Good SOTA Chasers Conduct to Live by on the Air:

Old Reflector
1

Good SOTA Chasers Conduct to live by on the Air:

I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.

I will only call if I can copy the SOTA Activator station properly.

I will not trust the SOTAwatch and will be sure of the Activator station’s call sign before calling.

I will not interfere with the Activator station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the Activiators frequency or in the QSX slot.

I will wait for the Activator station to end a contact before I call.

I will always send or say my full call sign.

I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.

I will not transmit when the SOTA Activator operator calls another call sign, not mine.

I will not transmit when the Activator queries a call sign not like mine.

I will not transmit when the SOTA Activator station requests geographic areas other than mine.

When the Activator operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.

I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact,and Log it as correct as possible

I will log the contact only if I heard the activator say my own callsign and my Report.

I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

I will give way and stand-by to other activators looking for S2S contacts

Dow Pierce W4DOW
#1 SOTA Chaser in W4V Virginia}

2

In reply to W4DOW:

One further idea for consideration:

I will give way to other activators looking for S2S contacts

73 Richard G3CWI

3

In reply to W4DOW:
Hello Dow, thanks for the variation of the DX code of conduct.

I am not QRO so compensate with good antenna and for me to hear first before a pile-up - DX or SOTA is essential. Quite often I have been first in and then listened to the subsequent pile-up (DX or SOTA) and essentially the ‘code of conduct’ seems to go out the window. It happened today and it was so annoying to me that I spotted:

Thu 14:35 SV3IEG/P on SV/AT-014 - [edit] 14.312 ssb
57-59 in SE UK. Some deaf stations calling though… (Posted by G6TUH)

Quite a few high power stations just call and once they know their call has been recognised they say “thanks” etc. but actually really cannot hear what is going on.

The only control over the situation is the activator. For example the activator asks for their report first etc.

My 2 cents worth :wink:
Mike G6TUH

4

In reply to G3CWI:
“I will give way to other activators looking for S2S contacts”

Yes indeed!
Mike G6TUH

5

Thats a Great one Also Mike. I added it. thanks Dow

6

In reply to W4DOW:

I will log the contact only if I heard the activator say my own callsign.

7

In reply to W4DOW:

"Thats a Great one Also Mike. I added it. thanks Dow "

I do all the hard work and someone else gets the credit. Typical.

73 Richard G3CWI

8

In reply to G3CWI:

I do all the hard work and someone else gets the credit. Typical.

Yes life is a ditch sometimes 8) Evening meal soon to arrive…
Mike G6TUH

9

In reply to G3CWI:

I do all the hard work and someone else gets the credit. Typical.

Isn’t that the daily job of an activator, de facto the right to exist? :wink:

Good SOTA Activators Conduct:

  • I shall be altruistic

:slight_smile:

73 Stephan, DM1LE

10

In reply to DM1LE:
+1 Stephan 8)
Big signal here today.
Mike G6TUH

11

In reply to W4DOW:

A great code of conduct, it deserves going in the General Rules! Such a pity that the chasers we most want to abide by it will probably never read it, and if they do they will think it doesn’t apply to them!

73

Brian G8ADD

12

In reply to VA2SG:
I would add: I will check if my QSO with the activator is in the activator’s log at the SOTA database and will delete the contact in case I can’t find my callsign in that specific activation log.
It happens sometimes to me that an activator arrive with so very weak signals (i.e. 229) and QSB or I have local or domestic QRM that sometimes I’m in doubt on whether the QSO with me was a good one or not. What I do in those cases is writing the QSO down to my log and the SOTA database, but also writing a note down in my log saying: “check activator’s log”.
Then I check the following day the log that the activator has put into the database and normally I should be able to find my callsign at the time of the QSO. But it hasn’t been always like that. I have had to delete 2 or 3 QSOs with North American activators lately after this checking. It was a big shame but It has to be like that. Otherwise it would be an absurd cheating.
I’d like to ask a question to the MT:
Is it possible for a chaser asking the database to list all activations in a period of time where the chaser’s callsign has been logged by the activators?
A nice thing to have may be having the possibility to ask the database for a crosscheck between contacts logged by me as a chaser and activations where my callsign has been logged by the activators in the same band/mode/time/date.
I think these features would be very welcome, but I don’t know how much work will be involved on creating them.

