Hi all, We are going to have the JA SOTA QSO Party as usual. Join us the event.
Toru K JA1CTV
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If I have my JA guestlicense on time, I will try and participate from Shikoku. Hopefully I will be near a summit then (attempting to do the Henro Trail).
73, Martin - PE1EEC/JAxxxx
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Hi Martin, Welcome to Japan and enjoy activation.
Toru K JA1CTV
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Will this be mostly on VHF/UHF, or would it be worthwhile to try to set up some S2S from this side of the Pacific?
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Then I hope for good (radio) weather…
Ideally like last year in March, when I had 17 QSOs with JA on HB/BL-005 between 8:30 and 10:30 UT… unfortunately no S2S 
73 Armin
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I’m not sure if I can participate because I just moved from Kushiro to Sapporo for work, but I might operate from a low mountain near Sapporo. If possible, I’d like to use the 22ft doublet that JP3DGT Katsu gave me.
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I will join in. I will use IC705+External BAT. running 10w with 21m EF Antenna from 40 to 10m band. Mostly QRV on 20m,17m,15m,40m CW , maybe 2m CW/SSB.
I am looking forward to seeing you on the air.
73,
Matt / JG1BOK
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Sorry I just miss this event as I will be leaving Japan and returning to Canada tomorrow. Hopefully, I can be on a summit in Canada and participate in that way. I hope the weather is good and the event is successful. Thanks to all the great activators and chasers in Japan, I will try to support you from the other side of the Pacific.
Paul Mower
VA6MPM / JJ0WVW
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I plan to be on VE6/JF-123 at 6 April 0000 UTC.
Is there any interest in digital modes (FT8 or FT4)? I will bring the equipment if people are interested.
Ian VE6IXD
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I will be on JA5/KC-191 from about 00:00UTC. If the area looks to be safe for descending when it’s dark, I will go again in the late afternoon for EU.
73, JL1EFV/5 (PE1EEC)
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Will be on a summit with a 15m Bobtail curtain pointed to JA. Looking forward to some S2S on 15m CW and SSB.
Edit: changing antenna to 44’ doublet - EDZ to JA on 10m and 5m too. Both bands should be useable assuming we don’t suffer too much ionospheric disturbance. As I write this: 04-Apr-2025 at 1815 UTC SFI = 178 A = 26 K = 4!!
73 Geoff ZL3GA and Dave ZL3DRN
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I’ll be at the summit early… but it’s obviously outside of core time.
Still, I hope someone in JA will still be at the summit in the late afternoon… so far, there’s only been one alert.
I’ll take the PA with me. 
73 Armin
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I will join 2 summits.
1st one for NA,SA,OC, 2nd one for EU.
Really looking forward to see you guys, I am wondering if the WX is good.
I heard Armin’s CQ SOTA last March, but it couldn’t S2S QSO. This time I will try to bring IC-7000M, running abt 30W for DX S2S.
See you soon!
Tak 7M4QZE
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That would be great!
I’m active with the KX2 and a 40-watt PA. I have an end-fed for 10/15/20/40 meters… and today I built an oblong for 17 meters for this event.
Now all we need is the right conditions. 
73 Armin
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Unfortunately I could not book a guesthouse in the area (the life of a walking henro), so my activation plan for today’s JA SOTA QSO party faltered. I hope to activate 1 or maybe 2 summits in the area, tomorrow.
73, Martin JL1EVF/5 (PE1EEC)
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My alarm went off this morning at 6:00 a.m. local time. At the summit (Temp. 2° C), I set up the endfeeds for 10/15/20 and 40, as well as a mast with the Oblong for 17m I built 2 days ago.
The 10m band was dead… there was some sporadic E in the late morning. On the 15m band, I had noise from S6 in CW and S8 in SSB.
As in the last few days, the condx were very moody…
Unfortunately, there was no sign of JA… there was a very brief opening that resulted in two QSOs with VK. One was a S2S with VK2IO/P… that alone made the Oblong worthwhile!
But I’ll be back next time.
73 Armin
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…what is this oblong you speak about Armin
Geoff vk3sq
I made it for the 10m Challenge… and now for 17m for the JA S2S Event…
Very easy
73 Armin
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I was able to participate.
At the first summit, JA8/IR-033, 199m above Sokuryo-yama, I used a 22ft doublet antenna. I couldn’t stand the horizontal element on one side. I wasn’t sure if I could get the best results, but I was called by ZL1BYZ (ZL1/AK-027) at 15mb S2S, then a call from VK4TJ, and soon S2S with ZL3GA (ZL3/CB-729) . Even though it was early in the morning, the propagation with the W and JA sides of the high bands was very poor , and there was no contact on the 20,17,12,and 10mb.Usually, I could faintly hear FT8 instead of the pilot signal. I went down to 30mb and S2S with some local.
In the afternoon, I operated from another mountain, which was the second summit of the day, but the wind was strong so I used a vertical antenna. The condex were just as bad and I didn’t get any good results, but I was happy to be called by VK2IO/P at SOTA Summit. In fact, the mountain I operated from as the second place was not SOTA Summit JA8/IR-034 Bokoi, but a hill 1km southwest of it. It was a mistake on my part. (Sorry, VK3IO. I look forward to working with you again.) I was able to receive DL6GCA Armin’s signal clearly when it started to go out at 20mb, but it was muted by a local station and my 10 watt radio wave did not reach there.
The Doublet I used in the morning was given to me by JP3DGT. The beautifully woven feeder was a work of art, and I was looking forward to using it. It was less noisy than a vertical, and the 15mb range was good. I felt that the 17mb was difficult to matching. I was convinced that the 30mb was the best, and that with a 44ft length, 40mb would be good too. The vertical lead-in part was shaking, and I could see the KX2’s VSWR meter rising to about 1.5, and at the same time I experienced QSB. I think a slight flexure was affecting it. Someday, I would like to participate again with a proper setup to bring out even more characteristics.
73, de JR8MHA Katsu
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