Here are some figures showing SSB & CW QSOs for the 1st 6 months of 2025 and 2026 for 2m and 70cm.
2m SSB & CW
| NumberQSOs 2025 | NumberActivators 2025 | NumberQSOs 2026 | NumberActivators 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3414 | 279 | 48126 | 829 |
70cm SSB & CW
| NumberQSOs 2025 | NumberActivators 2025 | NumberQSOs 2026 | NumberActivators 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 778 | 64 | 5095 | 246 |
Even with just this initial data it is obvious that the challenge has had quite an impact , especially on 2m.
I’m hoping once the year is done, there will be some breakdown by country and maybe some comparison to the effects of having the challenge on a band, versus the effects of previous challenges on that band.
I suppose with hindsight, lumping the 4 band/mode combinations all in one might have discouraged some extra 70cm useage, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I was pondering, once the challenge is over and in subsequent years, if something like the downloadable certificates could be made available showing total distance activated/chased and best dx could be done. Just a little something to help maintain the interest. A little along the lines of the certificates available for the microwave bands.
I’m glad you are enjoying it Ian. These figures are just something to show that the challenge is having an effect in increasing activity for these band/modes. An analysis of band/mode/association will be published once the challenge is complete. As for a certificate, we have the system able to generate the 10m challenge certificates on demand so it should not be a cleaning the Augean stables sized task to do something for this one. At least the score will be simple, and the distance/# summits is already available. Often it is more an issue of rendering something legible. But we’ll take the request for ODX to be included on board.
Excellent. Any way to separate the 2m SSB and the 2m CW numbers?
It would be interesting to know what the impact on HF activating has been!
The SSB to CW ratios would indeed be interesting. So far, from what I’ve come across, it feels to me like at least 95% of the Challenge-valid activity I’ve encountered is SSB, and I’ve not successfully chased on U/VHF CW yet.
I have a limited attention-bandwidth for chasing (which varies quite a lot from day to day), and that hasn’t increased since the Challenge started, and when I’m trying to catch U/VHF activations I’m not trying to catch HF ones, so my HF activity is down on what it would have been. Since I got the new rig the band swapping overhead has been reduced, though, so it’s probably not down by much.
I am, but the downside is that it gives me itchy feet and make me want to get out more which due to home circumstances is not that easy to do (unless I want to only activate Billinge Hill) . Its not a bad side effect though 
I would expect that it would have decreased unless activators have increased their time on summit.
Having said that though, it maybe that activators are working differently. Instead of calling on an HF thats just eeking out one or two more contacts after the main run, they switch to VHF as they have been incentivised to take that option with them.
Also seeing threads like the “hourglass antenna” thread showing how a simple lightweight VHF setup can acheive good results. A trend that other challenges in the past have seen for innovation.
It would depend on what the primary goal of the activator was to start off with.
From a personal point of view, it does feel like there are more VHF including FM (not so much UHF) activations taking place although that maybe due to the fact that I now work from home 3 days a week so have a little more opportunity. Due to local noise at home, HF is a no go area until daylight starts to fade (digital modes are just about usable).
Here are the FM figures and also total number of activators who have logged 1-1-26 to 1-6-26
2m FM
| NumberQSOs 2025 | NumberActivators 2025 | NumberQSOs 2026 | NumberActivators 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66571 | 1753 | 73898 | 1803 |
70cm FM
| NumberQSOs 2025 | NumberActivators 2025 | NumberQSOs 2026 | NumberActivators 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10768 | 502 | 11391 | 508 |
All bands&modes activators
| Number Activators 2025 | Number Activators 2026 |
|---|---|
| 2833 | 2907 |
Here are my numbers;
2m SSB 2013 to 2025 = 31 QSOs
2m SSB 2026 = 329 QSOs
This challenge, like the 12m challenge and the 10m challenge, provide something different and an added incentive to go climb the hills.
I’ll second that, it’ll be interesting to see (both before and during the challenge) which countries have activity on 2/70 SSB/CW.
73 Ed.
Here are my numbers:
2m SSB 2017 to 2025 = 9 QSOs
2m SSB 2026 = 185 QSOs
5 of the 9 were testing vertical polarisation before the challenge so the challenge has really increased my activity from 4 to 190.
It’s also led me to taking part in a backpacker’s contest, taking 2m FM more seriously and also calling CQ on 70cm FM.
Next is to try 2m CW more often and to make a 70cm antenna.
How does the growth from 2025 to 2026 compare with the growth from 2024 to 2025 i.e. has 2m FM activity grown more than the expected trend from a growing number of SOTA activators.
