Another SOTA-like Program ? - “Valleys on the Air"

Another SOTA-like Program ?
The “SOTA” from the bottom ?
73

He can’t have VOTA as that is used by the Volcanoes on The Air program.

You are right!

And the Volcanoes On The Air is a much more challenging program!.. :slight_smile:

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Good luck trying to make contacts from the bottom of a valley…Maybe NVIS on 80 metres? Cross-program contacts called “S2V”…downhill radiation? From the heights to the depths, just like a bi-polar disorder. :sweat_smile:

Elliott, K6EL
Sota MT

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For the new folks to SOTA as this was widely discussed a few years ago:

There is one big problem! There is another program called Volcanoes on the Air (VOTA) that has been operational for at least two years now, worldwide, with a dedicated group of activators.

Started in VK-land by a group of frustrated SOTA activators who wanted a more challenging hamradio award program, VOTA, like SOTA, is an awards program where points are scored based on the time since the last eruption for a qualifying volcano. “We wanted something more exhilirating than hiking some pipsqueak 14k hill”, said Andrew Outback, now unfortunately a silent key after his first attempt in the VOTA program.

_You can read more of this program at https://goo.gl/nRBQL0._

Guy/n7un

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I also cant see him doing it in the valleys since I Live in a valley and have to have good equipment just to hit the repeaters. Good luck I say

Many years ago, some people went “valley-bottoming” as opposed to mountain topping in a VHF contest, and actually made some QSOs. There was a report of it in a North American ham magazine around 1992 or so, the operators might even have been below sea level in one of those deep valleys in California, but I must apologise for not remembering more details.

vy 73, Jan-Martin

When I got my NoV to operate on 5 megs during the early experimental phase, I had to describe the experiments that I intended to carry out. One of them was operating from deep valleys. The most enclosed space that I operated from was the National Trust Campsite in Great Langdale, completely surrounded by mountains, yet I got several contacts using just five watts and a W3EDP antenna no more than 3 metres off the ground at the highest point.

I think VaOTA is viable, but it would not be easy to define a points scale!

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