The first day of the Jamboree was for the most part move-in day for the Scouts. 760 buses arrived over the course of the day with the first bus arriving at 6 AM and as we hiked back to the staff base camp at 7 PM, the buses were still arriving. Even so, many Scouts were able to set up camp and then head to the Summit Center for activities including the K2BSA operation.

Here’s our early numbers — 153 Scouts received amateur radio demonstrations during the first afternoon and one Scout earned the Radio Merit Badge. Over the course of our entire operation here, we’ve made 290 QSOs which included 16 countries. You can check the logbook for your station here.

Today, the morning will be taken up with the opening show in the nearby Summit Stadium. We can actually watch from the station — we call it a sky box. The afternoon should be plenty busy.

We’ve posted a few photos from the first three days of K2BSA at the Jamboree. You can find the album on the K2BSA.Scouting Facebook page. While you’re there be sure to “like” K2BSA.

In these early days it’s all about finding your stuff, finding your staff members, and making things happen. We’ve done really well but are still missing a few critical ingredients. The big one is finding a bucket truck or lift to put the antennas on top of the three telephone poles. The next big one is finding our tanks of hydrogen for the high altitude balloons. Then there are those missing 36″ monitors and DVD players for the demonstration station waiting area.

Given all that, so much is in place and we’ve dealt reasonably well with the rain we had early on our arrival. The trailer from the Dayton Drill was dropped off before anyone arrived and unloaded by the 10th. Great work from Doug Nelson and Steve Pratt and the Miami Valley Council in Dayton. Jamboree Logistics also did a great job (minus the missing items but so much better than earlier Jamborees). The IT guys did fantastic in delivering all our requested equipment and when we found we were short 4 USB cables (for our radios, no fault at all of IT), the IT guys gladly provided the four needed cables within two hours of our request!

It is always a delight to see our nearly 50 staff members jump in and make things happen. As they arrived from check-in and the hike, they immediately lent their hands and minds to the tasks that needed their help. Great work from the team.

Ray Novak, N9JA, from Icom America has been with us in these early days. His insight and assistance to everyone around the radios, antennas, bandpass filters, etc. has been just superb. He’s further thought up ways of getting our flags mounted from the 16 foot tall roof of the demonstration tent with a rope and a few Order of the Arrow youth. Then on his way in each morning he’s provided everything from a missing soldering iron to donuts!

What a fantastic effort coming together for the big opening on the 15/16th when around 30,000 Scouts arrive! For those of you at home, get on the air and help us demonstrate the fun, technology, and magic of amateur radio.

Early activity from K2BSA at Jamboree. Worked the Gilwell Park Scouting special event station in England via Echolink and the VHF repeater here at the Jamboree. Nine contacts via FO-29 satellite using an Arrow handheld antenna and an Icom IC-9100 — including Mexico and Cuba. Learned that West Virginia is a rare state for satellite QSOs. Highlight short hop contact on 17 meters was with KA1GJU who was flying a 737 at 36,000 feet over Charleston, WV. We also have an IARU HF Championship effort underway.