Just read on SOTA DL group Belgium association is due to start on 1st July - good news. Also welcome to M0ZZO as new G association manager. I use SW2 page as main page for SOTA now & seem to miss these snippets of info.
In reply to G1INK:
Steve
It’s worth checking the banner at www.sota.org.uk occasionally.
The news often appears there first and that is where the Germans must get it!
73
Richard
In reply to G1INK:
Just read on SOTA DL group Belgium association is due to start on 1st
July - good news. Also welcome to M0ZZO as new G association manager.
I use SW2 page as main page for SOTA now & seem to miss these snippets
of info.
Thanks Steve.
I also use SW2 as main page (but occasionally check the main site). I wonder if it is possible to have a news banner on SW2?
73,
James M0ZZO
Hi all,
We are now pleased to announce that the new Belgium (ON) association summit data has been uploaded to the main SOTA Database. It won’t appear in the ‘obvious’ places until the association launch date of 1st July, but for a sneak preview, try the following.
On the Database, select “Find summit” from the ‘Summits’ dropdown window. In the search window, enter “ON/ON”, and the full list wih links to all the data will appear.
The ON summits will appear on Sotawatch once Jon GM4ZFZ has enabled it and performed an update. The full Association Reference Manual can be found on the main SOTA website http://www.sota.org.uk
In reply to M1EYP:
Thanks Tom and Jon. I assume that Belgium chasers can now reassign their logs on the database to allow them to appear in the Belgium tables if they wish. This is done by logging in to the database and then using the “Change User Details” tab on the “Logon/Logoff” dropdown menu.
I should also thank Les G3VQO and Johan ON5EX for getting this new Association ready to go. Just LX and PA to go to complete that corner of Europe. Any takers?
73
Richard
In reply to G3CWI:
Hi Richard
How about SM? If you let me know the steps to initiate it, I can try and help get it running. I’ll be there for a few weeks this summer… may take radio so will be chasing with my other call.
73 Marc G0AZS (a.k.a. SM7ZAU)
In order for a new association to be successful, it needs activity, and therefore it is best practice for it to have an Association Manager (and local team) who are permanent residents of that country. Otherwise, I may have set up EA6 and EA8 SOTA (perhaps starting with just one or two summits!) just prior to my holidays there in recent years!
However, it sounds like you may be an ideal person to seek out some interest from Sweden, Marc, and certainly assist with the formation of an association. I would also suggest you work with Les G3VQO who does great advisory work in
assisting the setting up of new associations.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Thanks Tom… good points… I can certainly help promote it even if I wouldn’t be active there all the time, I have family and business interests that take me to Sweden a few times a year.
I might pick it up with Les and then Derek at the SSA (Swedish Radio Society) as he’s a long term British ex pat living in Sweden and working for the SSA.
Any detailed discussion can be taken offline… email is OK on QRZ.com
73 Marc G0AZS
PS… I note from the database that there is at least 1 active SM chaser (logging points) at the moment… I’ll try and contact him too
In reply to G0AZS:
Hi Marc
I see that Tom just beat me with his comments!
As he says, the main pre-requisite for a successful Association is activity. Having had a quick check through my logs, I cannot find any Swedish chasers. Without those initial enthusiasts, who then provide the demand for activators, any Association created, with all its attendant hard work, will just become moribund like the W2 Association. Creating Associations for France and Belgium was hard work, but we knew that there was a small cadre of keen chasers. Additionally there are a number of fanatical activators in neighbouring countries who can be relied upon to cross the border in search of another unique.
Sweden does not have these advantages (yet?), although it could become the Scandinavian leader if sufficient interest can be kindled. Its northern latitude will perhaps breed an even hardier type of activator than our Scottish colleagues, although the midnight sun could give us round-the-clock activity during the summer!
Good luck with your discussions Marc, and let us know if it looks like a “go-er”.
73 de Les, G3VQO
Hi Les
I just sent an email to an SM1 who is currently chasing… he is in the database with QSO’s with DL a week or so ago… I’ll let you know what he thinks too.
…and based on my experience 20M, 30M and 40M would be easy to use for activating and chasing from SM during the day… and there are plenty of chasers just accross the Baltic 
We’ll see… but you do make a good point about hardiness with mosi’s that are the size of small birds in the Nordic countries
73 Marc G0AZS
In reply to G3VQO:
Additionally there are a number of fanatical activators in
neighbouring countries who can be relied upon to cross the border in
search of another unique.
Anybody fancy a “Belgium in a day” expedition?!?
(Only very slightly tongue in cheek)
73 de Paul G4MD