Summits on the Air activity weekend, September 13-14, 2014

North America SOTA Activity Weekend is a casual event involving tiny battery-powered radios on mountain summits. It is not a contest but is intended to introduce "Summits on the Air" to newcomers with home stations who try to work summit operators during one or two days. There are no rules regarding power levels, modes or number of bands worked, but please be courteous when more than one station is trying to talk to a SOTA operator on a summit. The SOTA operators have just climbed mountains as high as 14,000 feet; they use low power; and they don't receive on split frequencies.

Check SOTAWATCH.org to spot who is on which mountain. Summits are numbered, and you can hover your cursor over the number to see the name and point value for each summit. Expect the website to show activity near 7.032, 7.185, 10.110, 14.342, 18.095, 18.155, 21.350, 24.905, 24.955, 28.420, 146.52, 446.00, and 61 Khz up from the bottom of 20, 15 and 10 meters CW. Participants are invited to collect points toward certificates and trophies offered by the twelve-year-old international SOTA group (SOTA.org.UK). As we learned in past years, this is a barrel of fun for both hill climbers and home operators. See you then.

 

I will be on a hill in AZ that weekend. Always good to work you and the rest of the regulars.

 

You forgot to mention 14.062 colleague,

Will be QRV!

 

Perfect timing as its also the ARRL Sept VHF contest that weekend and I usually try and do a portable op. Ill look for a local summit to activate!

73 de AC2GJ

 

This may be my chance to try out the new portable set-up. There are a number of summits in Texas that haven't been activiated but it almost look like a couple of them might be on private property.

 

I'll be active on a new hill in PA. I've tried to contact the regional SOTA director here with no luck for over one year. He is neglect in his duties and is for the most part MIA. I'll be working HF 80 through 10 as well as six meters. I have a two wheel cart used for moving big game out of the woods I picked up at Dick's sporting goods along with a 5 x 5 foot deer blind @ 7 pounds as a lightweight shelter. This will save a lot of stress on my back as it is a rugged and difficult climb. I may "volunteer" my younger brother to assist with transport of gear. Still deciding on which antennas to take with for operation.

 

How does a "new hill" happen? I have sent three requests through different SOTA channels to add Enchanted Rock, Texas to the SOTA list, with no replies as of yet. I'm planning a trip up there the weekend of 9/13 to coincide with ARRL Sept VHF. How do I find out who is the region contact for North Texas?

 

Main website http://www.sota.org.uk/

Your association manager is ... KD6CUB

Northern Texas activation list http://www.sota.org.uk/Region/viewRegion/id/894

 

There will be several of us operating from W2/GC-026 Utsayantha Mountain on Sunday. We plan on 40, 20, 17, and perhaps 15M SSB and some PSK. this is an easy SOTA so we will all be using 100W to various antennas. We all decided we needed any easy one this weekend as yesterdays to W2/GA-181 was, shall we say good exercize.... and leave it at that?

K2QY
John