Most Used Frequencies for Summits on the Air Activations

I think it all balances out. There are easy 10pt summits, and there are not-so-easy 2pt summits.

 

Thanks for the video guys.. Regarding 60m phone- I've found most activity on 5403.5 and 5371.5 over the years in W6/W7. I don't know what the SOTA ops use though (for phone).

 

Whatever we find that is open!

 

Wow, that's disappointing to hear. IMO they should have different points awarded for hike vs drive up. Hiking in with all your stuff on your back vs driving up is apples and oranges, and exponentially different as the distance to the summit increases from the trailhead...I'd say Steve WG0AT is more representative of the spirit/purpose of SOTA than driving up.

 

I don't mind it. It allows folks who aren't as fit participate. I've worked 1 point summits that were much more difficult to reach than some 10 point summits. Also, some summits are challenging not because of the climb, but other factors.

This is a 6 point summit. Compare that to the 10 point summit photo I posted up thread.

Chris

 

And this from someone who has a single one point activation to their credit back in 2017? And that one activation appears to be a drive-up. ROFL!

 

I hear you, just my opinion they should recognize diff on getting there.

 

.....my opinion was re drive vs walk, big difference no?
I have a lifetime of backpacking under my belt, typically in the high country on multiday trips, working with qrp gear the last 6 years or so. Don't know how my Sota record or lack there of has any relevance here.
fwiw Borough Mtn was not a drive up at all.
So the point of your post was?
If it was trying to demonstrate your personality/character, got it, but I hope I just got you wrong.
73

 

Thank you for the nice video. Here's what I've found to be useful for POTA-which doesn't have a point system to qualify for activation-but this may also be useful for SOTA:

• Timing: Mornings until about noon seem to work best
• Numbers: One station active at a time to avoid desensing front ends
• For VHF/UHF repeaters: Use the Repeater Book app and program in all repeater frequencies for a 100 mile radius. You may also see some 6M and 10M repeaters-grab those too
• For HF: Use a dipole or EFHW with counterpoise and be ready to use 100 watts. Get the antenna into the trees...I use a fishing pole.
• When calling CQ: Announce which state park or national park you're calling from-be prepared to rag chew-surprising how many people know the park or have family in the area, went to the local college, etc.
• Tell the front gate you're going to play radio. Pause to answer questions from curious park visitors. Go with fellow hams.

I like to use the IC7300 and Bioenno 20AH LiFePO...with a PAR end-fed and LMR240 ultra flex feed line. Heavy but still fits in a back pack or a hiking trailer.

 

I appreciate that the creators of SOTA purposefully made the program to be a personal challenge and not a contest. We are just out there to have fun and not get all competitive about it. Yes, I love Steve WG0AT's approach to SOTA. But I don't agree that everybody should or even could be like him (or you). The creators of the program wanted it to be inclusive and I think it is. If you want to only hike x miles, or summits that are x difficult then do it. It's all up to you. I would also add that it is almost impossible to define a program based on effort. Just go through that exercise in your mind - evaluating hundreds of thousands of summits and attaching some sort of value based on effort? Can you really define effort?

 

I agree with you that there is a big difference between a drive verses a hike. I think that is a fairly obvious observation to everybody. I also think that unbeknownst to you, your remarks may have rubbed others the wrong way because they imply you have it all figured out and the rest of us don't, or that anybody who does a drive-up is somehow beneath you. You probably didn't mean it that way but I'm pretty sure that's how most took it. And honestly, I think your record is somewhat relevant here because it speaks to how much exposure you have to the SOTA culture and purpose behind the rules we have in place. I do appreciate your comment and understand the point you made. Thank you.

 

Yep. I was thinking about that. It's not dissimilar to how climbing routes are rated. It can be and is done, but not without some adjustments from time to time based on consensus. And since any changes in ratings would retroactively change point status in SOTA it would be a pain. So, I'm taking the "whatever" approach and just doing it to have fun. The points are important in exactly the same way that winning a plastic trophy at the fair is important. Fun, but not a reflection of your value as a person.

 

There are nets everywhere. Maybe we need net-free areas of the band plans...

 

Nice video and great scenery. Thanks for the SOTA tutorial.

 

Enjoyed the video thank you.