Greetings satellite enthusiests,

With the notice earlier today from the SO-67 ground crew opening up worldwide passes for this coming Jamboree on the Air weekend, there are now multiple opportunities for Amateur Satellite communications for the many JOTA stations globally.

As an AMSAT member and as a organizer for a JOTA operation at the National Scouting Museum in Irving, TX (K2BSA/5), I am very excited for the possibility to have now many good passes for satellite demonstrations during our operating day. I am very invested in developing a great experience for the many Scouts who I expect to come through our event and also the many thousands worldwide who will experience Ham Radio and satellites, some for the first time.

My request of the many regular satellite operators around the globe is this; please let Scout stations have preference on the birds this weekend. Like our effort, so many of these JOTA satellite demos will be low power and handheld. If they have to compete with big fixed guns, they can find themselves with little chance of making meaningful contacts with other Scout JOTA groups. My experience of being unable to bust through the din of an AO-27 pass at a Scout demo several weeks ago is still fresh. Our hope on JOTA weekend is to provide a meaningful introduction to Ham Radio to the Scouting community.

Please let Scout JOTA demos have first chance at a pass. Please inhibit Packet activity on HO-68 as the satellite will be in "FM" only mode. Observe the "QRP" request for the AO-51 second repeater. And let's all slow down on AO-27 despite the short windows.

Many Ham Radio operators got their first exposure during Scout events like JOTA. Let's hope this year we pick up some more.

73 de N5HYP

Tom Schuessler 2713 Lake Gardens Drive Irving, Texas 75060 972-986-7456 214-403-1464 (Cell) n5hyp@arrl.net