No not QSO rate. (Though I do appreciate the consistent 60 QSOs/hour rate from the west coast even with the keyer down at 15 wpm.)
Activation rate.
I’ve dabbled with SOTA for years. It’s good fun, but I just don’t activate that often. Last year, I wanted to activate more, and I wanted to add a bit more hiking back into my exercise mix. I decided 1 QSO per week (52/year) could be an interesting target.
Last year I did activate more and hit 1/4 of that target. Zero complaints as that was definitely an improvement.
So far, we’re 9 weeks into the year and I’m only 2 activations off of the pace for 7/9. Not bad. Fun, too, that 4 of the 7 were MTB SOTA. (Trying to do as much MTB SOTA as possible has been yet another personal goal.)
I assume you mean one activation per week, not qso? Find a couple near each other and do some double days to catch up! Good job and good luck! Radio, especially SOTA, is a great hobby for motivating and setting personal goals.
This is probably (and hopefully) 1 activation / week, not 1 QSO / week.
It would be a waste of time crawling up a hill, shlepping all that equipment and doing only 1 QSO (although you would be the most chased activator - everybody would rush to the radio and be one lucky guy having that QSO with you!). While you’re there, do at last 4, so that the activation counts!
Hi Drew,
I only started SOTA last August and initially there was about three weeks between my activations. I hadn’t realised how addictive it was and lately I’ve been doing two or three activations in a week ! (The weather has been kind but is about to change here in GM.) Last Saturday just turned into a 4 hour session playing radio in the sunshine at the top of a hill, mixing SOTA with antenna testing and chasing some DX whilst enjoying a picnic and fabulous views.
A thoroughly pleasant day out.
Andy
MM7MOX
My goal is to activate at least one summit a month. Sometimes it’s 1, sometimes it’s 20+, but at least it keeps me consistent and outside on a regular basis!
Hi Lea,
I guess it had all the right ingredients on GM/SS-143 last Saturday.
But like Forrest Gump’s “box of chocolates”, you don’t always know what you’re going to get, so it is great when it all works out.
I did wear my “lucky” shirt to try and improve the odds a bit though !
The conditions did vary quite a lot throughout the day especially on 2m, but mixed in with HF I got six S2S and some QSO’s out to Italy, Switzerland and Hungary. It may not be a big tally for seasoned SOTA operators but it was my busiest summit so far.
The sun is shining here today but I have to work unfortunately.
Andy
MM7MOX
I normally manage 100 to 200 activations each year; the last time I fell short of 3 figures was 2004. This year has got off to a sluggish start though, I must admit.
That’s the beauty of SOTA, that everyone can find his style.
The number of activations depends of course on the free time and the possibilities (area) that are given. At the beginning of last year I retired… and dedicated some of my vacation time especially to SOTA. (Like others go sailing…) So I was able to increase my activation count significantly, of course.
I also consider SOTA as a fitness program… and feel it quite clearly (also on the scale) when I was not on the summits for some time.
(But generally it is with a local QRM of S7-9 at all the only way to make successful radio operation.)
And by the way, it has taken me to beautiful places where I would never have gone otherwise.
So there are quite other criteria besides radio success. So - have fun!!!
