KENT INTERNATIONAL JAMBOREE 2009!

AMATEUR RADIO HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCOUT AND GUIDE MOVEMENTS - CRAY VALLEY MEMBERS HELPED OUT AT THE KENT INTERNATIONAL JAMBOREE 2009.

14 Aug 2009

Between the 30th July 2009 and the 6th August 2009 in excess of 3,500 Scouts, Guides, Explorer Scouts, Cubs and Brownies from all over the world gathered at the Guides Association site at The Shaws in Cudham, Kent.
This was for an annual international jamboree - this year being held in Kent. To say this was a massive event would be an understatement! [www.kij09.org]

Amateur Radio has been linked with the Scout and Guide movements for many decades and both movements have "meeting spots" on the airwaves. [http://www.scout.org/ru/information_events/events/jota/world_scout_frequencies]
One of the activities at the jamboree was 'amateur radio' and a fully function HF amateur radio station - with the call sign GB4KJ was set up. The purpose of the station was not only to pass authorised greetings messages to other Scout and Guide stations worldwide but to educate the participants at the jamboree about amateur radio - and things technical!

Members of Cray Valley Radio Society assisted in setting up the station and operating it - as well as taking group lecture sessions about amateur radio as a hobby and its links within Scouting and Guiding.

Licence study textbooks were handed out to Guides from six different countries and Scouts from four countries who wished to study for their own national amateur radio examinations!
And ...... locally four Guides from Tonbridge were 'signed up' by Keith G4JED.

Thanks to Richard G8ITB, Keith G4JED and Sam M0SJW for a long week - time for a beer lads!

Keith G4JED operating GB4KJ on 20, 15 & 10 metres.

Sam M0SJW operating GB4KJ on 80 and 40 metres.

Hy-Gain TH7DX - Now that's an antenna for Field Day !