The future of the Radio Society of Great Britain’s IOTA programme
Islands on the Air (IOTA) celebrated its 50th anniversary as a premier DX programme in July
2014. The last fifty years have seen the programme grow to 2,500 active island chasers and
approximately 15,000 more casual participants. It is perhaps second in scale and scope to
the DXCC award; indeed, many would argue it is even more challenging than that
programme.
Last year the Society’s Board identified a number of challenges that the programme faced,
not least of which was the need to provide an IT system that would allow online island credit
submission akin to Logbook of the World (LoTW). Since that time, a small group of IOTA
enthusiasts has been working with the Society to ensure that the IOTA programme
continues to grow and play the prominent role that it has done in Amateur Radio DXing and
contest activity for the last fifty years.
That work has now come to fruition and we are pleased to announce that a new organisation
will be formed, to be called the IOTA Foundation. It will be run by IOTA enthusiasts and will
manage the IOTA programme in partnership with the Society. One major task for the new
organisation will be to develop a new online credit system that is due to be completed in
2017.
Roger Balister, G3KMA, Bob Barden, MD0CCE, Cezar Trifu, VE3LYC and Johan Willemsen,
PA3EXX, are the team who will implement the IT changes and form the IOTA Foundation,
with representation from radio amateurs at home and abroad.
– Ends –
For further information:
Heather Parsons, RSGB Communications Manager
heather.parsons@rsgb.org.uk
+44 (0) 7710 395012
Notes to editors
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is dedicated to the development of the science
and practice of amateur radio. It works to increase awareness and understanding of amateur
radio and to make the hobby accessible to everyone.
It was first founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, and its current patron is Prince
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It represents the interests of over 60,000 licensed radio amateurs
in the UK. It also acts as a medium for communication between UK radio amateurs and the
UK government through Ofcom, the UK radio spectrum regulator.
The RSGB publishes a monthly magazine, RadCom, as well as a range of books. It provides
online advice and guidance, gives up-to-date news through its website and weekly
broadcasts and, in conjunction with the UK radio clubs, conducts the examinations that are
required to qualify to be licensed as a radio amateur.
The IOTA (Islands On The Air) Programme is an amateur radio HF/VHF band activity
programme, administered by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). Established in 1964
it promotes radio contacts with stations located on islands around the world to encourage
greater use of the amateur bands. To do this, it draws on the widespread mystique
surrounding islands. IOTA Management has grouped the oceans’ islands into some 1,200
‘IOTA groups’ with, for reasons of geography, varying numbers of ‘counters’, i.e. qualifying
islands, in each group and has published the listings in the IOTA Directory and on the RSGB
IOTA web-site: www.rsgbiota.org.
The objective, for the IOTA Island Chaser, is to make radio contact with at least one counter
in as many of these groups as possible and, for the IOTA Island Activator, to provide such
island contacts. IOTA Management encourages friendly competition among chasers by
publishing details of participants’ performance in an Honour Roll and annual listings, as well
as by recognising it with certificates and prestige awards
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