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JOTA 2026: Scouts Take the Microphone at Heard Scout Pueblo

October 22, 2026

Scouts explored amateur radio with WVARC at Heard Scout Pueblo on October 17, 2026, with hands-on microphone and Morse-code activities supported by club volunteers.

Club Activities Community Outreach Featured JOTA Morse Code Scouting

A microphone, a portable radio, and someone nearby to help: the photos from October 17 capture a hands-on introduction to amateur radio. West Valley Amateur Radio Club joined Scouts at Heard Scout Pueblo in Phoenix for Jamboree-on-the-Air, with radio stations under canopies and activities around the pavilion.

Antennas rose above the tables, while radios packed into portable cases put the controls within reach. The yellow WVARC banner marked a gathering place where Scouts could watch, listen, and take a turn at the microphone.

Scouts and volunteers beside the WVARC banner and portable radio station under a canopy.
Scouts and volunteers gather around WVARC’s portable station at Heard Scout Pueblo during JOTA on October 17.
AI-edited view of tall antennas above a white vehicle with club members nearby.
Antennas rise above a vehicle station at Heard Scout Pueblo during JOTA 2026.

A turn at the radio

At one station, an orange equipment case opened into a complete operating position. The photographs show young participants holding the microphone beside the radio, with adults close by. At another station, a young participant speaks into a microphone while an adult watches from across the table.

A young participant holding a microphone beside the orange-case radio station.
A young Scout tries the microphone at the orange-case portable station.

Those small moments are at the heart of an introduction like this. The equipment gives people something to explore; the person beside it helps make that exploration approachable.

A young participant at a microphone with an adult across the radio table.
A young Scout speaks into the microphone with an adult beside the station.

There was more than voice operation to try. At the pavilion, Morse-code practice keys provided another hands-on activity. A row of small circuits and keys on wooden bases brought a different part of radio communication down to tabletop size.

Morse-code practice keys and small circuits on wooden bases at the pavilion.
Morse-code practice keys offer another way to explore radio communication at the pavilion.

The people around the stations

The day also depended on work beyond the microphones. The photo collection follows volunteers putting up a canopy, tending the grill, and gathering around the equipment. A meal and a place to sit were part of the same welcome as an open chair at a radio.

A volunteer tending the outdoor grill.
A volunteer tends the grill alongside the day’s radio activities.

Thank you to the Scouts, families, and volunteers who took part, and to everyone who shared photographs. Together, these scenes preserve what JOTA looked like at Heard Scout Pueblo: people making room at the table and giving young participants a chance to explore amateur radio.

WVARC club members gathered for a group portrait at Heard Scout Pueblo.
WVARC club members gather for a group photo at Heard Scout Pueblo during JOTA 2026.

Photo contributions: Josh Cavendar, KE7WIL; Ben Acojido, KK7FXK; and Bob Conlin, KJ7JNR.