Yes, please, as many QSOs as possible!
I don’t haul all that gear up the hill just to get 4 QSOs and score the points. I do it to have fun working as many chasers as possible. I usually stay on each band for ten or fifteen minutes, but for me it is quite frustrating to yell CQ into the void after initial pileup, and get no reply.
And I don’t mind repeating my call and report as many times as necessary to get into the log of some distant station who picks me out of the noise.
Personally, I’m more than happy to take calls on multiple bands. On the 1st of March 2014, while activating G/SP-014 and when the HF bands were in much better shape, I was chased by VK2DAG on 12m, 17m and 20m.
Contacts such as these, I’ll take all day long.
I, too, have no problem with contacts in multiple bands. It is interesting to check propagation and it furthers the camaraderie among operators. I particularly appreciate multiple contacts when I have a Boy Scout or my child with me in an activation and contact is made with them. I think we had two contacts Brian Monday if memory serves (W5T/NT037) and that was much appreciated. The kids are so excited they get to participate and SOTA and POTA chasers have been universally cordial and patient with the kids.
Brian,
Yes, most welcome, after the initial pileup flurry, just to get a propagation comparison, band-to-band
All Best, Ken K6HPX
I enjoy multiple calls from chasers because it’s fun to get calls. Also band comparison is interesting. I’ll admit though that I am shy to chase an activator on multiple bands thinking they might get annoyed. But with all the positive response to this question I will be more comfortable to do so. Tnx, Scott kw4jm
Most of the time I welcome chasers calling on multiple bands. The only times this is not true are the following:
In general I will go a little faster and make quicker contacts when these conditions occur. I have been impressed how many of my chasers can sense this and how they cooperate with me. Many chasers are fine operators - as well as activators - who understand exactly what is happening as they participate in the pile. One of the best features of SOTA today is this friendly connection we have.
When calling CQ and little is happening, chasers coming back on different bands is most welcome. I have several chasers who contact me on 3 or 4 HF bands when possible, and this is fun. Most of them are quick!
73
George
KX0R
If I recall correctly, my record is working the same chaser on 4 different bands (HF + VHF) from a single summit. It certainly doesn’t bother me at all, indeed it is good to get a comparison between bands. I would rather have a genuine chaser call me several times than be called by a rag-chewer who wants to provide me with every minute detail of his station, plus what he had for breakfast!
I totally agree. Even after over 600 activations (SOTA, HEMA and WWFF), I still find it strange that the frequency will suddenly go quiet. However, it is often worthwhile staying on frequency for a few minutes for late comers and I take this time to have a bite to eat and a drink.
73, Gerald
I don’t mind multiple contacts on multiple bands but I’d prefer they wait until the pile-up on the additional band is over. When the well runs dry, I always call CQ and THEN is the time for the 2nd chase to jump in. Otherwise, they are in the mix with the new band chasers. my $0.02. Dean ~ K2JB
As a chaser yes i do chase multiple bands especially if in UK for the WAB squares or even a DXCC am after but as a not often activator do like to run many bands as i can. When am up G/DC-003
All being well this year like to go low as 160m and high as 6 and 2m
Karl
Thanks for the feedback all, this was a good and enlightening discussion. My takeaway: in general, “work 'em if ya got 'em” except in mitigating circumstances such as early pileups and declared short or fraught activations. If nothing else it’s certainly encouragement not to leave a CQ hanging just because I worked them already on another band.
I dug this old thread out of its grave, sorry everyone, because while checking the log of one activator I noticed multiple contacts with the same station on different bands.
Looks that this argument was already settled, but I would like to pick the collective hive mind about a corner case: what about DX chases in difficult conditions?
As a small time chaser I feel that I would be wasting the activator’s precious time on summit by having them asking for many repeats to copy my signal and potentially depriving them of s2s contacts.
Am I a worrywart and should just go with the flow?
Yes, please call me on any band you hear me. But… if you have had a QSO and I’m lucky enough to have a pile up on the next band, just wait till things quieten down before going for another QSO.
And also be aware the activator may be simultaneously activating POTA / WWFF where these multiple-band contacts do count towards both the activation and to specific awards (eg POTA’s 10 parks on 10 bands).
So another “yes please”, if I’m not already snowed under, and epecially on lesser-used bands.
Yes with two exceptions
Theres a big pileup (let me get the new stations first)
I put "quick activation in the spot (only contacts that count toward my 4 please)
Other than that, the more the merrier. And even then I’ll probably politely respond anyway
Hello Carlos! First of all, thank you very much for the QSO. Possibly that activator was me? The summit that I activated yesterday entered the list “I will never return to this summit again” since it was very hard to reach it.
Answering your question, yes and always yes! Many pursue personal goals such as working an activator in various bands or modes.
Imagine that from these latitudes, with the exception of local activity, we have little hope of contacting other entities in the region and it is for this reason that I am grateful that from Europe or the US (where there is much more activity) they contact me in different bands since without them each of my activations would be boring.
73 and I hope that in other night activations from Japan I will contact you again!
73 de JP3PPL, Takeo.
I love 10m It’s a fun Band to use and a go to for me activating after 7m. 7,10 then 20 ten minutes each. But I would prefer not to get multiple contacts from the same op. If there is a certain band they need just wait till I go there.
73 de VE6JTW, Jesse
Yes!
73 Chris
Yes, I also like to be chased on different bands. Last year I even had 9 S2S from Gran Canaria to Tenerife with someone on 9 different bands (HF, VHF, UHF) in one activation.
1000% YES! I love working Chasers across multiple bands!
I only dislike working a chaser who is working me again on the same band and mode mere minutes after we QSO’d. Seems strange… I just log it and keep truckin’…
Yes please. Same band, different modes too.