13

In reply to EA2IF:
Hello Guru,

"…What I do in those cases is writing the QSO down to my log and the SOTA database, but also writing a note down in my log saying: “check activator’s log”.

Yes I have done this three times this year with NA activators and noted check log. I have heard my call come back & exchanged RST but not appeared in their log so I have deleted my chaser entry - it does not matter. There is always another day and it is only a hobby!

Best wishes
73
Mike G6TUH

14

I’m chaser
I will be as short as possible in pileup.
I will not tell the story of my life.
Mainly if my CW skill is poor.

I’m activator
I will be as informative as possible. I will repeat my callsign and reference time to time. But not in every QSO in pileup.
I will not replay for DL3 if I asked QRZ G4 unless G4 disappeared.
I will replay QRS if someone calling me with low CW speed.

73 Viktor HA5LV

15

I agree with every thing read. And I would add:

If I were at the top of a mountain, tired, cold and wet, would I like what I’m doing? If the answer is “NO”, well…

  • We (at least me) always make mistakes, either chasing or activating.
  • Usually a lot of people is listening me.
  • I’ll keep on learning.
  • I promise to do it better next time.

73 de Mikel

16

What does everyone think of this one -

The practice by certain station using CW and Phone in using the suffix “Stroke QRP” when calling stations and thereby extending the length of their transmission in the pileup. I don’t like the practice myself. If a chaser wishes to use the QRP suffix to gain advantage it is wrong. It is a matter of choice whether one runs flea power, it has nothing to do with the activator. Most of us activators work who we can hear until the frequency goes quiet and then we QSY or we QRT. Activators, and there are many of us who use QRP, all or some of the time, don’t use this QRP suffix. Also as it does not form part of an official amateur radio callsign then it is probably illegal to do this within the terms of your licence. I hear this every day and it grates…

73 Phil

17

Any stations that calls me with /QRP is wasting their time. That is because I will always favour stations that do not call /QRP to pick out of the pile-up, and if/when I do work the purported QRP station, then the “/QRP” bit never goes in my log anyway.

Tom M1EYP

18

In reply to M1EYP:
I am the same - I never acknowledge the additional suffix of QRP when I go back to them and I never log it - and I never write it on their QSL card either.

Having said that I am first to congratulate an operator when they actually tell me in QSO they are only using a few watts to complete the contact!

73 Phil

19

In reply to M1EYP:

Any stations that calls me with /QRP is wasting their time. That is
because I will always favour stations that do not call /QRP to pick
out of the pile-up,

Using /QRP really grates me too and I’m exclusively a QRP op!

I never log the /QRP in my log, just the callsign of the chaser.
I find it quite amusing sometimes when one of the /QRP stations tells me they’re only running 8Watts. I usually reply: FB UR 8W = HR 3W = 72 GL

Going a bit further back up the thread, Its worth remembering that chaser contacts are often not logged correctly because of transcription issues.

I struggle to read my writing at the best of times never mind when it’s done on a wet piece of paper trying to escape my grip, in a gale, whilst being pelted by stinging hailstones!

Another one for the code of conduct:
The Activator is the Net Controller.
Leave them to manage their pile up without becoming a self appointed NC.

Pete

20

It’s probably also worth remembering that what might appear to be bad/selfish/ inconsiderate operating most likely occurs in all innocence and any disruption is accidental. To illustrate this point, I have suffered disruption to my activations from several of the above contributors to this thread over the years. All are FB ops who operate in accordance with the code of conduct so its just accidental and more to do with variable propagation. So maybe establishing this code is barking up the wrong tree.

Tom M1EYP