For me it’s similar to Phil.
As an activator, my main band is 40m. Basically I try 2-3 bands more during an activation.
73 Marcel DM3FAM
Was great to work you Pat!, my first day working S2S on HF!
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Hi Pete!
Wow, that VHF activity is great! It used to be pretty good around here,
but not anymore. I used to be real active on 6,2,432 CW/SSB but there’s nobody to work anymore. I think the Pacific Northwest has a lot of action. Myself and N6LHL went up to the mountains for the June VHF contest a couple of times and struggled to make 100 QSOs on all bands combined! Not good…
73,
John K6YK
I usually use 20, 30 and 40 m. When solar activity increases - I use 17 and 15 m bands.
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I totally agree. I activate mainly on work days usually between 1000z and 1400z and I’ve pretty much always been able to qualify a summit using 30m with 10W CW and an EFHW. With winter weather, I restrict myself to two HF bands. I like to do 60m to include regional and local chasers. With better weather and more time at the summit, I like to add 40m and 20m.
I know this topic is about HF bands, but I take the 2m HT too as we have a very active 2m chaser community in my area (G/LD and G/NP).
I am limited to 20/30/40 and have a linked EFHW for that setup. That said I have started carrying a 17m QCX Mini with it’s own antenna (have not had a chance to make a new antenna for all 4 bands yet and it’s weight is minimal). If I have time and both radios, I will work all 4 bands, seems early in the day 17 is better for the DX than 20. I do not do much 2m in my area because not a lot of folks listening to VHF around me. If I am pressed for time, I typically focus on 40m, especially my later in the day activations.
Here are my stats, trying to mix it up as much as possible, but core of most activations has been 20m/40m/80m on SSB, although now with CW becoming a possibility I am missing 30m and 60m due to a combination of antennas and rigs, to be addressed.
| Band | Contacts |
|---|---|
| 3.5 | 534 |
| 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 825 |
| 10 | 5 |
| 14 | 1019 |
| 18 | 19 |
| 21 | 2 |
| 28 | 5 |
| 70 | 1 |
| 144 | 865 |
| 433 | 2 |
| Mode | Contacts |
|---|---|
| CW | 14 |
| Data | 9 |
| DV | 43 |
| FM | 830 |
| SSB | 2387 |
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How to get these stats?
For me typically just 40 m cw. To be honest, I don’t want to stay at the summit for too long… May be this year I will switch to 60 m cw. I always call on 2 m FM for the locals, but rarely get answer (approx 50 %).
if I have time I call on 30 and 20 as well.
73 Martin
A nice graphical view can be had by visiting https://sotl.as then click the Login button top right. Type your callsign in the search box and when the page finishes loading click the “More stats” button in the middle of the screen.
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Or on Activations - list and display on map SOTA activations - sotamaps.org
Select Stats Charts and optional select filters. Click Chart > Button
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Thanks for the links Andy and Joe.
I hadn’t thought of looking at these stats, but I see that I’ve missed out 21MHz, so that’s a new thing to try! Chart from when I started in 2008:
I use the sotl.as version often but I’ve never been able to make the sotamaps version work. But today word it did, Andrew must have fixed something.
That is an interesting approach!
I am very often under heavy time-constraints during my winter activations - cold weather, waiting companions, breaking dawn etc. - and in order to maximize the chances of a valid activation and qualifying for the points, I now focus on 40m at 7.03x +_, or, in contest times, escaping to 7.002 ± and staying on the frequency until having as many QSOs as I can bag / serve in the short time on the summit. If I have at least five more minutes and if propagation is promising, I will often try 20m for a few more QSOs. While I like 30m as a band, it is too risky for my taste for a hectic winter activation, because of less RBN spotters, less chasers with good antennas for 30m, and a lesser likelihood of being heard by many chasers in central Europe. 40m is my clear workhorse.
Now, what intrigues me is trying to rely solely on 20m with a short vertical. Do you always succeed on 20m? How long does it take to bag the minimum number of QSOs?
Regarding propagation to Spain: @EA2DT now regularly manages to chase me on 40m since I am less likely to QSY to 20m. We often do not go beyond 229 RST, but that in a very reliable fashion.
73 de Martin, DK3IT
I don’t want to jinx it but so far yes.
I can’t say for CW but in SBB with a good pile-up I see about 50 seconds for a QSO in my log. This of course on a weekend at reasonable times were chasers are mostly active and with a spot sent.
EA is usually working very reliable from OE all around the year.
40m is for me mostly a bit of a pain with QRO+ stations in control. There I find 20m a lot more civilized.
73 Joe
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Martin, simply suggesting here to do from time to time an activation without any companions but with much time for yourself at a peaceful summit. The missing pressure from others might promote your happiness on that day! 
Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ
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Yes, agreed ;-). But at an avalanche warning level of 2 / 3 or poor visibility going solo is not the wisest of options. See also my argument at Fast & Short Activation Strategy? - #40 by DK3IT.
It is unavoidable to compromise on the number of QSOs and leave some chasers disappointed when you activate in winter or from more alpine summits. I am sure when @HB9DQM and @HB9FVF activated HB/VS-006, there were quite some chasers whom they could not work ;-).
Anyway, will try to extend my stays and add a few more relaxed activations in the future ;-).
73 de Martin, DK3IT
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haa, haa, thank you! I love going solo. Nice, if it would be that easy. sota egosism? Leaveing companions at home is an inherent contradiction. Leaving slow hikers at home is poor organization. But you are right somehow.
my stats. Not really representative, as we have OE-sota-day: Half of the 2 m FM QSOs are from just one summit… 2021? hmm…
For about 92% of my contacts:
In wintertime I am activating summits around my location. These summits are not so difficult and normally not dangerous. I am going alone without pressure except the weather. In this time mostly I use 40 m SSB and my 20 m dipole. This is successful also in case of poor conds.
In other times working with the same setup from lower summits with enough space and on 20 m SSB with a 6 m “vertical” from higher summits or if space is limited. When activating high Summits in the Alps during holiday I am working on 20 m SSB with the “vertical” all the time.
CQ on 2 m FM brought me only a few contacts.
73 Ludwig
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Thanks to Joe @OE5JFE for showing us how to get these nice stats. I had not realised this ever existed or I didn’t remember.
These are my stats:
73,
Guru
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Thanks to Joe @OE5JFE for showing us how to get these nice stats. I had not realised this ever existed or I didn’t remember.
These are my stats:
And this is for the activations I’ve done this year:
As I wrote in my earlier post, I’ve lately included 60m in my mix.
73,
Guru
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