Now don’t all jump down my throat this is only for discussion…
I got thinking about Mike, 2E0YYY and how he religiously activate shining tor and must get shed loads of points into the chasers coffers, and must trek up and down that hill (with all that weight I might add,20aH battery,“Loon” (no offence Mike)) must have nearly done the hieght of everest this year alone (Well maybe a big chunk off it). anyway back on point… For all his efforts how many points has he earned this year as an activator of shining tor? …2 only 2 this man is like sherpa tenzing.
Should there not be a slightly adapted point system for activators. I mean if its an activity for all surely activator points should be slightly easier to get (particularly with fuel as it is), you still have to walk up the hill!
In reply to 2E0CRZ:
Can of Worms to the Max here Chris!! I have always been tempted to raise a few points on here but have veered against them!
In terms of multiple points claims for the same summit, I’m against it, It detracts from the idea of SOTA in my idea! 10 points per day for riding the train up to Snowdon says it all! 100 days = Mountain Goat! In addition Mike is blessed with his Location! Stoke on Trent = M6, M56 and A55 all on his doorstep! This means that SP, NP, LD, WB and NW all on his commutable doorstep!
However I would like to see certain regions in the U.K. have a prominence change! However I am not going to voice my views on that as it will only let another can of worms be opened!
In reply to 2E0XTL:
Yes I can see where you are coming from there Matt, But you would have the satisfaction of knowing that it would have cost a fortune to get that Mountain Goat on the railway x100 Hi Hi.
Just seems like I can chase snowden for 100 days and get shack sloth but to get Mountain goat I would have have to walk up once a year for 100 years or spend £2500.
I wasn’t thinking points per day like chasing but maybe some bonus for multiple activations of the same summit.
In reply to 2E0CRZ:
I know that none of us would be silly enough to buy 100 train tickets HI!
I have posted my thoughts on the Summitsbase Forums after reading previous threads on multiple points and HuMPS etc!
Andy I agree with you regarding multiple activations of same summits and point distributions! Imagine the speed of MG in DM land if that was the case! I would pass the Full licence and be over there like a shot if it was all about speed! However I prefer activating the same Local summits each year with a few uniques thrown in! and most importantly taking my time!
Other people on the reflector have raised the point about Petrol and apparently we have never had it so good! I’m typing this message as another unemployed graduate - Diesel in my eyes is expensive! Having said that I could have paid 9000 pounds a year to go to Uni!! Says it all really!
The points system allows Mike to gain enough points per year, in day-trippable range from his home QTH, to gain MG in 3/4 years. SOTA certainly woke me up from always going into the Peak District for a walk - I am grateful that my horizons have been broadened.
I only wish it would have the same effect on Mike. The last three chases in my log are all him, and all to summits I could be on within an hour of leaving the house. The last thing we need to be doing is giving Mike MORE reward for this behaviour. Even with the current status quo, he is quite happy to activate his local hills.
If only he would give me some chaser points from some rare and exotic locations - like Moel Famau, Cyrn-y-Brain or The Wrekin.
SOTA gives everyone the opportunity to participate as they wish and chase their own personal goals. It is clear that (at present, before he gets the bug BAD) Mike’s goal is to make large numbers of QSOs from local summits. The fact that he continues to do so with no points on offer proves that the points are not the issue for him.
However I would like to see certain regions in the U.K. have a
prominence change!
Yes, those of us in the Pig’s Ear (East Anglia) would like that. Maybe we should secede from the G association and start our own with a prominence requirement of 10m <g,d&rlh>
I only wish it would have the same effect on Mike. The last three
chases in my log are all him, and all to summits I could be on within
an hour of leaving the house. The last thing we need to be doing is
giving Mike MORE reward for this behaviour. Even with the current
status quo, he is quite happy to activate his local hills.
