F/CR-039 retires
F/AM-591 adjusted to correct position and elevation
We also note the retirement of F6HBI as AM for the F/AM (Alpes Méridionales) region. Many thanks for your support Gerald.
VE6
Correcting a mistake I made! VE6/EC-104 retires, as a dupe.
C3, Andorra – New association
Many thanks to Salvador, C31CT, and Archie, C31BO, for coordinating over Andorra. We’ve had it prepared for a while and are glad now to be able to launch it. Archie is taking the AM role.
Nota bene:
Andorra does not participate in CEPT reciprocal arrangements, so it’s likely that the only way operators who do not hold an Andorran call sign will be able to activate a C3 summit would be to operate from Spanish territory where some of the C3 border summits straddle the C3 / EA3 border. Please do not make unsanctioned transmissions from within Andorra.
As Simon writes, please take note that CEPT operation and visitor licences for Andorra C3 are essentially not available. We will take action against people illegally activating C3 summits without a valid licence.
There are a number of summits that sit on the border with EA3 and F. When we have a border summit, i.e. the AZ straddles the border, the summit is allocated to the country with the largest AZ. Some summits already exist that are partially in C3 with EA3 or F references. There are now some new summits with C3 references that also straddle the border. You can activate these C3 summits as long as you remain outside of C3 and use a CEPT licence prefix for where you are located.
The C3 summit positions are showing on SOTL.as and will appear on Sota mapping project shortly. The following C3 summits straddle the EA3 border.
C3/AD-004
C3/AD-006
C3/AD-007
C3/AD-009
C3/AD-010
CEPT operation of these summits is OK as long as you are obviously operating from within in Spain.
i.e. I can activate C3/AD-010 as EA3/M0FMF/P though I expect the combination of that call and summit reference to confuse a few people.
Please take care if you want to add activating C3 to your SOTA stats.
It’s not a strictly-applied rule, not least because it is typically quite difficult to measure. I don’t remember if I ever looked to see if any of these are obviously more C3 than F. We’re generally happy to accept what is agreed between association teams. So no, no transfers are proposed at this time. However, if it would be popular to transfer some and agreement was reached, we’d certainly consider it. I should have thought the tripoint summit, EA3/LL-014, would be a fun one, whichever association it comes under, but so far I don’t think it was activated (guess it’s a hard one?).
Anyway, it’s worth noting to C3 ops that, just like Andy was saying for the C3 border summits, the EA3 and F border summits are available to them with C3 calls, so long as they can operate from the Andorran part of the AZ.
It is possible but it is up to the AM. If he wants he can “gift” border summits from F to C3. We won’t take any summits from F or EA3 unless the AM asks for this. Existing summits can get a new reference, but if you had already activated it as F/XX-234 and it becomes C3/AD-789 you do not get a new unique.
I was going to ask this in a new thread but seeing as you have mentioned it here
Cuilcagh EI/IN-006 sits on the border, activated by a MI6*** today, so would be confusing to most people as an MI6 couldn’t operate in the Republic, should there be a separate reference for the NI side?
In the past there were summits with multiple refs and on occasion activators would accrue extra points by activating with 2 (or 3) refs from the same summit. We’ve eliminated these now.
And thanks for pointing out the border summit. It prompted me to add some URL links from EI border and near-border summits to OSNI mapping. Unfortunately, so far as I can see, the EI mapping agency doesn’t make its topo mapping available online, but the GI agency does, covering a few of these summits. If you follow the link go to the basemaps gallery and select either of the Discovery (1:50k) layers. It doesn’t look like there is any 1:25k.
Back on topic, C3 mapping should be coming shortly, with links to ign.es
I omit the language of your communication, which sometimes is more like the tone of a kindergarten teacher than an encouragement to participate in the SOTA program. I am also aware that only those who do nothing do not make mistakes.
But for the OK/SP summits, you were splitting hairs. Once is not a strict rule and once is a strict rule.
Are you sure ???
Please look at:
Tossal Bovinar EA3/LL-070
Tossal Bovinar C3/AD-004
One border summit into two references.
Unless there is a bug in sotl.as / www.sotamaps.org and EA3/LL-070 should be inactive by now.
But no, because looking at the AZ area, it would be a welcome gift for C3.
I found some mistakes in the W5-Arkansas ARM. Hare Mtn W5A/OZ-002 only has a prominence of 440ft. This is way under the minimun 492ft (P150m). Furthermore, it’s only 2,393ft and should’ve been 8pts, not 10pts (2,400+ft).
The good news is I found another summit that needs to be added. Whiting Mtn has 514ft prominence, and is 2,416ft elevation. So I’m replacing a 10pt summit with a 10pt summit.
If you submit the changes we can get that change rolled out. We don’t do an update on Jan 1st normally because I’m rather tender from the night before. So assuming all the changes are in place it will be updated 1 Feb 2023.
I do not think I have a copy of the W5A documents. My home flooded with about 1m of water in 2016. Most of my computer files were lost. I have notified Elliott K6EL of my request a few days ago. I am not in a rush for the changes to go into effect. I just wanted to notify the MT of my intentions.
I actually have an activation trip planned for the OZ-xxx region at the end of December. So if you guys don’t made the update until Feb 1 2023, that will be good.
Totally understand what you are trying to get across but as Simon rightly has stated below it only causes confusion and opens up the possibility of snagging extra points etc….I Sopose whenever you look at the bigger picture the amount of summits on country borders are minuscule compared to the amount that’s inland.
For the record, it was me that activated it on Thursday 1.12.22! I was happy to grab 11 points from an EI summit reference and get on my merry way again!
Once is not a strict rule and once is a strict rule.
