FB QSO thanks for carrying digital mode gear up a summit.
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An 80m challenge could stimulate some portable activity on this band, which is unloved by /P stations. It wouldnât benefit from our current cycle peak and therefore seems a little out of step with the vibe.
If there is any interest in 80, how about we open it up to all the low bands, 160, 630m, excellent options for NVIS for those with the fortitude to play with miles of tangled wire on a snag- ridden summit!
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I would think 15m is just as sparsely used on SOTA as 10m was, so qualifies as a band to give a boost to. And dx would be interesting there too. An expanded 10m flowerpot would be an ideal antenna on a longer pole. Alternatively a quarter wave vertical with elevated radials.
80m would benefit from a boost in usage in the low sunspot times. We used it to good effect about 4-5 years ago, but not many home stations use it now as the band is cloaked with switch mode noise in suburbia.
So my vote is for 15m. Certainly worth having a challenge running. I only got active in the second half of 2024 and by my estimates, the number of unique chasers worked is somewhat proportional to the number of activations done. So thereâs a square law factor in operation there as the two are multiplied together. So by being inactive for virtually half the year, my score is 1/4 of what it could have been. Never mind, for next year I think 15m would be a great band.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA
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Iâd also support a 15m challenge.
I only managed my first activation in the last week, but Iâd be keen to get out more next year, and I love 15m operating at home and have the 40m dipole which will also work on 15m, so it would definitely push me to get out more.
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How about a challenge that doesnât focus on the number of QSOs or frequencies, but rather serves to activate rare summits more oftenâŚ
Where the number of points depends on the number of previous activations⌠the fewer activations the summit has had⌠the more points you get.
Maybe with a small multiplier for the QSOs⌠that would be a chaser-friendly component. - Every activator is also a chaser 
e.g.
first activation 10 points
-
5 previous activations 8 points
-
10 previous activations 5 points
-
15 previous activations 3 points
all further activations 1 point
1 point as a multiplier for every 10 QSOs
I have no idea, however, whether you can program something like that. 
73 Armin
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Any band currently needing sporadic or unusual modes of propagation will have a tiny overlapping area in most activatorsâ Venn diagram of modes, weather, personal availability, etc.
I often found a 6m opening would disappear before it was convenient to get from home to the summit and as a retiree I can grab my go-bags and drive off much more often than your average working person.
My vote is for 15m whilst the solar cycle is high and postpone low bands like 80m for 4-5 years when D-layer absorption should be lower.
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For once I agree with Andy!
Again, Iâd like to request that the database page that shows the challenge scores allows you to select the mode. I lost interest in the 10m challenge partly because the leading operators were using FT8 to work hundreds of stations and have a score several orders of magnitude larger than mine. If I could select CW only in the listing I would have had a more realistic target to aim for.
I know itâs always said that SOTA is not a competitive activity but it helps to have a target to compare against.
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Selfish reason for suggesting 15m. Iâm 63 so next solar maximum means Iâll be 74+. I may not be around or I may be significantly less capable by then so Iâd like some worldwide SOTA DX now. Challenges need sufficient buy-in from all to be viable. That has been the case this challenge.
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A major purpose of a challenge is to bring activity to an under-used band. There seems to be a chorus of support for 15m but that band cannot be said to be under-used, it is currently the eighth most used band with over 216,000 contacts.
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8th most used but 3rd least used? Depends on whether you count 60m and other esoteric uncommon bandsâŚ
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Yes, but within practical limits. Some bands will always be under-used, think of the many GHz bands. If one cannot get the activators on summit during a band opening (for the reasons I flagged above) then many will view the challenge as a disappointment and a missed opportunity.
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What about under-used summits ? 
73 Armin
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For me, the attraction of challenges has been to provide additional motivation to get out and activate, perhaps when a repeat visit would otherwise be âpointlessâ (eg the recent mini challenge of working s2s into Italy on 160m).
To encourage newbies, or flagging oldies, I think the challenge should have a low bar to involvement eg commonly owned equipment, manageable sized antennas etc.
15m would tick the box for me. I doubt whether 160m would lead to a surge in activity.
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Yes, a multiplier makes sense to achieve the goal and spirit of SOTA (band revitalization by activators AND chasers).
However, such a multiplier should not, like the previous one, be usable by overzealous challenge participants for pure ego trips in the form of extended car rallies (4-6 summits per day, ~4 QSOs or ~5-15 minutes per summit).
A multiplier solution that could smooth out such excesses and also encourage a few more activators in regions with a lower density of SOTA summits, could be
Only 1 multiplier will be awarded per day, regardless of whether only 1 or several unique summits are activated on the same day
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May I politely ask why you didnât join them on FT8?
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- I have no interest in FT8
- I only do CW on HF
- I use a homebrew CW only rig
- I donât want to lug a laptop up a hill
- I donât want 25 different cables on a summit
- I have no interest in FT8
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That makes no sense. The âFacts and Figuresâ column in the Database lists a couple of dozen bands, for instance the 60m band that you regard as esoteric and uncommon is in fact the ninth most used band with 192,415 contacts, and those with access to it regard it as an invaluable resource for NVIS. Believe me, if your authorities werenât so medieval about access you would probably think of it as a jewel of a band!
Indeed. The general requirement is a widely available but under utilised band. Recent new transceivers now cover 70 MHz but it is not a widely available band and is not a likely candidate for a challenge, any more than 220 MHz is.
Challenges are fun but are not essential to SOTA. We donât need to set up new challenges just for the sake of having a challenge, dammit SOTA can be enough of a challenge as it is when the stars arenât right! Mind you, I wouldnât be averse to extending the 10m challenge for another yearâŚ
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Hi All,
The 15 meters, probably the best band for DX contacts !
73, Chris
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+1
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Despite a couple of high-profile arguments nay discussions with Richard I find myself yet again in full agreement with him about personal choice of modes. I wouldnât dream of using a mode that I have no interest in just to be in the top tier of ops in the 10m Challenge most of whom frequently use FT8 mode.
I find operating CW mode using a simple one-box solution very satisfying even though I know weak-signal digital modes will always outperform it. If the operating mode isnât enjoyable I wonât use it whatever the benefits.
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