4 words come to mind there - Pot, Kettle, Black, Cloud(600)
100% agree with you in terms of personal goals Tom! Clearly Mike does not care too hoots about points! If he wants to sit on Hills and talk on the radio all day, good for him!! Surely being out on the Hills with a radio in your hand is what its all about!!! IMHO
This topic seems to come up regularly! The rules were extensively discussed when SOTA was under development and carefully considered: the once a year rule was decided on to encourage people to venture further afield - and actually it is twice a year for the higher summits in that you can do a 2+ point summit in the summer and return in the winter for the bonus! Look at it this way, if you were fortunate enough to live in LD you have 222 points available plus 99 bonus points on your doorstep, and you would take at least three years to gain your MG, but if you want to do it quicker you have to sample the delights of the surrounding areas. Without this rule, suppose you lived in Keswick you could climb Skiddaw twice every weekend without having to drive or use public transport and get your MG in under a year. Whatever we do, those who live close to the mountains will have an advantage but the rule does level the playing field a bit.
73
Brian G8ADD
PS Colin, you would have to secede from SOTA and start your own organisation - MOTA? (Molehills on the air!) - because no Association may have a prominence of less than 100 metres in SOTA. And for the sake of sanity, don’t any of you start that hare again!
PS Colin, you would have to secede from SOTA and start your own
organisation - MOTA? (Molehills on the air!) - because no Association
may have a prominence of less than 100 metres in SOTA. And for the
sake of sanity, don’t any of you start that hare again!
As I can be a bit sad sometimes I did try and see what the effect having a P100 system for the English Association would do. Guess what you get lots of extra hills everwhere except Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. In fact apart from adding hils in the already established areas there was little effect to the distribution of sites. Looks like its MOTA for us in the flat lands.
I have also noticed that the ones (and no names) who do frequent activations from the same site are usually the ones who tend to have high numbers of QSO’s per activation even with new sites and not just the required 4 to activate the hill.
Peter
G1FOA
PS for Matt 2E0XTL what part of Essex are you coming to. I’m in Chelmsford if you are going to be near give me a email on peterjohnf(at)tiscali.co.uk could do with a SOTA ally not many of us around here (Can’t think why!!)
In reply to 2E0CRZ:
Can of Worms to the Max here Chris!! I have always been tempted to
raise a few points on here but have veered against them!
In terms of multiple points claims for the same summit, I’m against
it, It detracts from the idea of SOTA in my idea! 10 points per day
for riding the train up to Snowdon says it all! 100 days = Mountain
Goat!
Fair point, however, I could get the train up Snowdon for 100 days. Net result, in 3 months a couple of hundred Shack Sloths and me as the activator 10 points.
In the meantime, I’m nailing my colours firmly to the fence on this one
In reply to M1EYP:
Indeed Tom I am not disputing the Uniques!!! Well done to you! I must admit If a job came up in the North West I would pounce at it! LD, SP and NW all on your doorstep!
In terms of Essex I will be In Chelmsford making Gridded Tubes and Magnetrons, fingers crossed! Will be a change to Sheep and Cows in Shropshire!
In reply to 2E0CRZ:
Apologies if this is explained elsewhere - I have looked and couldn’t seem to find it.
Can anyone explain how the points are worked out? I’m up in Scotland for a couple of weeks and I’ve been amazed at the “low” (in comparison) points awarded for some very very remote hills. If it just done on straight height then I can understand, but I would have thought some sort of allowance for difficulty would be included? For example GM/WS-067 Lurg Mhor (6 points) vs. GM/WS-019 Creise (10 points).
To be honest, I am not that bothered about points, just saw it as a bit of anomaly and wondered why.
Yes we don’t have many EASY 1 and 2 point summits here. Those activators south of the border don’t know what they are missing, driving 100+ miles to start the walk and then walking 2½ to 3 hours to get to a summit that will net you a whole 1 point, and if you are really lucky you might manage to get 4 contacts (HF excepted) because you are in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hills several hundred metres higher.
That is why each association is different when it comes to heights and points, but this has been discussed many times before and I am happy with the way it is.
Good to speak to you too! Turns out I’m only the second person to Activate Sgurr Mor and I ended up speaking to Robin who is the only other person to do it!
Out and about for the next couple of weeks in the Western Highlands so I’ll be trying to pull in those activations! Will try HF hopefully too.
Well, this is all new stuff to me (radio as well as SOTA!) and so far lots of fun. I’m just treating all the kit as good Alpine training!
