callsign in the QSL section.
- Download the card.
We are already looking forward to next year. If you want to keep spreading enthusiasm for radio among children and young people until then, you will find inspiration in Youth and Amateur Radio and in Hand the Microphone to the Kids.
Best 73 and see you next time,
Michael, OE8YML
Transparency Notice
This article was written with the support of AI (Claude, Anthropic) based on Michael's input and photos, and reviewed by the editorial team. Despite careful checking, occasional inaccuracies may remain, and we welcome corrections by email at [email protected].
