Hi Everybody
I have noticed that some activators are not being spotted, even when they have been worked by armchair chasers. I think this most unfortunate as it means some activators may not qualify the summit because nobody knows they are there. I have gone to spot activators and the noticed somebody has beat me to it so I just delete my spot.
It doesn’t take long to spot so please spot it is an advantage to activators and chasers.
73
Sue
In reply to G1OHH:
Hi Sue,
Personally, and purely from an activator’s perspective, I always welcome spots. For me there are two phases to every activation which can easily be summed up as the initial 4 contacts to qualify the summit (sometimes followed by a sigh of relief!) and thereafter the number of chasers that can be contacted.
73, Gerald
In reply to G4OIG:
Once again I am with Gerald on this and thank’s to Sue for highlighting this problem.
It isn’t mandatory to spot, but I do when I can and thankfully rely on the top spotters out there such as Roy G4SSH, to assist by spotting so that I can get on with my other work whilst visiting the radio from time to time to hopefully contact the activators or tune around, find one myself and then spot them.
I’m not sure why some folk to do not spot, I hope it is not because they are afraid some other Chaser will get the points that they will claim, and then possibly deny the chance for the activator to qualify his achievment!
Phil
In reply to G4OBK:
I am not surprised in the slightest by the reluctance to spot. It stems from the dearth of league table for every activity and I am sure there are those who think that failing to spot might get them an advantage over the other chasers. It happens with DX all the time because ones position in the UKCW table, ClubLog league or the DXCC table might be compromised. Mind you, if you can get a spot in before SSH, you have achieved something !! Just start a league table for the most activators spotted and everything would change!
Just a viewpoint.
Regards
David/G4CMQ
In reply to thread:
It isn’t always an advantage to being spotted! The QRMers read the spots, too. Listen to an activation on 7 megs, for instance. Contacts come slowly until a sudden avalanche when the spot appears - and at that very moment the carriers, whistlers and funny noise brigade appear! I think that with so many nut cases about it is best to only spot if the activator is having difficulties getting contacts.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
The whistlers, and QRMers and fiddlers are grist to the mill Brian and trying to defeat them is part of the fun in my opinion Brian! Certainly on CW I find that working any pile-up down to nothing is also apart of the challenge.
Phil
Some chasers don’t have the internet available in their shack (or even at home at all). While this is rare, it does happen.
Having done 15 activations in the past week I note that I was spotted on very few. That was probably the result of using 2m FM though.
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G4CMQ:
On the DX Cluster at one time you could execute a command which I think was SH/DXSPOTS TOP50 (or something similar) and that would tell you who the top 50 spotters were. There was some selfless pride in seeing your callsign in that list in my opinion, and I would like to see it embodied into the SOTAWatch database, but only provided it didn’t increase the amount of repetition in the spotting. It would also show the regular chasers we hear working SOTA who never or rarely spot, who would be conspicuous by their absence.
Phil
In reply to G4OBK:
I hope it is not because
they are afraid some other Chaser will get the points that they will
claim, and then possibly deny the chance for the activator to qualify
his achievment!
If this is the case, then surely the simple answer is QSO then Spot?!
In reply to M6ADB:
Yes, but then the person seeing the spot may catch up with the person in the overall table by getting some points!
Phil
In reply to the thread:
I have several spots removed for asking the QSY frequency as the persons who put 144.300 ( the calling frequency for 2 mtr SSB ) , these chasers have been around for over 20 years and should know the basic band plan . This may be classed as being selfish by some so they get the points and others waste time looking until it is too late.
Slightly off topic is the fact that in recent weeks the use of the alerts has declined so the chasers who rely on the alerts to arrange their days are losing out and also that some of the regular chasers are not as active.
If the alerts were used more then more activators would not sit in the bad weather waiting for the 4 contacts required and would be spotted sooner.
Roger G0TRB
In reply to G0TRB:
I must agree with Roger since becoming more of a chaser recently, I look at the alerts section to see if its worth sitting in the Shack for long periods of time. I see no one in close proximity so dont sit and wait.
I am then disappointed by the spots page telling me I have missed a few activators that I could have easily worked from my home QTH.
As an Activator I always alerted,sometimes weeks or months in advance thus ensuring I get the chasers to give me the 4 contacts needed then having no hesitation in giving them the points from the summit. Its a two way street for both Activator and Chaser,without both we wouldn’t be here.
73
Tony
In reply to G3CWI:
Some chasers don’t have the internet available in their shack (or even
at home at all). While this is rare, it does happen.
Strange that they should choose to partake in an internet based award scheme!
I find that I need to self spot more & more these days even on the “established” sota frequencies on a weekend. How did we ever qualify a hill before sotawatch?
In reply to G1INK:
Strange that they should choose to partake in an internet based award
scheme!
SOTA attracts a lot of strange people 
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G4OBK:
Yes, but then the person seeing the spot may catch up with the person in the overall table by getting some points!
Surely you’re not implying that SOTA is competitive are you Phil? Maybe it IS the greatest myth of all time!
In reply to G3CWI:
SOTA attracts a lot of strange people
Nowt so queer as folks. Thank goodness - if we were all the same, what a boring predictable existence we would lead!
Long live SOTA-biodiversity!
73, Gerald