I just placed my first order of official SOTA merchandise. A few nice items reasonably priced that will help just a bit with SOTA funding. There was one more item I looked for, but it was not there.
That was an American style Ball Cap (or any hat for that matter). I have no idea how popular this product might be worldwide, but I think it would sell quite well in North America. And one size fits all. Easier to manage the inventory than shirts. Offer a few basic hat colors with the SOTA logo, and I will be your first customer. A survey to judge interest would be great, or perhaps just post here to indicate support. A newsletter question to reach a larger audience to sense possible demand? Is there any other style hat/cap that has equal/stronger widespread appeal instead?
I took the option of buying a SOTA cloth badge, and then spent some time hand-sewing the badge onto a baseball-style cap that I had at hand. It has had only a small number of outings to date. Here in VK, we often need a good broad-brimmed hat to help keep the sun off our heads!
I am listening!
If there are any suggestions for merchandise I am happy to consider them but there has to be an apparent market to justify intial set up costs for a custom product.
Hats have been considered but I was in two minds which would have greater demand, the baseball style or an insulated “beanie”. Thoughts?
Whether the MT can collectively drink enough bottles of wine to furnish corks to adorn hats sold to VK is a matter for debate especially as so much comes in screw tops these days (and I guess they are less effective)
People who cannot sew are unlikely to have any idea what to do with an iron. I know of one radio amateur who claims never to have ironed anything. His ample girth smooths out any creases apparently.
Glenn, I would post the question to the NASOTA reflector as well. I’ve got such a cap, and it was a gift so unfortunately I don’t know where it was obtained.
I too have such a gifted SOTA baseball cap. It’s a lightweight hat and his good for in the summer in not being to hot yet keeping the sun off my bald head!
As Barry (TOE) says we stock things that we know will sell. I don’t know if there is a poll facility on our “new” reflector software, if there is we can guage how many people are interested in baseball caps or beanies or whatever.
Most things stretch! In the case of a woolly hat, though, the design can be knitted in - I’ll have a word with the XYL, she clicks a mean pair of needles! Actually, such a hat can be produced on a machine in an hour or so…
Richard, I have logged that. I owe you one now and will store that privilege for when it might be best utilised. Gerald - same goes, seeing as you “liked” it.
May I suggest some sort of vessel for Radio Hams to store their breakfast. For those amongst us who frequent radio rallies, we find the traditional practice of utilising their beards, pretty unsightly
I think you are absolutely wrong and obviously never been stuck in a remote place covered in snow.
“May I suggest some sort of vessel for Radio Hams to store their breakfast. For those amongst us who frequent radio rallies, we find the traditional practice of utilising their beards, pretty unsightly”
The beard is vital to survival in dreadful conditions. Experienced beard hoarders will tell you that a collection of past breakfasts stored on the beard (best combo carbs and some runny egg mix) could save your life. You suck on the beard to get the nutrient until saved by the rescue team. Beard fragments also provide some fibre.
I am quite surprised you did not know this. Also a beard can reduce heat loss from the face and act as a frost barrier for the skin!
Now off to the forest with Bertie before the torrential rain and high winds return
Indeed Mike and don’t forget that icicles formed from condensation of exhaled water vapour clinging to an ample moustache can provide valuable additional hydration at a flick of the tongue
I never tried a full set but used to sport a moustache. It was winter mountaineering made me give it up. A fringe of icicles used to form, this not only looked and felt strange but the musical tinkling was very distracting! Talking of icicles, I well remember climbing the big ice pitch of SC Gully on Stob Corrie nan Lochan, at one point I looked up just as an icicle fell. It took out one spectacle lens, without the spectacles it might have been an eye. I don’t like icicles!
Very good point Paul, I think “ample” is the key = greater capacity. So for SOTA activators another thing to consider.
I realise women activators are going to find it difficult to grow such things.
Anyway the forest is a bog. Clump Hill is sodden so until the ground is frozen will not be going there for awhile. Sorry Brian for meandering off topic…I just had to chastise 2E0YYY
Thanks for indicating you are watching this Barry, and had not surprisingly already considered it. Your market research instincts are obviously far superior to my own. Rounding up interest to the nearest 100 the survey says 100 SOTA enthusiast are interested in buying a hat right now. And that is about equally divided between two styles. It seems there are a fair number of “homebrew” SOTA hats out there. So obviously there is interest, though I fear not nearly enough. Can you share the rough demand for SOTA shirts? And I just bought a really cool SOTA flag. You really sell a lot of those? Will wonders never cease.
I myself think a jacket size patch is not the perfect size fit for a hat. Perhaps you could instead offer a downsized hat appropriate patch, and then I too can have my own hat engineered.
I do appreciate that the MT listened and gave it a fair shot to be embraced. I really thought North America would put Ball Caps over the top. I even posted a link on NASOTA so they could easily find the survey. It must be a frugality issue. Certainly, if you were giving them away you could not keep them in stock.
