In reply to G3VQO:
Like anyone else, Les, I have my little prejudices, my prejudice here is that I prefer speech modes, and I have not attempted to disguise this fact. Despite this personal prejudice, which is really just a preference, a human foible that requires no excuse, there is no contradiction in my welcoming other modes. Yes, I find CW impersonal, just as I find RTTY or PSK impersonal - but not SSTV, there is nothing impersonal in sharing images that I find beautiful! - but I do not deny those modes that I personally find less attractive their place in amateur radio. I am glad that you find CW satisfying and relaxing, and would not mind comparing notes over a pint!
Perhaps I should not have used the expression “cop-out”!
73
Brian G8ADD
PS Yes, later on yesterday there were a number of phone activations, but it was hours into the SOTA day before anything but CW appeared in Spots. I am sure this was fortuitious but it was certainly frustrating - the more so because the moment I switched off and left the house to do some essential shopping, the first phone activation appeared - Grrr!
hi peter
knowing you to be a cw operator i for one am extremely gratefull for your and others ssb operations and no complaints whatsoever. ( i often spot cw qsy anyway ) due to location as you say peter i also have limited reception / coverage here on vhf, in fact i have recently removed both my home built vhf 5 ele’s ssb / fm antenna’s from my mast mainly due to lack of general local activity and i suppose lack of interest in vhf.
i think activators should operate when and where they wish, after all they bear the time / cost and effort to activate them for our benefit. i myself rarely request anything else of them i just go with the flow.
fine on the 40 cw first peter no problem ,but would make it more difficult for the likes of me non cw operators to spot, but no doubt there’s plenty of support out there.
Hi All
I’m personally getting a little cheesed off with people moaning on the SOTA reflector about what modes and bands they think other people should use. I’m almost at the point of not bothering to read the content on the reflector now as it’s a “pointless” argument, if you forgive the pun.
I’m not joining in the thread, although I probably have inadvertently done so by writing this.
Most SOTA enthusiasts know which mode and bands I prefer to use, whether I am activating or chasing. Depending on what mood I’m in, what the conditions are at the time, and what time I have available to me I’ll use whatever I feel is right for the occasion.
Hi Alistair + Others,
Yes, I agree, ‘let’s go with flow’ and do whatever is necessary to qualify and enjoy the activation - perhaps this lack of decent summer wx is getting to us!
I will, of course, still try and activate SSB, whether 5mhz or other freqs -
I will end the discussion with this quotation:
“In days of old, when ops were bold and sidebands not invented
The word would pass by pounding brass, and all were well contented.”
Hi all,
you find its a lack on ssb-activation´s on sota ?
mmhhhh…
i find there is a lack on chaser´s in ssb
today i started also ssb after the cw- part from bw-64 es bw-63.
propagation was not to bad and i used a 2 x 20m-dipol with abt. 10-15wtts.
but not much activity on ssb-mode.
many thanks to the regulars GW0VMZ and G4JZF with big signals like always !
also worked from 2 summits M0VEY,F5NEP,M0JDK,DG0JMB,G8ADD…
and thanks Mick and Steve for the s2s with G/NP-006 oooohhhhllllaaaaa
I was gob-smacked when I logged on this evening. Yes, what a response and I haven’t read everything yet, so I might have to add another response.
On the subject of 2m SSB - it is MY preferred mode and band with 2m FM second choice if contacts are not forthcoming on SSB. HF wise I prefer 5MHz SSB and 10MHz CW and all I can say is that 40m isn’t the band it was 40 years ago!!! CHC net old-timers eat your heart out! It is more crowded, propagation seems to be longer than I recall and there is more man-made QRM around. It’s fortunate we have alternatives.
As for 2m SSB from GM, I will be out in the SS group next Easter having completed the SB set - will be taking the 12AH SLAB and big linear with me, so expect to find your antennas charred at the ends! That is if you don’t let the RF down the feeder and work me…
Yes Gerald, the flapping of a butterfly’s wings has caused a bit of a tornado…
I hope to be out for a few more evening activations shortly, weather and XYL’s health permitting, when I shall be using 2m ssb as the mode of choice because I dont suffer from a driven element dropping out of my well-worn SOTA beam when it’s horizontal…
Yes, what started as an innocent comment about 40m propogation and high levels of noise on the band turned into a band / mode debate with a few soapboxes being used along the way.
When I started doing SOTA, Richard CWI said to me that I should use whatever bands and modes interested me. That says it all as far as I am concerned. There is no real need for debate and arguement - we should all just enjoy our activations and chasing and take what comes along.
SOTA IS NOT A COMPETITION.
73, Gerald
P.S. It was actually a barn owl’s wings… and they really do cause a draught! What’s worse, you don’t hear them coming.
More than enough to go round all the chasers and keep them happy no matter what their preferences, I would say. The biggest difference to yesterday was the weather in the UK, and hence the number of UK activations. There were also more voice modes in the EU activations today.
Of course, back in my day, the voice modes were indeed much more dominant. In 2002, there would be complete silence Monday to Friday and then one or two 2m FM activations on a Saturday or Sunday if you listened long and hard enough for them. Think I would rather have 33 out of 47 than 2 out of 2, even if the percentage is decreasing!
When I started doing SOTA, Richard CWI said to me that I should use
whatever bands and modes interested me. That says it all as far as I
am concerned. There is no real need for debate and arguement - we
should all just enjoy our activations and chasing and take what comes
along.
Absolutely.
SOTA IS NOT A COMPETITION.
Well, maybe just a little bit…
73 de Paul G4MD
P.S. It was actually a barn owl’s wings… and they really do cause a
draught! What’s worse, you don’t hear them coming.
Yes, got buzzed by one in my mother’s garden last year. Very scary, I felt the draught ruffle my hair and there’s not a lot of it to ruffle!
Not sure whether you know Paul, but I actually keep a Barnie so speak from personal experience… sometimes he’s a bit too close and I catch a wing tip across the face.