At the moment I have a few SQL statements that run and I edit up the post by hand. I think I need to make it all into a nice procedure that does a nice breakdown. However, I also need to wake my bike from its Winter slumbers and locate all the gear since the building work last year as now all day, every day is my own time (hahahahaha), I have some bike activations planned.
I’ll make something that breaks down 2 & 70 by mode, year and association and post the numbers later.
Thank you for sharing the stats Andy. The jump in activity, mode-agnostic, is significant. I hope it continues to inrease after the challenge ends.
Take the challenge element away and it shows there are operators out there. Hopefully it becomes a staple part of portable operating for many, SOTA or otherwise.
Kudos to all involved at the MT and all taking part in the challenge. 
Unfortunately, past experience shows that the benefits of a challenge tend to decay over the following year or two, but we can hope that they don’t vanish entirely!
Partly due to that the challenges have been structured around possible enhanced band conditions (10m challenge, 12m challenge). This doesnt really apply to 2m/70cm.
Obviously any new challenges will become the “next big thing” as far as SOTA is concerned, and is it really the responsibility of SOTA to “rescue” what might be seen as under utilised bands/modes?
Like with other “minority” activities that take place, the activator advertising in advance usually brings rewards. So, if a few people keep on with SSB/CW on VHF/UHF then great, but if not it doesnt stop anyone else doing it.
Hopefully it doesn’t decline too much. The carrot dangling of the challenge shows there are operators willing to use 270.
Semi-OT side note, conditions in the UK and EI appeared to be brilliant today on 2 meters. I was out /PM trying to catch a few special calls and bagged them with my favourite HT combo on 5 Watts.
I was even able to hear a GOTA activation from the East Coast of Ireland as far across as Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk East Coast. They couldn’t hear me alas but I was more than able to SWL it.
The band seemed buzzing today with all sorts going on. SOTA, GOTA, POTA, Nets (I was able to hear the RSGB net in Down this morning on the HT), News and more.
70cm still needs a kick up the bum though I always try. 70 was fantastic yesterday, /PM for me again. Repeaters were in half decent shape on 2 meters as well I should add. Always useful as well if you are in a pickle and need a signal report or just to see are you able to break squelch etc.
Anyway, my point is as it always has been, the activity is out there. We just need to change this perception that 270 is dead almost all the time.
It isn’t.
p.s I’ve no idea what GOTA is. Anyone? I thought at first it was a God like figure that likes dogs. That’s Gozer the Destructor. 
Certainly were, I managed to work a couple of Italian stations just using the white stick vertical from home (IO83) with a good E’s event around 4pm.
Croatia was also coming in strong, but it seems I wasnt as strong with them
I did listen down the CW end of the band, but not a peep even though SSB had activity.
Thats all in addition to the Sota and answering a random SSB CQ on 144.300 (first I’ve heard in a while).
I think you can explain why that usually happens.
Having enthusiastically embraced a new SOTA challenge (e.g. 2m/70cm SSB/CW) on pretty much every activation it’s inevitable that you want to do something else eventually especially if you’re been neglecting something you enjoy (e.g. HF, digimodes). I know that I and some others did fewer 10m activations towards the end of 2024.
Many are motivated by the Challenge points and ranking, so come the New Year, they will go to other bands and mode. That will reduce activity and have a knock-on effect on those who would like to continue. So it might go back to being a minority sport.
But I hope some have enjoyed this year’s challenge and will continue in 2027 and beyond.
I’ve been enjoying 2m so much more than before. So the SSB/CW challenge is making me do more FM and this will continue. Next year I am unlikely to do 2m SSB on every activation but I think it will become something I do more often, particularly in summer when the weather isn’t limiting the time I want to spend on a summit. I’ve also done more 70cm FM this year and that will continue too.
I’d like to see a future 70cm challenge as even FM needs more support.
I was out /PM today FM (side note, don’t call CQ with bins round your neck and use the HT as binoculars and binoculars as an HT like someone I know did today… 
) with the HT but later went to HF for a quick blitz and maybe it was just me but 20 and 40 seemed woeful in comparison to 2m (and 70cm yesterday).
OT: Got absolutely baffled by a special call that made contact. Took me ages to figure it out, I thought it was their fist because the call didn’t seem to add up.
I got it in the end though. A special call for the World Cup from Germany. DF26FIFA! Hopefully an omen England will win this time, or my dark horses Japan will win it.
One for the logbook anyway! 
/OT
Anyway, long may the E’s season and everyone’s interest in 270 continue!