Already checked out your score for the HB15SOTA diploma? [Part 1]

[HB9DIZ]

Dear all

A week with marvelous weather conditions in HB9 seems to start. And still 3 months left for the chasers to complete your HB15SOTA credits for the different Swiss cantons. Have you already considered to chase for your HB15SOTA diploma credits?

I was happy to hear today on my summit HB/VD-023 “Rochers de Naye” from @G0FEX Ken that he was lucky to complete the HB15SOTA chasing with his last one of all possible Swiss cantons. Ken is #9 so far in the Edelweiss top section. Beside that there are two lower levels for you to participate. Some cantons may be a bit trickier to be chased in the winter and spring period.

Check your score and your missing cantons as well as the diploma rules at the self-service section on our HB9SOTA club website: HB15SOTA Award – HB9SOTA

What canton do you need most for your HB15SOTA top class “Edelweiss” diploma?
Answer to this thread to let us know your priorities!

HB9SOTA members celebrate the 15th birthday of our local SOTA club and use the special callsign HB15SOTA for their activations and offer the necessary credits for all chasers and S2S partners.

I hope that the chasers were not too much confused to see 3 different HB15SOTA stations at the same time today – always read the comment of a spot or alert to see the operator’s name. And take note that the name of a HB15SOTA operator is not always George, hi, despite your logger pretending so.

My summit Rochers-de-Naye, HB/VD-023, overlooks Lake Geneva from the East. There is no prepared trail to the summit in winter times, so solid shoes and hiking poles are useful, or even snowshoes on fresh snow. I had some limitations today: QRM on many frequencies, probably from a small transmitter tower on the summit, weak signals in general and heavy wind. So I know that I had bad ears today and may have missed some of you chasing my summit. I’m sorry for this.

I was 2 hours on the summit and cancelled a further hour. Back in Montreux I was remembered that spring will start in a month: they have palms on the platforms of the railway station, but snow at the top (red circle). Click on the picture to see it in original size. The region around Montreux with the famous Chillon Castle spreads a southern flair and is known (and marketed) under the name “Riviera vaudoise”.

So listen for HB15SOTA – 75% of this one-year-period are already over. Enjoy!

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ

[G4OOE]

Hi
I have enjoyed chasing the Swiss stations for the HB15SOTA award but I still need 5 cantons for the top level; GL, GR, NW, TI and VS. I only have a modest station and not a particularly good location so I get extremely excited when I get a new one!
Thanks for setting up the award scheme and a big thank you to all the activators out there using the HB15SOTA callsign.

73
Nick G4OOE

[HB9CBR]

Hi Nick

as far as I can judge your signal usually is good when I am activating!

The cantons you are missing are not really in my region, but I should be able to activate one or another until May 21.

73 de Bruno HB9CBR

[F5LKW]

I need 5 cantons to win 100%

[HB9DPR]

So far we have over 11’000 qso in the HB15SOTA log. Thanks to all activators and chasers.

73 de Tom, HB9DPR

[HB9DIZ]

Hi Nick and Roger

Thanks for your messages. GL is probably the most difficult one out of your selections since canton Glarus has no mainstream summits. VS, GR and most of TI are core of the Alps and therefore difficult – except for a few peaks in the tourist zones. ZG and NE are rare since they have only 2 resp. 4 summits. NW is nearby and I’ll take care to activate there.

So good perspectives, and it is feasible – HB15SOTA on demand, hi. And set an alert for HB15SOTA on your HamAlert, you can limit the alert in the SOTA section to the cantons needed for your award!

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ

PS: the diploma is not for me, hi: the activators of HB15SOTA can’t meet another HB15SOTA station since only one station per band is allowed. So only 5 green cantons for me so far . . . but I have GL!

[DL3TU]

Thanks for the useful info, Markus!
I set HamAlert to the (many) missing cantons (as I’m focussing on S2S). NW is also on my wish list, so hope for an S2S with you

73, Roman

[G4OOE]

Hallo Bruno & Markus

Thanks very much for your responses. My main problem at home is the local noise I experience as I live close to a hospital and a couple of schools and my housing estate has many houses with solar panels and most people will have routers etc etc! This of course makes the challenge even greater for me so I will keep my eye on the alerts!

73
Nick

[HB9DIZ]

Yes, Nick, such are our individual settings. That’s why I am doing SOTA outdoors, but the ability to do so depends on our personal situations, too. Hoping at least that you are alerted when one of your needed cantons is on the bands. HamAlert helps there to know it immediately, and checking the SOTA alerts - if the activator has set an alert, hi.

I any case: good success and enjoy!

