Hello all.
Some time ago we were wondering in the SOTA-BW group what happened to Mariusz @SP9AMH. Some of us haven’t heard from him for a while.
Even a direct message did not result in an answer.
Does anyone have any information on whether Mariusz is coming back as a loyal chaser or not?
Marcel DM3FAM
Maybe the answer was sent via QRPmail and disappeared in the noise?
duckundwech
Yes, Papa Mariusz SP9AMH … “stopped in his frustration”.
A great, very helpful and willingly selflessly sharing his vast knowledge radio aperator.
He bombed me via SMS when I activated summit, not activated many times and too far for a QSO at 144Mhz and too close at 20 / 40m, asking if somebody stole me 80/60m band in the TRX. To do a cq on these bands (80/60m), even for one QSO, because maybe someone is waiting for this summit. He taught me that at durring of activation, Activator should give the chance, as far as possible at the summit, of as many Chasers as possible. Activation is not only about satisfying my “ego”.
As a QRP station, he had to use all his knowledge and tactics to make a QSO with the activator, breaking through stations using “kW”.
Mariusz is taking a break from SOTA.
In our talks, I strongly encourage him to come back.
I believe he will come back one day.
73, Jacek SQ9MDN
Hello Jacek @SQ9MDN.
Thank you very much for your reply 
I was thinking something like that… You are welcome to tell him that there are some activators who would like to hear him again and would be happy about it. But even a break has to be once in a while. Frustration is not good. SOTA should be fun 
Marcel DM3FAM
Thanks for the information
Please greet him … and tell him that we miss him.
73 Armin
Mariusz was mostly my first chaser in the past and I miss his qrp call.
Mariusz, come back!
73 Chris
Some SOTA long timers will remember DF2GN/P Klaus. I met Klaus with Nick G4OOE, when we were activating in the DM Association in 2014. I made 366 Chaser QSOs with Klaus between 2006 and 2014 and then he just went SOTA QRT. Roy G4SSH (SK) worked Klaus a lot more times than I did…
We always wondered what happened to Klaus, who I believe was one of the first activators in Germany to discover the benefits of using the LiFePO battery out portable. Is anyone out there still in touch with Klaus I wondered? I’ll see if I can find a photo on my PC of him.
73 Phil G4OBK
PS Yes, several photos here of Klaus. Here we are in the bootom of the wooden tower on Lupfen DM/BW-057. Left to right DF2GN Klaus - DL/G4OOE Nick - DL/G4OBK Phil
Klaus and Nick with DF2GN’s LiFePO batteries:
A memorable day with Klaus on Lupfen:
Thanks for your feedback, Jacek! And thanks to Marcel @DM3FAM for starting this thread!
I’m also missing Mariusz’ calls and while SOTA shouldn’t cause frustration I would like to hear his call sign again during my activation.
There were times when Mariusz seemed to be waiting on the frequency even before my first CQ and if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t go QRT or QSY before his call sign was in the log.
I can understand that he needs a break. The pile-ups can go mad these days. But maybe he’ll return some day?
73, Roman
Hi!
I’m also working qrp from home and portable activities. If I don’t reach the activator, that’s life. And I don’t care about awards then it is more easy in my mind.
I hope that we’ll meet again Mariusz.
Take care of you
André f5ukl
Hello Marcel, thank you very much for this initiative and thank you Jacek for the information. I met Mariusz in countless QSOs. He was always present when the cq call was made. He was a loyal chaser. Something is missing from to hear Marusz no longer. It’s a shame and hopefully not final.
73 ’
Paul DL6FBK
Hi Jacek,
In reply to your comment. I understand Mariusz. In 2021 as a QRP chaser, it was breaking through 600 pileups for me. Especially when the activation is a combination of WWFF and SOTA and it is taking place in the weekend or holidays. Add to that a bad day with lots of chasers sending ?? or call?? or tuning exact on the frequency of the activator, it takes near superhuman strength to not give up.
There are days where all knowledge, all tactics, all tricks one has as a QRP chaser are futile and after chasing 45 minutes the same activator one shuts down the trx.
