I achieved my 2011 SOTA Goals!

Hi all,

I have achieved my 2011 SOTA goals: Shack Sloth and some activations.

This has been my first SOTA year and a most enjoyable one. The chaser points have been steadily building up over the year and a QSO with EC1CW yesterday on EA1/LU-002 took me over the 1,000 chaser points. I managed two activations: G/DC-007 where I got thoroughly soaked, legs scratched by the gorse and had no visibility and G/SE-001 the highest summit nearest my home QTH. I hope to do another activation before the year end. Very modest achievements but they have given me lots of pleasure.

I am not sure what my 2012 SOTA goals will be yet but will probably include having SOTA QSOs above 30MHz and working out a much more effective way of lugging the 857, LIPOs and antennas up the summit.

I want to express my thanks to the SOTA creators and the hard work done by the SOTA MTs to keep it all going.

Happy Christmas to all SOTA Chasers and Activators. I raise my glass of mulled wine to you all.

Cheers,
Andrew, G4AFI

In reply to G4AFI:
Well Done Andrew. I will echo his thanks for this scheme and all the good people in it.
I visited 40 SOTA summits this year. Some were a a short stroll, some a slog and most were in between. I failed to qualify a summit for the first time - Cheriton Hill near Dover. There were epic walks like activating the whole Fairfield Horseshoe and a round of the Langdale Pikes [also boosting my Wainwrights activated score for WOTA]. Dear Dad saying “get a move on” when the radio was taking too long! . I activated Kullaberg SM/SK-001 in S. Sweden - my first abroad and was a guest operator on SJ22S at the world scout jamboree. I did my first mountain on my own - Moel Siabod NW-010 - because I normally climb with an activation partner due to my history of falls. I made some dodgy CW QSO’s from summits too for the first time and know the sound of all those dits in G4SSH

It’s about days out in the hills and the radio operators I’ve met in person and on the air that make SOTA [and WOTA] magic. You’ve been brilliant.

Merry Christmas / Nadolig Llawen

David / Dei M0YDH

PS I think my buddy Alastair 2E0SCZ has passed his Advanced radio licence exam this month according to our club’s instructor Mike G3JKX. Congratulations. His 817 is 5MHz ready so should be activating on FE soon as the NOV comes through.

In reply to G4AFI:

Congratulations Andrew. It is very pleasing when you aim for something and achieve it. I hope that your goals for 2012 come to be reality in due course. Whatever you end up doing, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

73, Gerald G4OIG

In reply to G4AFI:

Congraulations Andrew & well done on achieving your goals for the year.

I also add my thanks to all activators & chasers I have worked this year & to the MT for the work they put in.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all!

Best 73,

Mark G0VOF