“What a great and engaging program! My greatest joy was watching some of our scouts who are normally shy or timid talk on the air. It gave them a safe space to venture out of their comfort zones and chat with you all and others around the country.”
- Stacy Jelonek (Leader, Troop 499 in Schaumburg, Illinois)
There are over 750,000 US Amateur Radio operators and millions worldwide. We talk wirelessly across town and the globe using less power than it takes to brighten a light bulb with no service providers or monthly fees. We learn from each other, assist the public at events and emergencies, have fun with contests, interact with space (satellites, atmosphere, ISS, etc.), monitor and report the weather, build equipment, exchange digital signals, and much more.
What is Amateur (Ham) Radio?
We pair licensed volunteers from local radio groups with Scout troops for a structured, fun, free, 75-80min, on-air experience! Scouts (leaders & parents too) receive an intro to Amateur (Ham) Radio at their regular troop meeting where everyone gets on-the-air as guest operators! Our goals are to raise awareness about Amateur Radio and its role in our communities, inspire future hobbyists of all ages, get radio operators more involved in their community, demonstrate the good will of radio operators world-wide, and support any Scouts who become interested in the pursuit of the Radio Merit Badge. The Scouts on the Air coordinator is Safeguarding Youth trained by Scouting America. A typical event during a troop’s weekly meeting looks like this…
What is Scouts on the Air?
10-mins: We share a brief presentation about the many ways to enjoy Amateur (Ham) Radio, how we serve the community, how to become licensed at any age, how radio waves work (high-level), how we use callsigns, and an overview of the stations including safety and how to use them.
60-mins: Scouts (leaders & parents too) are divided into 3-5 groups to spend 10-15 minutes at each activity which involve the operations of multile radio stations to speak with licensed radio operators locally, nationally, and internationally. It may also include on-site beacon hunting (search and rescue skills), station setup, exploring Morse Code, and more.
10-mins: Regroup to discuss the fun and enjoy a quick gameshow-type quiz to see what the Scouts learned.
NOTE: We create and bring an 8-page information packet for each Scout which introduces the volunteer radio group and gives high-level information about radio waves, our lingo (Q-codes, Morse code, phonetic alphabet, etc.), logging, signal reports, safety, and Radio Merit Badge requirements and resources.
BEFORE THE EVENT
During the Week Prior: We promote the event locally and nation-wide to the Amateur Radio community to encourage radio operators to mark their calendars and be on-the-air to speak with the Scouts. We want them to spend their time talking and not listening to noise.
Immediately Prior: We arrive 1-hour early and set-up multiple activities including portable radio stations (battery operated) which may include… 1) a 5W handy talkie (Ultra High Frequency) which can reach a few hundred sq miles locally by directing signals to nearby repeaters, 2) a 50-watt mobile radio (Very High Frequency) which does the same, 3) a digital radio which reaches a nearby repeater that sends the signal across the globe through the Internet, and 4) a 100-watt (High Frequency) radio which bounces signals off the ionosphere to reach operators across the country and the globe! Occasionally, we include additional activities that help scouts learn and explore Morse Code, practice search and rescue skills by hunting for beacons, learning how to assemble a radio station, or practice the relay of messages at a public service event such as the Chicago Marathon.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar & visit here for details on frequencies and timing as each date nears!
8/18/26: A scout troop (girls ages 11-17) in Oak Park, IL (8 mi West of Chicago in EN61cv) will be on the air with the York Radio Club (YRC) from 7:25pm to 8:15pm CDT on multiple stations as follows:
20-meters: Via FT8 (14.074) as W9YRC
40-meters: SSB on 7.227 (alt 7.235) as W9YRC.
70cm: FM on the W9YRC repeater at 442.875 +5/114.8 as W9YRC.
5/7/26: A scout troop (boys ages 11-17) in Clarendon Hills, IL (17 mi SW of Chicago in EN61at) will be on the air with the Argonne Amateur Radio Club... more details soon.
2-meters: FM on the W9ANL repeater 145.190 -600/114.8 as W9ANL.
40-meters: SSB on 7.227 (alt 7.235) as K9MSG.
5/18/26: A family scout troop (ages 11-17) in Naperville, IL (29mi SW of Chicago in EN51vq) will be on the air on multiple stations with volunteers from three local clubs... check back for details.
During each event, any frequency changes will be noted here.
Recent Events - thank you to all who participated!
4/16/26: Scouts from girls Troop 56457 in Itasca IL (ages 10-11) had a blast learning a new language (CW) and participating in a practice exercise of operating HTs to relay messages that mimick amateur radio operations at the Chicago Marathon. They were impressed by the equipment, the experiences, and the friendly radio operators.
10/20/25: Troop 66 in Bartlett IL were guided by Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club volunteers through a beacon hunt, the assembly of a portable station, CW decoding, and making contacts on DMR and 40 meters across the Central/Eastern US as well as Europe and Okinawa Japan!
9/30/25: Troop 34 in Wheaton IL was greeted by DuPage County ARES volunteers who helped navigate pile-ups on DMR, 40m, and a local UHF repeater with contacts across much of the US (many mobile/QRP stations too). Beacon hunting was a blast!
9/8/25: Troop 33 in St Charles IL met members of the Fox River Radio League and enjoyed contacts via VHF, UHV, 40m, Echolink and went beacon hunting. Great fun!
8/14/25: Troop 499 girls and boys in Schaumburg IL met the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club and enjoyed contacts ranging from Oregon to Florida and Canada!
7/14/25: Troop 65 in Wood Dale IL with the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club (SARC)… QSOs ranged from Montana to Arizona and Maine to Florida as well as Australia!
6/3/25: Troop 45 in Glen Ellyn IL were hosted by the DuPage Amateur Radio Club and enjoyed contacts across the US and Canada; the United Kingdom too!
3/3/26: Thirty scouts from Troop 674 in Montgomery, OH went on on the air on VHF and 40-meters with the help of the Radio Scouting Committee of the Dan Beard Council in the Tri-state area and many area ham radio operators including one of the Troop’s alumni.
5/19/25: Troop 37, Arlington Heights IL experienced ham radio through the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club andcontacts from Maine, to FL, TX, MT, and Canada!
Want to Host a Scouts on the Air Event?
It’s Easy!: Scouts on the Air is affiliated with AmateurRadioEvents.com. Simply visit and complete our Contact Form to stay in touch and share your interest.
Scout Troops: Please share your name, phone number, troop number/town/state, the size of the troop, the troop’s age range (ideal for age 10+), your meeting location (ideally with a half acre or more of available outside space), and potential upcoming troop meetings dates when this event might be possible. See our one-page Troop Proposal for details.
Radio Groups: These are perfect events for radio clubs, ARES teams, SATERN groups, etc. Please share your name, phone number, group name/type, its location/size, and the potential number of radio volunteers the group can provide (ideally 4-6). If you already have a Scout Troop identified, please share those details too. Hosting an event is easy! See our one-page Club Proposal for details.