What message I have for Mariusz: come back and chase, even with tears of frustration. Every log entry even if it is a single one a week, is a step forward.
My advice: if as a QRP chaser you are at the brink of giving up, think of the numerous activators that withstand cold, rain, heat, snow, wind and a difficult way up, trying to get a callsign out of the pileup and bring happy satisfaction to all chasers. Do not forget, they are humans and not perfect.
The strength of SOTA is to get a sucess, satisfaction and happyness out of what you do, chasing or activating.
Vy 73 to all chasers and activators, keep going, SOTA what a wonderful world.
As no one seems to know what happened to Klaus DF2GN let’s go back to Mariusz dissapearing from SOTA after being so active…
My logs show that I worked him 204 times whilst I was activating. As I recall he was the guy who tried to persuade activators to go the band where he thought he may have had propagation to suit him. This was reflected in his spots as I recall. I don’t like that. Some of you know my thoughts on this - the activator is king, win or lose for the chasers. He decides what mode and what band to use on the day and it depends on so many factors.
73 Phil
Patrick has summed up QRP chasing nicely I think. I only started SOTA last year and, because I don’t have any local summits, most of my activity is chasing. I run 10w max and often into indoor (attic) antennas. Yet in less than 6 months I was able to achieve Shack Sloth, so I don’t want anyone to give up the idea of QRP chasing.
I’ve found the following useful strategies for QRP chasing:
The beauty of SOTA from a QRP chasers point of view is that if you can hear the activator, then they will almost certainly be able to hear you, QRM permitting. I find it really rewarding to be able to do this running low power and simple antennas.
And I want to thank Mariusz for chasing me on my very first activation.
73 Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Info for you:
I chase with 5W and a 3m long whip antenna.
My offset 60- 70 Hz
WARC: yes weekends : the contests
a few statistics from 2021:
600 activations chased, 65% on 40m 27% on 30m, 7,5% on 20m,
47% of logged activations HB9 summits, France 10%, Spain 6%, Germany 6%
Helpfull: recognise the cw “fingerprint” of the activator.
Being first call is difficult 2021, may be 5 times out of 600?
73 Patrick
Thanks Patrick, interesting to see how your contacts are split. I should look at mine, the majority I think are HB9 and EA summits. You do really well using that whip antenna! In my attic at the moment I have a dipole for 17+30m (I use a loading coil to both act as a trap on 17m and shorten the length for 30m to fit in the space). For other bands I setup my SOTA antenna in the garden. I’m really resticted on 20m because even QRP interferes with our weak VDSL connection and knocks out the internet.
When I do get back on a hill I’ll be listening for you 
73 Jonathan
Patrick and Jonathan,
Mariusz has just such a tactic in the success of making QSOs on QRP and he has told me about it many times.
Phil
I agree that the Activator has a lot to say during activation, because it is his fingers that get cold or it is raining under his collar.
But. There is no Activator without Chasers. This is also a fact.
It seems to me, however, that after all, the big one has more responsibilities. It’s not friendly to give little and derive a lot from other activations. There is also SOTA Complete, there are some other rankings that depend from “chasing”.
I was also irritated by these SMS or spots, but … is it such a great effort for me to fulfill someone’s request ?? No. And then it became a habit for me, even for one or two QSOs.
73 Jacek
Yes, I will respond if I can when activating and if the request is a practical one I will QSY band or mode, but I believe the activator decides what he wants to do rather than the chaser. I am both - so I feel qualified to say this!
On the DX Cluster we see petulance and bad comments from DXers sat at home all the time in their spots,. asking for rare stations to QSY to the band that they want. I’m glad to say this hasn’t happened in SOTA to any great extent.
73 Phil
Hello Phil @G4OBK
Unfortunately, I do not know Klaus and have no contact details. Maybe somone else who reads here know him and can possibly give some info.
73 Marcel DM3FAM
Hi Marcel,
Thank your topic, we learned that Mariusz is doing well, and this is the most important at this crazy time.
Considering details of his participation in SOTA and what someone thinks about it is a bit like a discussion about superiority of Christmas over Easter - all of us can have some opinions with which one agrees and the other not always 
We will wait for come back of Mariusz.
73, Jarek
