A great request to colleagues associated with GMA!
GMA-Watch automatically attaches WWFF references to SOTA spots. I think it is unfair!
Activator himself should decide whether he activates (and sends logs) WWFF !!!
This can not be enforced by an automaton!
This situation causes a big mess for the SOTA station!
WWFF hunters’ stations are almost always QRO stations and there are many, too many! The activator is usually unable to withstand and finishes earlier or changes the band.
People like me who work only with QRP after the spot sent by GMA completely lose the chance to pass the SOTA summit. Only today I lost many such stations because of this!
I was going to take GMA activation myself, but in this situation, GMA will not be fair.
I am waiting for disabling this functionality!
vy 73 de Mariusz sp9amh
Don’t complain about another award scheme causing problems on here. Complain to the guy causing the problems at GMA.
Maybe I wrote something incorrectly, but I go to people from GMA not SOTA MT.
(I’m sorry but my English is not good)
Hi Mariusz - I realise you are saying your pleasure in SOTA chasing was messed up by WWFF hunters calling the SOTA activator and blocking you.
If I’m on a summit that happens to be in the WWFF park - tough on the WWFF hunters as I wont be entering my logs into their system, unless I specifically announce that I will and quite honestly it’s too much work. Also if my SOTA logs were picked up and put into the WWFF database without my permission, I would be really “pissed off” and consider that data-theft.
While, as you said, the problem is caused by the GMA-Watch system you should post your complaint at the GMA Forum here → http://www.cqgma.org/phpBB3/index.php
When you’re activating it is kind-of difficult to dictate where you’ll be spotted, but it should really be the activator’s choice whether they choose to combine a SOTA activation with an activation for any other award schemes. I know some activators very much enjoy combining SOTA and WWFF. However, if the activator hasn’t chosen to do so, it’s probably a bit pointless and impolite to spot them for any other award scheme that expects any action post-activation from the activator.
In this specific case, it seems to me that GMA’s generating the spots, so it’s GMA you need to complain to, and the GMA Forum would be the place to start. There’s not a lot SOTA folk can do about the issue.
I wrote here because many colleagues work on SOTA and GMA and probably also read here. I was also thinking about the problem for SOTA people.
Mariusz, As activator I welcome any spot.
73, Hans PB2T
I welcome every chaser too.
73!
Andy
But how would you react Andy and Hans if a WWFF Hunter emailed you later accusing you of not entering your log in the WWFF system database and demanding that you do so that they can get their points. How would any of us feel then?
Ed.
Simples.
Rule 1 - comply with the terms of my licence.
There is no rule 2 - everything else is a choice.
I am convinced that most activators do not even realize that they were spoted into WWFF! So no sends logs to wwff…
hi mariusz,
thanks for the info. i was not aware about the automatic spotting of WWFF on GMA … i sometimes wondered in my past activations from a sota + national park where all the “44 guys” do know about the WWFF-ref. without me alerting it somewhere!
i did think about being active in WWFF too (when doing a sota-activation), but i personally do not like the 44 qso-rule.
73 martin, oe5reo
It is very amusing and more than a bit ironic to get a complaint about GMA on this reflector. GMA was set up as a competitor to SOTA by people who were angry because the SOTA MT insisted on deleting summits that did not conform to our rules on prominence. That controversy is years in the past, now, and we wish GMA well as fellow travellers in the combined brotherhoods of the mountains and ham radio, but we have no influence over them or contact with them.
Beautifully said, Brian.
I have already been surprised many times watching WWFF spots with my callsign. I do not have anything to GMA does, but as it concerns SOTA, I do not like it anymore.
This is not about whether SOTA MT is interested in it, it’s about making SOTA people realize what is happening behind their backs.
I think good news:
It seems that GMA has already disabled the transfer to WWFF.
(hopefully for ever)
I can not jet see anymore SOTA signs on WWFF yet, but to EA8/G4ONL/P was added EAFF-0072
to GMA spot but this is not problem if only on GMA.
It was worth writing.
73 de Mariusz
I was activating Langfirst, OE/OO-442, earlier today and fell victim to WWFF chasers. I knew that this summit is within the boundaries of the National Park but I did not think any further. At first I was positively surprised by the activity on 40m CW, There were some unfamiliar callsigns and many chasers signing with “44”. Overall it was a very unruly pile-up with callers repeating their calls endlessly. When I felt that I no longer can control the pile-up I quickly moved to 30m and later to 20m. There chaser density and behavior were much better.
Thanks Mariusz for pointing out how my activation got caught by WWFF chasers. I apologize to SOTA chasers for letting them down on 40m. As explained this was not fun any more.
73 Heinz
I am also amused, Brian. Why not write to the GMA support as it is always preached mantra? A few words to clarify, then this thread can probably be closed.
WWFF and GMA use the same spotting software with the same database.
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There will be no blanket SOTA spots copied to WWFF. GMA respects those who want nothing to do with GMA.
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only spots are copied into the WWFF cluster, which were entered at GMA and it was determined that a mountain reference is in a WWFF reference. That’s a GMA / WWFF principle.
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if and when spots are copied, activators/chasers can set in their GMA profile
That our bergfunk-friend Martin, OE5REO, is surprised about the 44-Guys, must have another reason. The WWFF cluster has been online since the beginning of 2017 and since then, exactly 3 spots have been entered into GMA for Martin. At 144MHz FM. I do not think that many “44” guys reported there 
And, Mariusz, we had quite a few QSOs last week. You have a very weak signal. But I think you always got me. Although my spots were also in the WWFF Cluster and the 44-Guys were on the frequency. Who is hunting qrp, must also be aware that he is in the queue at the very back.
73 de Mario dl4mfm
Ed, To be honest I don’t care.