What an excellent idea Andy - I might take you up on it. I can fabricate the imagined QSOs, enter them in the database, sit back and enjoy the pleasure of knowing that I didn’t have to carry the weight of the kit up the hills. Of course I would have a few S2S contacts in there… because I don’t enter them specifically on the S2S section of the database.
Nah, that wouldn’t work - I’d miss speaking to all the genuine and much respected and appreciated chasers that I have worked over the years. That’s why I do SOTA - YMMV. Those 2m contesters - they don’t give a care for SOTA activations - working them is just QSO fodder.
Some are both 2m contesters and SOTA chasers. I worked at least 5 yesterday who thanked me for the SOTA contact, and who will submit a chaser log to the Database. It’s not an “Us and Them” scenario.
I can see VHF contesting from home becoming tedious due to the fact you will tend to work the same people in the same places and very occasionally conditions will be such you’ll work something magic for a change. It’s similar to when we go out contesting in we did the same few contests each time. Recently we’ve mixed stuff up a little and the fun is more “funner” than before. A few years of this and the old way becomes fun again.
It’s one of the reasons why the S2S events were so popular. All things being equal, it’s not that hard too work intercontinental S2S (for various definitions of too hard"). But you wont get any if there are no stations on in another continent when you are on. By getting many stations on at the same time you dramatically increase the chances as shown by the results. It’s easy to get so many people on (up early or up late or out in snow and fine weather) when there is likely to be a big group on. If you do these events too often then they loose some of the appeal, the “I can’t be bothered this time and anyway there’s another event in 2 weeks so I wont miss much” attitude. Figuring out the right rate of event is not easy and will be different for different people. Decisions, decisions!
For the record I enjoyed both events both in what I worked and being able to give people an odd prefix on one event and unique summit/rare-ish continent on the other.
So explain to me why working the same chasers at the same locations on VHF has not become boring. Perhaps working SOTA chasers constitutes real QSOs in that you can ask how they are, relay something of the conditions on the hill and talk about other matters of mutual interest. Exchanging “you are 59146, locator JO02AE, how copy” does not have the same quality of experience.
Because you’re not in the same location each time?
You must be holding it wrong. We normally have time for that on contests. There again people who have a rotator that actually points North (not too many) are normally thrilled to hear a GM that they want to lengthen the QSO as they may never hear another GM for months and months.
Interesting is the fact that the activity contests have been successful at drawing people onto the VHF bands that from next year before the main contest starts there is going to be a 1hr FM session so people without SSB/CW gear can try and work some of the stations out portable.
I have climbed many of the UK summits myself, in pre-SOTA days, chasing activators on familiar summits brings back memories and a vicarious enjoyment of the summit. I have climbed relatively few overseas summits but again they offer a vicarious experience. When activating I feel that most of the chasers have some feeling for the hills, they are not just chasing numbers, and this gives a feeling of fellowship that is additional to the normal fellowship of ham radio. YMMV.
That old canard! Anybody in SE or SC regions that beam on the Midlands or the Manchester area (say) are already beaming to GM. If they don’t answer GM calls it is because of the QRM. From this location in Brum I could always work a number of stations in Scotland as far north as the Lammermuirs but any deeper into GM needed a spot of aurora!
That is good news. In recent weeks I have noticed enhanced activity on two metres on Tuesdays, at other times it is still like a morgue!
Nope, nothing to do with that. It is all about making contacts with people that I have built up a relationship with over many activations. People that try their hardest to work me when conditions are dire, some even going out portable to make the contact. That’s the sort of friendship you can never achieve through contesting.
Spot on Brian. On our descents, Paul and I almost always discuss who was worked and who was not on. We do miss the regulars when we don’t speak to them.
It’s never going to be like it was until you take away all internet access and make HF access limited. That wont happen so the next best thing is activity sessions. It’s hard to say the bands are dead all the time when there are periods of quite significant activity. Not like it was but better than nothing.
How can a competitive activity forge friendships? - friendly rivalry maybe, but I have never heard of one contest group doing anything to aid another during a contest. Maybe you know better.
Yes, I think I do. I have a huge number of friends resulting directly from my participation in UKACs. We have a pint and a natter together at conventions and rallies, we have enjoyable ragchews if we meet on the air outside of contests, many of them took the trouble to send me their best when I had my brain op in 2013, and of course several of them - again initially met directly through UKACs - are my teammates in the contest group. I’d say they are all genuine friendships every bit as worthy as those resulting from other aspects of AR.
If anyone with 2m SSB capability is in their shack between 28th and 30th December, I will be activating several GM/SS summits with the beam predominately pointing south. I think some activations will coincide with the annual activity contest, so there may be more to work on the band.
You have Ward Law on your list. Make sure you bring full SCUBA gear after the rain we’ve had! I might be tempted to take a 290 with me to work and offer the odd complete…
If you are spotted I will try and contact you. Even if you are pointing South to start with you should hear me if the path is viable - I presume you will be lowish power.
All being well I should be out on GW/NW-049 with 2m SSB as well as FM tomorrow, look forward to working a few - keep an eye out on the alerts, as soon as I know when I will be leaving to give me a fairly accurate time (+/- 15 mins). At the moment expect approx 10am
Because you’re not in the same location each time? 