The German version can be found at the end of the article!
The special-event callsign HB15SOTA was an ideal way to spread the word about our celebration of 15 years since the founding of HB9SOTA. Despite the Covid pandemic, we were able to recognize this event worldwide by going on the air, and the results were very gratifying. We received a great deal of positive feedback on the SOTA reflector and often through direct emails. Typical of the many positive comments is this quote from an email sent by Paul DL6FBK: “We can all be quite envious of your HB9SOTA club!”
During this celebration of 15 years of activity, we set the goal of making 15,000 QSOs in one year. We far exceeded this goal! Starting on 9 May 2020 until 8 May 2021, a total of 18 activators put HB15SOTA on the air (HB3YZD, HB9BHW, HB9BIN, HB9BXQ, HB9CBR, HB9CEV, HB9CGA, HB9CYV, HB9DIZ, HB9DQM, HB9DST, HB9EAJ, HB9GUX, HB9HCS, HB9HGQ, HB9IIO, HB9JOE and HB9LEK), making a total of 18,018 contacts. To express our thanks for their participation, the Board of Directors of HB9SOTA asked that our Awards Manager Tom HB9DPR send each one of them a special certificate. As a further way of thanking them, those activators who put the HB15SOTA callsign on the air during at least three activations will receive a HB15SOTA anniversary pocket knife. (The next opportunity to distribute them will be during the 2nd European Activity Day on 18 September 2021.)
Overall, the HB15SOTA activators worked 3025 unique calls. Our Awards Manager sent out, free of charge, 242 chaser certificates and 33 S2S activator certificates (status as of 11 May 2021). On behalf of all those who received a certificate, I would like to extend my thanks to Tom HB9DPR for his significant efforts. Unlike me, he is not yet retired! Even so, he managed to get a certificate to those hams who requested one quite promptly.
In keeping with the environmental goals of SOTA, we have decided to send a hardcopy QSL only to those hams who have asked for one either by sending us one through their QSL bureau or through Clublog. The log is not yet fully uploaded to Clublog and LotW. Manuel, HB9DQM, is working on this issue. We are currently having the QSLs printed and are acquiring a printer for Tom. We will shortly explain our policy of sending QSLs in QRZ.com.
Finally, I would like to thank all the chasers and activators who have contributed to this success story. And let’s all look forward to repeating this enjoyable activity again in 5 years with the callsign HB20SOTA – and we will hopefully again exceed 1000 QSOs for each year of our club, and thus at least 20,000 QSOs!
Vy tks for working us es 73 de Jürg HB9BIN, President of HB9SOTA
HB15SOTA – Eine Erfolgsgeschichte!
Von Dr. Jürg Regli, HB9BIN
Das Sonderrufzeichen HB15SOTA war eine ausgezeichnete Visitenkarte für unsere 15 Jahre HB9SOTA. Trotz Covid konnten wir unser Vereinsjubiläum per Funk in die ganze Welt hinaustragen und haben viel positives Feedback am Reflektor und per Mail erhalten. Etwa von Paul, DL6FBK: «Ihr seid tatsächlich zu beneiden, um euren HB9SOTA-Club!».
Für 15 Jahre HB9SOTA hatten wir uns als Ziel gesetzt: 15’000 QSOs in einem Jahr. Dass wir 18‘018 QSOs loggen konnten, hat uns aber selber überrascht! So konnte Tom (unser Diplom-Manager) den 18 Aktivierern (HB3YZD, HB9BHW, HB9BIN, HB9BXQ, HB9CBR, HB9CEV, HB9CGA, HB9CYV, HB9DIZ HB9DQM, HB9DST, HB9EAJ, HB9GUX, HB9HCS, HB9HGQ, HB9IIO, HB9JOE und HB9LEK) mit einem Diplom ehren. Als weiteres Zeichen unseres Dankes bekamen alle, welche das HB15SOTA als Aktivierer mindestens dreimal verwendet haben, ein HB15SOTA-Jubiläumssackmesser geschenkt. (Die nächsten Taschenmesser werden am 2. Europäischen Bergaktivitätstag 18.9.2021 verteilt.)
Von den 18‘018 QSOs waren nur 3’025 Unique-Calls. Also im Mittel hat jeder sechsmal ein QSO mit HB15SOTA gearbeitet. Weitere 242 Diplome hat Tom an Jäger und 33 Diplome S2S an Aktivierer versandt. Vy tks Tom, HB9DPR! Danke auch, dass du -obwohl du noch nicht pensioniert bist - dafür gesorgt hast, dass alle ihre Diplome postwendend erhalten haben.
Aus Gründen der Nachhaltigkeit haben wir entschieden, nur denjenigen Hams eine QSL zu schicken, welche eine solche via QSL-Büro oder Clublog beantragen. Zurzeit lassen wir QSLs drucken werden das Log auf Clublog hochladen. Zur Zeit sind erst 2’449 QSO auf Clublog. Wir arbeiten an diesem Fehler.
Last but not least: Dank auch an Euch, ihr Jäger und Aktivierer! Ohne euch gäbe es hier ja nichts zu feiern!
Schon jetzt lade ich euch alle ein: In 5 Jahren kommt HB20SOTA - dann liegt die Latte mit 20‘000 QSOs noch höher….
