Brian,
Yes, most welcome, after the initial pileup flurry, just to get a propagation comparison, band-to-band
All Best, Ken K6HPX
1 Like
I enjoy multiple calls from chasers because itās fun to get calls. Also band comparison is interesting. Iāll 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
2 Likes
Most of the time I welcome chasers calling on multiple bands. The only times this is not true are the following:
- Bad weather is moving in and I want to finish up and give the points to the new chasers
- There is a big pile of chasers and I want to get through it
- Often Iām looking for S2S contacts, and the multiple band contacts are using up limited time on the summit
- S2S activators are actually calling me, and the repeat chasers are calling
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
5 Likes
If I recall correctly, my record is working the same chaser on 4 different bands (HF + VHF) from a single summit. It certainly doesnāt 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
1 Like
I donāt mind multiple contacts on multiple bands but Iād 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
2 Likes
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, āwork 'em if ya got 'emā except in mitigating circumstances such as early pileups and declared short or fraught activations. If nothing else itās certainly encouragement not to leave a CQ hanging just because I worked them already on another band.
1 Like
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 activatorās 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. Butā¦ if you have had a QSO and Iām lucky enough to have a pile up on the next band, just wait till things quieten down before going for another QSO.
13 Likes
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 POTAās 10 parks on 10 bands).
So another āyes pleaseā, if Iām not already snowed under, and epecially on lesser-used bands.
2 Likes
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 Iāll 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 āI will never return to this summit againā 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.
1 Like
I love 10m Itās 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
2 Likes
Yes!
73 Chris
2 Likes
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.
2 Likes
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 QSOād. Seems strangeā¦ I just log it and keep truckināā¦
2 Likes
Yes please. Same band, different modes too.
4 Likes
YES! Please do, I always look forward to hearing you, all bands please.
2 Likes
I suppose someone has to be the bad guy who answers NO to the question, so I will be that guy 
Letās put it the other way around. Do āIā (chaser) REALLY need to chase the same summit on other bands?
We are entering the winter season, the time of activity on the summit is inevitably shorter and the activation is more demanding. Personally, after having finally entered the CW world, I enjoy more the CW activity but I also try to activate in SSB (not everyone knows CW-I donāt know it myself very well hi) and local FM as there is a strong local SOTA community in South Poland, let alone chasing other SOTA stations (everyone likes S2S QSO).
Not having a station at my QTH, I also try to take advantage of the occasion to work āseek and pounceā and work some DX/rare station.
As a result of that, almost every activation results in a strong pile up with not so much time/energies available (at least in winter), the temperature is often very low, and the battery wonāt last eternally. In these conditions, every spark of energy and time counts, and Iād rather use them to have a QSO with a station which wasnāt able to hear me before, or wasnāt at the radio at all, rather than having the 5th QSO with the same operator with whom I exchanged reports previously.
Thatās why I always ask, when spotting myself, 'no duplicates pls". I am aware not everyone likes it, but I feel I am entitled to ask it. Another question worth asking is āhow the activation would look if everyone would like to chase me in every band/mode? How many people would be left back in this case?ā
That gives me the chance to vent out on another subject who really haunts me, that is DX-expeditions; the same philosophy applies, I really canāt understand people who MUST have QSO with a rare entity in every band/mode available. They are taking away chances from the smallest fishes (QRP, portable stations, or even fixed home station with more modest rigs).
3 Likes
Marco, thatās a perfectly valid position to have. The only problem is the majority do want multiple QSOs and so remembering who wants them and who doesnāt becomes the problem.
3 Likes