The first 144 MHz Backpackers Contest is on Sunday 22nd May, 1100-1500 UTC. Is no-one going to be on? I see no alerts so far.
I hope to be QRV, wx permitting … summit undecided at the moment.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Saving my energy for the 50MHz Backpackers on Tuesday Walt. Looking at my diary, two of the 144MHz BP session dates are definitely out, with a third looking highly unlikely. So won’t be mounting a serious campaign (if any) this year.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
All noted, Tom. I can’t work up any enthusiasm for 50 MHz these days. The band has been taken over by the Kw /6 el yagi merchants. Unfortunately I won’t be available for the Low Band SOTA Fun Day, due to a long-standing family commitment that day. Congrats on your FB score (again) in the 432 MHz Contest on 10th May.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
The band has been taken over by the Kw /6 el yagi merchants
Not necessarily. I am winning the 10 watt section of the 50MHz UKAC, and in front of many of the 100 watt section stations - using 5 watts from my 817 and a delta loop. And of course, 10 watts is the limit in the 6m BP anyway!
SOTA summit QTHs are the answer!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
SOTA summit QTHs are the answer!
SOTA summit QTHs in IO83 are the answer!
Who runs the 6m BP contest? It is not mentioned on the RSGB VHF Contests web site.
… Oh, I see now … it’s a sub-section of the 50 MHz UKAC! I won’t be doing it, but I hope to be QRV in the 70 MHz UKAC on 31st May.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Yes, until last year it was its own event, like the 2m BP, on a Sunday. But from 2011, they are trying running it alongside the 6m UKACs in May, June, July and August.
I understand that any Tuesday night entries made in the 10B (Backpackers) section will automatically also be entered in the AL UKAC section as well, as Backpackers rules adhere to the broader UKAC conditions (but not the other way round). Hence regular UKACers (like me) will still get their points in the year-long series, and club points to the club championship.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G3NYY:
I can’t work up any enthusiasm for 50 MHz these days.
Yes, the power merchants killed it for me as well Walt, but more recently I’ve adopted a laissez-faire attitude to the band and now quite enjoy bagging a few sporadic E contacts during the season using a few watts to an indoor dipole. I’ve only ever used the band in anger from a summit once - my 300th unique, Binsey G/LD-041. The Sp E contacts made the log look interesting, but I didn’t get the feeling it was a “proper” SOTA activation like when I work the regulars… just as well I’d had a 2m session earlier!
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to G4OIG:
but I didn’t get the feeling it was a “proper” SOTA activation like when I work
the regulars
So it’s not just me. I often feel somewhat disappointed when I don’t get to work all the usual mob on 60m.
Andy
MM0FMF
I didn’t get the feeling it was a “proper” SOTA activation
See the General Rules to remind yourself what a “proper” SOTA activation is!
I like to play on different HF bands on CW, and do the VHF contests. I never concern myself with whether or not I am working the “regulars”. (I have three sets of ‘regulars’ - the EU SOTA chasers on 40 and 30, the WFF chasers on 20, and the VHF contesters who are also SOTAists on 6/2/70). But over the course of a year I tend to do enough activations across the radio spectrum to work each cohort plenty of times.
As such, when I went up The Cloud earlier in the year, and just worked DX (VK, VE, 9M6, ZB, 5B4 etc) in the Commonwealth Contest, I didn’t feel a shred of guilt!
It would be brilliant to work a load of regulars on 50MHz SSB this coming Tuesday evening. A chance that the band may open up as well.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Tom, I don’t need to read the rules and you well know that as a fact!
When I started SOTA back in 2006 the first thing that impressed me was the friendliness of the chasers. Over the months and years I have been amazed at the way their interest has been maintained and it is always a pleasure to speak to the regulars time and again and get snippets of news from them. This is very reminiscent of the late 60’s / early 70’s when virtually all contacts on 2m were on AM. From my home in Nottinghamshire I had regular contacts with very keen 2m ops from up in Durham down to Kent and we often met up at rallies, sometimes over a beer.
As far as I am concerned DX from a summit holds little interest. I’ve been licensed over 40 years, been there, done most things and got a wardrobe full of tee-shirts. Give me contacts with the regulars any day - they are going to be the ones there looking for you on a remote summit when band conditions are poor.
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to M1EYP:
It would be brilliant to work a load of regulars on 50MHz SSB this
coming Tuesday evening. A chance that the band may open up as well.
Both 6m and 4m were wide open today. G4ASR worked all over Europe on both bands … even including some DX on 4m FM. 2 metres opened up to Corsica and Northern Italy via Sporadic E at about 4:30 pm this afternoon.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to MM0FMF:
Yes Andy, people are often conspicuous by their absence… and Paul and I make a note of who was missing as we chat about the activation on our descent!
73, Gerald G4OIG
As far as I am concerned DX from a summit holds little interest. I’ve been licensed over 40 years, been there, done most things and got a wardrobe full of tee-shirts.
…whereas I haven’t, being 30 years behind you in amateur radio experience. Therein lies the reason for the different interests, possibly. I too like to work the regular SOTA chasers, and do so often. But I also like DXing and contesting too, so I split my time between them all.
All I was alluding to BTW, was that your definition of a “proper” SOTA activation seemed to be much tighter and condition-heavy than the General Rules! T-i-c of course 
73, Tom M1EYP
Paul and I make a note of who was missing as we chat about the activation on our descent!
…whereas Jimmy and I chat about … nothing. Because he is half a mile ahead of me. 
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Because he is half a mile ahead of me.
Easy to fix. You carry the pies and soup and Mars Bars and yummy stuff and he carries all the SLABs and PAs. He’ll stick with you then!
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to M1EYP:
…whereas Jimmy and I chat about … nothing. Because he is half a
mile ahead of me.Tom M1EYP
Can’t resist: “Down to Gehenna or up to the throne, he travels fastest who travels alone”!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to M1EYP:
All I was alluding to BTW, was that your definition of a
“proper” SOTA activation seemed to be much tighter and
condition-heavy than the General Rules! T-i-c of course
You are quite right Tom. Indeed the very fact that I have limited myself to qualifying all summits activated on 144MHz or above is an integral part of my personal MO. 100% Uniques is another.
As to a “proper” activation, all I said was that it didn’t feel right looking at an activation log of non SOTA chasers. Giving away chaser points is an extremely important part of what I do in SOTA and no doubt the same applies to you as well.
73, Gerald G4OIG
Giving away chaser points is an extremely important part of what I do in SOTA and no doubt the same applies to you as well.
Not really, no.
It is more of a welcome by-product of what I do in SOTA. I cannot claim that it has the same level of priority in my activations as it does in yours, I have lots of other foci.
But over the course of 1070 activations, I’ve probably given one or two points away to the regulars along the way.
Tom M1EYP