“Youngsters on the Air” and the future of amateur radio
Compiled and edited with the kind permission of the YOTA team!
The future of amateur radio in young hands
Have you ever thought about the future of amateur radio? Will the hobby change over time and adapt to modern technologies? Will the hobby still exist in 20 years or will it be obsolete? How many active radio operators will still be on the air in the coming decades? We are talking about the future of amateur radio!
Shaping the amateur radio of tomorrow
YOTA - Youngsters On The Air is a highly motivated group of youth and young adults from around the world working together to ensure that someone will be there to answer their CQ call in the future. These enthusiasts ensure that there is a next generation of amateur radio enthusiasts who continue to bring new momentum to our hobby. The future of amateur radio rests on the shoulders of Youngsters On The Air. Without this support, amateur radio could die out in the next few decades.
To prevent this from happening, events such as the annual YOTA summer camp bring young people together where they can exchange ideas on amateur radio topics. They also learn how to get more young people interested in the hobby so that the young amateur radio community can grow even faster. Events such as “YOTA Month in December”, during which special call signs with a YOTA in the suffix are activated by young people throughout the month, are helping to raise awareness of young people in amateur radio. To this end, the young contest participants and the owners of the most successful contest stations are brought into contact with each other so that they can learn from each other on an ongoing basis. Yes, there are more young people in amateur radio than you would expect – and they are the future!
Young radio amateurs are shaping the future
Fortunately, YOTA is a rapidly growing group of young radio amateurs from IARU Region 1. The aim is to get more young people interested in amateur radio and to keep growing this community. Every summer, about 80 young people meet in a different country in IARU Region 1 to exchange ideas and experiences for a week. At the summer camp, young people learn how to organize amateur radio activities for this target group in their own countries. Presentations at schools and smaller camps are ideal opportunities for this. During the year, YOTA organizes a series of sub-regional camps (the most recent being the Subregional Camp 2024 from October 2 to 6 in Baunatal, Germany), for a smaller number of participants, including those who do not yet have a license.
Amateur radio in the hands of the next generation
We live in a world where communication is being digitized in ways that are hard to keep up with. In times like these, it is important to convince the general public of the importance of the amateur radio hobby. Together with other young people around the world, we can give this wonderful hobby the future it deserves!
Join the YOTA community on Discord
The YOTA team would like to invite everyone to their Discord server, a place where young people can stay in touch outside of events, share experiences and enthusiasm for this hobby, and, above all, find new amateur radio friends online! Anyone interested in amateur radio can join the YOTA server. Help make the community bigger and better – don't forget to invite your friends to join too!
Participants report: YOTA Summer Camp 2024, Czech Republic, Prague
In 2024, the youth group of the IARU Region 1, together with the Czech Radio Club (Český Radioklub), organized the 12th YOTA summer camp. Around 100 participants aged 15-25, including guest teams from Regions 2 and 3, made their way to the Czech Republic for the camp near Prague.
Presentations and lectures on fascinating topics
During the days at the camp, we worked in several working groups on numerous amateur radio-related projects, listened to interesting lectures and gained experience in practical radio operations. For example, we delved into the technical side of amateur radio with a presentation by Pavel, OK7PM. He explained the basics of how radios work and took us on a journey into the world of software defined radios (SDRs). We learned about the differences between SDRs and conventional radios, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. In another presentation by Jiri, OK1RI, we delved into the world of antennas. We learned fascinating topics such as wave propagation, radiation lobes, polarization, standing wave ratio, impedance matching and the importance of ground conditions.
OK2WX sparked interest in DXpeditions. Vavrusha addressed emergency communications, NVIS propagation conditions (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) and the appropriate antenna options. Dana's (OK1ZR) presentation was a good fit with this. She told us the story of the airship Italia, which crashed in the icy expanse of the Arctic in the 1920s. This dramatic event highlighted the crucial role of radio communication in emergency situations. Despite the difficult conditions, the crew's SOS calls triggered a large-scale rescue operation that ultimately saved lives. This story was a powerful reminder of the importance of radio communication and the study of emergency radio in our hobby.
Practical workshops – amateur radio and more...
Of course, the practical projects in the workshops during the camp should not be neglected. From a wide range of at least five different topics, the participants were able to choose their workshops. The topics ranged from self-build projects, balloon tracking with WSPR (Weak Signal Propagatin Reporter), knots and tools for guy lines, 3D printing, RC car kits and an introduction to SMD technology. Furthermore, half of one day was dedicated to assembling and commissioning an antenna kit. The second kit we built was a small CW/SSB receiver for the 40m band. Experienced homebrewers soldered the kit together quite quickly. For beginners, there was an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide. After the kit was finished, it was checked against a frequency counter and a signal generator to make sure everything worked as expected.
Later, the participants of the project groups of the respective countries and member associations presented their work in team presentations. The IARU Youth Working Group explained the focus of its work. It was fascinating to learn how differently countries try to get young people interested in the hobby of amateur radio.
Leisure and culture
During an intercultural evening, we learned a lot about the culture of all participating countries. From the history, geography and culture of the host country Czech Republic to the historical sights and traditional cuisine, we learned a wealth of information about our host country. On the last day of camp, we started with a breakfast together and a team leaders meeting. Afterwards, we headed out together to the vibrant city center of Prague. We split into three different groups based on our chosen area of interest. The literary, architectural, and astronomical tours took each group to a unique location, but ensured that each group was able to visit all of the city's highlights. We enjoyed our take-out lunch in Kampa Park in the heart of the city, right next to Charles Bridge.
The summary on the last day
At the end of the last day, everyone gathered in the camp accommodation for a final evening meal together. We looked back on the days at the camp with almost nostalgic feelings. With the end in sight, it was time for the last official part, the closing ceremony. All participants received their certificates, and the winners of the ARDF workshop and the off-air competition (simulated radio operation) were announced and received their prizes. Although the participants really played the main role in this year's camp, we don't want to forget those who made it all possible. We would like to thank the organizers and sponsors for their great preparation and work.
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