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ

[HB9DIZ]

Dear all

Giving a try to canton Glarus (GL) with HB15SOTA tomorrow Saturday, March 6, 2021, from Laaxer Stöckli, HB/GL-012, top summit of a ski arena on the GL/GR border.

ARRL DX Contest (SSB) takes place that weekend, so I’ll certainly try the usual bands, but may escape, depending on contest noise, hi.

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ

[F5LKW]

Hello Markus.
Thanks a lot for your activity from HB/GL.
I will have an ear for you.
73 QRO
Roger

[F5JKK]

Hi Markus, @HB9DIZ
Thanks for GL 3 to go
73 Éric

[EA2IF]

Hi Markus @HB9DIZ,
Thank you for another HB15SOTA QSO but this one particularly because GL was a rare one.
I saw your spot on 20m, went there, but nothing was heard. It was very early for HB-EA on 20m.
Then I saw you spotted on 60m, went there, but nothing was heard. I had already worked an HB9 activator on 60m CW earlier, but your were on SSB and I couldn’t hear a trace from you.
Finally you were spotted on 40m, went there and I could copy you extremely weak with QSB, as it was with most of the activators I’ve chased today. I waited for the QSB to bring your signal up and called you. But the QSB was rapid and I think you came back to me, but I completely missed you, so I remained QRV while other chaser took advantage of the gap and worked you. Then I called you again and you finally came back to me, although I missed the report. I replayed, sent you my report and asked you to repeat mine, which you did and I finally managed to copy it thanks to the QSB bringing your signal a bit up in the right moment. It was a bit hard, but the QSO was finally good. Thank you very much!
73,

Guru

[DL3TU]

Thanks Markus, for handing out canton Glarus to the deserving!
It takes a lot of determination to travel all the way from Luzern to HB/GL-012.
Here is a short video of your activation on 60 metres USB.

Thanks for the S2S, 73 and cu soon!
Roman

[F5LKW]

Thanks for QSO Markus.

[HB9DIZ]

Thanks Roman for offering your recording.

In general I respect the SSB channels spacing 3 kHz on 5,360 and 5,363. And I take 5,363 whenever possible since this is also fine for our SOTA friends in the UK with their funny band plan patchwork. Unfortunately there is some penetrating noise on 5,363 for some activations now, limiting also 5,360. So I was on 5,359 today like Roman before, and it was the best place and seemed to be free at that time.

60 m was a perfect window here for us activators to be heard better in the vicinity up to some hundred kilometers. Unfortunately many well equipped home stations have discovered this gem now for looong QSOs on both channels, certainly bringing color into their grey lockdown lifes, but no 60 m transmissions then for my tiny SOTA summit station . . . The tuner of my KX2 works harder on 60 m, but the results (i.e. the SOTA contacts with the chasers) are a good reward. Such as today!

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ

[S52CU]

Hi Markus,
I listened for you on all spotted bands, I was trying hard to make qso, because GL is the only missing canton for me. I did hear you on 60 m, but lot of qsb, so no chance for qso. Other bands were nogo at all. Conditions were not good , usually I can work HB activators on 60 m cw and SSB.
Hope to catch you next time and also hope for cw activations from GL canton as well.
73,
Mirko

[DL3TU]

@HB9DIZ

Unfortunately there is some penetrating noise on 5,363 for some activations now, limiting also 5,360.

As the screenshot shows, the signal (most likely some kind of MIL-station) is affecting everything from 5360kHz upwards. There is just enough room to squeeze one SSB-channel in on 5359kHz -between the FT8-signals and the QRMer.
It’s a pity as this band is perfect for activators and chasers living close to the Alps.
Unfortunately 60 metres is a shared band. There is not much intruder watch can do about it
73, Roman

[HB9DIZ]

Hi Mirko

I’m sorry that this one didn’t work for you, but I think we’ll see further GL activations until May and also on CW, and I hope that my colleagues will alert it, too. Stay tuned in and take profit of HamAlert bringing you spots to your cellular.

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ

[HB9EAJ]

Hi Roman,

Indeed, I hear this scratchy noise signal on 60m since about two weeks.
I checked today with some Web-SDRs and it seems that it must origin from somewhere in central Europe.

Unfortunately, als already mentioned by you, there is not much we can do about.

When 5359kHz was occupied, I sent recently a spot for 5355kHz, which is just between CW and digital modes and you can sometimes already hear the lower digital mode signals with a rig that does not employ a narrow and sharp filter. Not optimal at all, also for the FT8 hams.
It’s really a pity, because 60m is such a great band for closed by chasers.

73 Stephan