Reactivating U-VHF from the summits!

I’d be more inclined to blame the sun than the activators.

Abolutely nothing is heard right now on 15m band this side.

Absolutely nothing on 12m.

Not any individual radio amateurs transmitting on 10m CW and just 1 QSO on 10m SSB on 28.400 with Dutch speaking stations (ON or PA?).

But I have just checked 10m band beacons segment and I’m copying several beacons with really good signals, so I woudn’t blame the Sun…

It’s just us who spend much of our formerly time on the bands doing other stuff like internet forums, etc…

Cheers,

Guru

After copying a QRP 5w into a vertical antenna beacon from ON on 10m with S9, I started CQing on 28.020
Propagation conditions between ON and my location seemed very good. Also heard other beacons from the UK.
45 minutes CQing on the frequency and just one station from ON came back to me with S9 signals for an armchair QSO.
Nobody else.
The band is empty and lifeless like desert, but conditions are really good.
Where are everybody?
On the internet, watching TV or both, of course…
This is to prove that no matter the propagation conditions, the fact is that there are fewer and fewer active radioamateurs on the air everyday and we all gather just around the most popular bands.
Sometimes I’ve even been thinking that SOTA might be even contributing to kill, at a certain extent, the traditional way of playing radio, scanning the bands up and down searching for stations to contact or just CQing on a clear frequency to enjoy QSOs with other hams coming back to our calls. We, the SOTA chasers are now mainly QRV on the bands while monitoring SOTAWatch and only as long as there are activators on the air or about to pop up in a matter of minutes. For the rest of the time, we remain silent, busy with our computers on the internet or anything else.
Well, it’s something to reflect about and this is a Reflector, isn’t it? :wink:

Best 73,

Guru

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To date ~99% of my SOTA activator QSOs have been on 2m/70cm. In VE7, SOTA is quite new and many people don’t often check for alerts. Line of Sight from some of our taller summits is pretty good and I’ve managed to surprise more than a few operators 150km away with just a 1/4 wave whip and 1W of power. While I’m developing my CW skills to get better use of HF frequencies, I still rely heavily on local repeaters and CQ calls to collect enough contacts to claim points. It’s also been useful for troubleshooting problems I’ve been having on HF that have since been traced back to a quiet speaking voice and not enough AF gain.

Like Inaki says, VHF/UHF has been a good way to inform amateur operators about the program and spread a little awareness while activating. Reaching out to local clubs and making announcements on VHF nets have also shown to be effective in raising awareness and encouraging participation.

I cannot speak for anybody but myself, but I do have a life apart from radio, and in a noisy urban environment the evening is the noisiest time of day, so I switch off the rig and do something else - like watching a repeat of an episode of “Endeavour” with the XYL!

TBH, I’m a bit surprised you got a reply from ON! The Met Office site shows a band of thunderstorms extending over ON, PA, northern DL and OZ into SM, and it would be sensible for hams in those areas to have their rigs isolated and antennas disconnected!

For my part, I like Inaki’s suggestion, VHF could do with something to kick-start it, and if VHF dies back again after a challenge we will only have ourselves to blame!

Brian

Interesting but quite valid observations there Guru. It is truly amzing how the band conditions come to life just for the contests - and then totaly die off within minutes of the contest ending!

The reliance that a significant proportion of amateurs have on clusters (DX and SOTA) is disturbing. Even having a relatively rare prefix, I can be calling on 20m with a very slow rate of contacts being worked but as soon as a spot goes up on the cluster (I am usually monitoring the clusters when calling), the pileup starts. You can see and hear the effects of a spot as levels of activity rises with each spot and then slowly drops until another spot goes up on the cluster.

Personally I usually leave a radio on 40m at home on the usual centre frequency for SOTA activity even when there are no alerts up as quite a few activators do not put up alerts their activations - and their plans can change at short notice.

On the original topic for VHF / UHF activations, when activating I will usually have a handheld radio listening on the 2m FM calling frequency (here in VK it is 146.500) and will also usually put out a couple of calls there as well. In the VK1 area we tend to use the local repeaters for liaison and safety when activating, so using VHF/UHF simplex on the activation is a natural follow-on.

Matt
VK1MA

Electrical storms overhead last night - thankfully the neighbours are not shocked by seeing me rush outside to disconnect everything in an “au naturel” state!!

I just got my license in December, and fell right into sota. That being said I have only been able to activate vhf with the first 5w HT. My next $100 purchase was not and HF radio, but a 4 element yagi. I think sota is great for the new young hams coming in. And frankly I think if we can show them that it doesn’t take an elaborate system to get on the air they would be more likely to stay. Just my 2 cents.

