In the spirit of inclusiveness I would permit a helper if someone with a disability needed assistance to leave a vehicle, I even think the MT would permit an exception for someone who could not leave an electric powered wheelchair, trike or something of that kind. If someone with a disability was that keen to join in they would deserve our encouragement!
Clearly - this is something to support!
I was thinking something more like thisā¦
although it would of course bring jobsā¦
73 Armin
Suspect this was intended to be provocative ⦠but. āCheatingā implies wilfull, knowing disregard for the rules.
Of the dozen or so people who Iāve spotted activating sota from a vehicle in the past year ir so, none have been ācheatingā.
All had posted photos of themselves enjoying the new-found activity of SOTA. The fact that they post photos of it makes it pretty clear they are not cheating, but ate simply not aware of the rules
For the zl subset, a freindly email āgreat to see you getting involved in SOTA. Did you knowā¦ā confirmed this.
And re arminās 99.999% - with only approx 1000 active activators in SOTA and over 10 examples in the last year, I suspect you need to rerun the maths!
I guess I expressed myself wrong againā¦
I meant the number of activations⦠not the number of activatorsā¦
But maybe Iām just too optimistic here too and believe in the good in people ![]()
73 Armin
Which was precisely my point.
Failure to read, take in or remember every point in a 23 (or is it 43) page document does not make us bad people (or cheats or cons). At worse it makes us careless or overenthusiastic.
But when the same problem crops up again and again, we need to ask ourselves āis there anything we/I can do to prevent this in fututeā.
Blame it entirely on the fact people without Morse are allowed on HF unlike 20 years ago? ![]()
Open AI chat GPT could be helpful here ![]()
The prompt: Summarise the general rules at this website https://sotastore.blob.core.windows.net/docs/SOTA-General-Rules-June-2022.pdf into one a4 page,
With a couple of prompts like expand point 4, or clarify use of motor vehicles etc and this is what it generated. You could spend a bit of time giving prompts to modify the document until it got somewhere near useable.
Sure, hereās a revised summary of the SOTA General Rules that incorporates your requested modifications:
SOTA GENERAL RULES SUMMARY
- Objective: To encourage portable operation from mountainous locations, promoting low power communication techniques and using radio frequency spectrum with minimum impact on the environment.
- Eligibility: Anyone who holds a valid amateur radio licence.
- Activators: Operate from the designated summit locations and make at least four contacts to qualify. No support of any kind is allowed from motor vehicles, and any equipment must be carried to the summit by the operator.
- Chasers: Contact and confirm contacts with activators from their home station. Chasers may also earn points for contacting activators on designated hills and other lower-elevation locations.
- Points: Activators and chasers can earn points for each successful contact, with different values based on the summitās height and location.
- Validity: Contacts must be made using legal, licensed radio equipment and must follow the rules of the amateur radio service. QSOs (contacts) must be confirmed by exchanging appropriate information, including summit reference numbers and signal reports.
- Safety: Activators should ensure they are prepared for mountainous conditions and should follow local regulations and safety advice.
- Environmental protection: Participants should minimize their impact on the environment, avoiding damage to flora, fauna, and natural resources.
- Code of Conduct: Participants should behave with courtesy and respect to other participants, and should adhere to the code of conduct specified in the SOTA rules.
- Updates: These rules may be updated periodically, and participants should stay informed of any changes.
Note: This is a summary of the SOTA General Rules and is intended for convenience only. The full rules document should be consulted for complete details and requirements.
At my age I would certainly pay for the ride! ![]()
Amateur radio is a technical hobby. We had to train by reading or take a course or both, and then pass an exam. We then had to read an instruction book in order to learn how to work our first radio. The learning continued. Electronics theory. Solar cycles. LF, HF, Microwaves. Digital. Programming computers. APRS. Propogation. All precise, technical and detailed stuff.
They we start doing SOTA. We skim read the rules, make a few mistakes and then blame the rules.
I made a couple of mistakes early on. Re-read the rules. My bad. Carried on.
Item #3 in the ChatGPT rules needs to say ā¦carried to the operating position⦠not summit, which implies that a disabled person has to go uphill. That was an issue when I last updated the rules.
Elliott, K6EL
I donāt agree with this stipulation Phil. We allow motorised transport to the various ādrive-onā summits. As for being road legal, that is covered amply by the existing statement about complying with any local laws. Fully electric bikes are just as legal as fully electric cars (they need to be taxed, insured etc unlike the pedelecs)
I think what Phil means is that to make use of it in your activation e.g. to support your antenna, it must be a road legal electric bike. A motorbike could not be used in this way.
Iām still pondering how to carry my launch vehicle and associated equipment if I want to do satellite operations.
Rule 3.7.1 Criteria for a Valid Expedition
5. All equipment must be carried to the site by the Activation team
If using operating through the ISS, do I have to capture it (Moonraker Style), take it to a summit then relaunch? I may have other issues than carrying the thing ![]()
Extreme example of how rules work. The intended message is obvious, but there is always someone that will read a rule and interpret it a different way to the intention. It does not mean that every conceivable thing should be added as and when it crops up.
All that can be done is to write a document that is able to be tweaked as and when is necessary, to make clear the intention.
The no motor vehicle rule has been well understood from the start, Iām not sure why people have suddenly started missing it?
Itās not a new thing. It has periodically happened throughout the history of SOTA. And probably always will.
The point I wanted to make to Ed @dd5lp Andy @g6pjz was that an e-bike can be legally used to access a summit via forestry tracks and bridleways etc, certainly in the UK at least. This is within the SOTA rules. Whereas the use of a motorbike/moped/car on these type of routes would be a breach of the SOTA rules.
I agree with your point however, that a fully powered electric bike that did not have to be pedalled by the rider, would be viewed in the same category as any other motorised vehicle in terms of accessing so called ādrive onā summits.
73 Phil @G4OBK
Count on me! Iād be glad to do the Spanish translation.
I already rode the rules, not only once but several times, as it takes some time to get into the details and clear all doubts: a careful read is required.
But, in the other hand, I know there are some others lazy. And from time to time I find someone did an activation not to the rules.
To provide some help I already wrote some articles, a FAQ guide and some hints uploaded into my personal webpage, as ON7DQ Luc didā¦
Am I successful? I guess the lazy people wonāt change much. Therefore I would support any measure taken to minimize errors in SOTA.
Adding a short summary, next to the whole rules is something I would like: brief, visual, and relevant info only.
MW0PDV did a nice proposal, up here (reply #47). I would propose to convert it into a infographic poster, easy to read and retain.
73 Ignacio
A footnote to the subject of using e-bikes on mountain trails - an article in todayās Washington Post describes altercations between walkers and e-bikers in the US as coming sometimes close to fist-fights, with walkers complaining that āe-bikes physically degrade trailsā and that e-biking is ācheatingā:
I wonder what othersā views on this might be in the context of SOTA, or hill-climbing in generalā¦
Bikes on any kind on trails out there in the dry west (Arizona) do wear the trails down (grove them, flip rocks) more that hikers do.
The Forest service has closed down large areas and many trails to off road bikes (motorized or not) because of the damage.
Pete
eBikes that do not have a throttle (i.e. they only assist you when you pedal) should be allowed anywhere that bicycles are allowed in my opinion. eBikes that have a throttle and can be ridden like an electric motorcycle should only be allowed where motorcycles are allowed.
I have no problem with people getting to summits any way they choose, as long as it is legal and isnāt destroying the trail. The notion of ācheatingā makes no sense to me. We are engaging in recreation, not taking a test.
I think I just got more enthusiastic support for my SOTA activities!
73, Jim KK0U