P.s. I do still dream of an 857d

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An 857D has a lot going for it, but it is a heavy beast to carry so I have only used mine on lower hills with a short carry.

The problem with trying to draw people in with a challenge is that two metre FM is hardly a minority interest. Looking at the database we see that over 1200 people activated on 2 metres FM last year, the leading activator was SQ9MDF with 952 points from `106 summits, 174 activators made more than 100 ,points, 300 made 50+ points and 772 made 10+ points. It isn’t as if 2 metre FM was a minority interest that needs encouraging, it is in fact already the bread-and-butter band/mode for many activators. Two metres SSB might be a different matter but we just don’t need to encourage FM at this time.

There is evidence that in some regions two metre FM is in decline, the MT is watching that, and if the point is reached where a challenge might be needed to reinvigorate it then I am sure the MT will take action.

Brian

I managed to miss the majority of G4OIG’s saga on 2m SSB. Living in the SE I have little chance of working long distances on FM (and do not like the mode) I run 100w to a Yagi and I used to work SOTA stations in GW and the Pennines with ease on SSB. I almost never hear any SOTA SSB activity on VHF/UHF SSB which is a pity.

What is needed is for a small group to regularly arrange amongst themselves some 2m SSB S2S activity and show how much fun they have. Maybe concentrating on vertical polarised SSB so “white stick” chasers stand more of a chance?

Lamenting how things have declined will not promote more activity. Otherwise I would lament about my receding hairline and magically it would all grow back.

I have an idea. Why not nominate the 1st Tuesday of each month for some /P 2m SSB activity? Say starting at 8pm (1900z) to give people chance to get home from work and have their dinner. I think it could take off.

It hasn’t receded, its just moved a little!

Good idea Tom. There should be plenty to work as its the 2m UK Activity contest night. I have heard people working you but not actually you.

With a mandatory requirement to point to the North East of Scotalnd at some time in the evening. Gets very lonely here just talking to Scandinavians!!

Dear all,
I am sorry for the delay in producing some replies but I am really amazed by the number of feedbacks received here and also during my last weekend activations. I think some conclusions can already be drawn… the future of the UVHF is in our hands and together we can do many things. It is clear to me that we must sow the seeds doing more publicity.

A challenge on 2m/70cm would be a good idea in order to give us a strong boost and move much more people than usual to these bands. This movement will be creating a bigger impact into the surrounding areas to attract new users. Really 3 element yagi or slim jim antenna hanging on a fishing rod and 1w, can be very productive from high altitudes. It does not take much effort to have a handheld radio listening on the 2m FM sota calling frequency when we are activating on HF, but this lies in the hands of the activators.

Besides this, the idea of a new challenge could be helpful way to be more polyvalent operating the greater number of bands.

73s de EB2GKK, Inaki

Dear Jimmy,
So you will be travelling to Tenerife next September… it sounds great. If you would like to call the attention of the listeners, I recommend you to introduce your activation periodically through local repeaters. This action at least could help you to increase the number of contacts. Next link will bring you to URE web site, there you will get information about some repeaters in EA8.

http://www.ure.es/principal/2013-07-03-10-24-44/1022-repetidores-144-mhz.html

I will let you know that in EA2 we have a usual channel for sota activation located on 145.525-fm, it was chosen close to the calling frecuency dedicated for movil, 145.500. You can use the same frequency in EA8 during your activation time but It won’t be easy to heard you from EA2.

Who knows… maybe someday we will be surprised by a new tropo pass :wink:
73s de EB2GKK, Inaki

Dear Andy,
The suggestion of managing a local group doing VHF activating into EA2 is easy, but the problem arises when we move away from our operational area. There are few users at particular times of day and those which remain are jumping to digitization. It is clear to me that we must sow the seeds, doing more publicity, introducing periodically our activation through local repeaters… but as was said before, the idea of a challenge could be welcome in order to give us a strong boost. Besides this, It may be helpful way to evaluate chaser’s skills and their strategies to be more polyvalent operating the greater number of bands.
73s de EB2GKK, Inaki

Dear Brian,
I agree we are the ones to blame, because we weren’t able to continue riding the wave of success in time. A challenge on 2m/70cm would be a good idea in order to give us a strong boost and move much more people than usual to these bands. This will be creating a bigger impact into the area to attract new sota users.
73s de EB2GKK, Inaki

Hi Inaki,

Thank you for the link to the Spanish repeaters. This is very useful. That’s good you have a SOTA calling frequency in EA2.

I have emailed quite a few EA8 radio amateur to ask for their local knowledge on calling frequencies in Tenerife and for any recommended routes up some Tenerife SOTA summits. I’ve not had any response yet, but that maybe because I sent the email in English. I may send the same email again, but with a Spanish translation on it.

Jimmy M0HGY