A question, if I may, bearing in mind that I’ve never done an activation.
If I go to make an activation, call “CQ Sota” etc, [in my case PSK, because I rarely operate on any other mode], and, assuming that I’m extremely fortunate and get four contacts, or more, can I return to that summit, within that year and do it again, but not claim any points, simply to give chasers a crack at a few points?
Yes…
You certainly can John.
Right now you would get winter bonus (on qualifying summits). If you were repeating a summit for which you had already got the points earlier in the year, you’d now pick up the winter bonus. (But only once)
Thank you, that is the correct answer, and I like it!
That was a swift reply, were you lurking, just in case I dropped a question in?
I pressed the “OK” key to send it, went to put the kettle on, and got your reply, before it boiled.
It helps me a lot, and perhaps it may help others, because I’m certain that there must be quite a few Pisker’s within SOTA that despair at the dearth of warbly lines on their screens.
I not sure if I can generate a few warbles this side of the New Year, but we’ll see.
On second, and subsequent visits, would I still call “CQ Sota”?
Sure thing John. It’s still a SOTA activation, just not one you’ll score any points for. Please post your logs to the DB just as you would if you were getting the points, and then the chasers will get their confirmation asterisk.
Smashing, thanks!
As I can probably only do the easy ones, it gives me an opportunity to drive out, and up to those where there is parking near the AZ - put a respectable distance between me and the transport, do the evil deed, and not be too knackered to get back to the drivers seat.
On a breezy, sunny, day, if I still feel fit after the equipment batts are flat, I might even be tempted to fly my kite, [and if any YL’s are reading this, don’t all rush at once, it’s not a euphemism, I really do have a couple of box kites, I’m a 71 YO widower, and nowadays you could probably only tempt me if you do a mean chicken curry!]
Hi John,
there is a way that you “might” gets some points from the second, third etc. activation in a year and that is if you contact another activator on PSK (or any mode you run) - then you get a Summit-to-Summit contact which counts as both Chaser and Summit-to-Summit points. It’s just the activator oints that are only allocated once a year .
73 Ed.
OK, if I’m honest, I’ve never been bothered about collecting trophies, certificates, and badges, etc.
I simply love to operate PSK, and this gives me a chance to go and operate outside, with a purpose, that purpose not being to try and get myself at the top of a table, but to help others “get theirs”, and I can have a good time doing it.
I’ve operated portable on several occasions here, of course, including as “GQHWI” , especially on the Queens’ Accession Day in 2012, [remember the rain - great fun - yeah, course it was!]
Also in South Africa, and in Malta, all very nice, always outside of course, but only ever for a few more entries in the log.
The best part has always been, for me, when somebody sends something like, “tnx for the new country”, or similar, that does put icing on the cake.
There are spinoffs, of course, finding what is down a road that you would not normally go down, finding new “eateries”, and that dwindling, almost extinct creature, [adopts Attenborough pose, and whispers - no, not WSPR, whispers], the decent British pub!
A look at my log, shows that my last portable operation was in 2012, so another trip is long overdue!
My Acer notebook needs a second battery, so I’ll order one this afternoon, and I’ll spend this weekend retrieving stuff from the various corners, where it has been hiding.
There is a brand new, DX Commander pole staring at me from the corner of my room, which I bought from M0MCX the other week, and I need to produce a new, trimmed and adjusted wire, to use as an EFHW for 20m.
As this will be my first portable outing for a time, my PSK will be qrp, from a “PSK-20” by Dave Benson, and at only 3 Watts.
When I get back into the swing of it, then I’ll consider my IC-703, although I can’t remember how long my batt lasted when it was used before, [8Ah SLAB]
“Plan A” is to sally forth some time between Crimbo and New Years Eve, not necessarily in full “SOTA” mode, but if everything works, then either I return another day to call “CQ SOTA”, or change the session to a “SOTA” one, halfway through.
Watch this space.
Whoa! Too heavy! At least for walking any distance - the LifePo batteries now are far, far lighter than the old SLAB ones.
I thought PSK was supposed to be QRP - so 3-5w seems about right, I would have thought.
73 Ed.
Why don’t you try an activation from your garden? Put the gear in your bag, take the bag into the garden, setup. As you take something out of the bag to use it, write it on a list. Then you will find you are missing something, write it down and go inside and bring it back. That way you get a list of all you need.
Then… you can have a play on the air and see how long the batteries last.
You end up with a list of what you need, you can dump all the other gear as it is optional.
You end up with experience of setting up outside.
You end up with knowledge of battery life.
All without going out of range of cups of tea and /or bacon rolls.
Ah yes, but I don’t intend carrying this lot too far, I am “massaging” the trip to suit my condition, within the rules.
I am driving to an easy access AZ to start with, and it’s occurred to me that I should take two lots of kit, then, when I see access to the AZ, the appropriate items can be taken from the car.
The 3W Xceiver has a 2Ah battery, not heavy at all, but I need to use more power on the IC-703, so that has the 8Ah battery.
My portable ops with the Icom have always been either on the roof of a 15 storey building in ZS, accessed by a lift, or, from the car, with an aerial strung up outside - hence /P instead of /M - I couldn’t drive away!
I don’t how long each battery lasts, but they’ve always lasted longer than the battery in the Acer notebook, and longer than the one iin my Tosh Satellite Pro that I dragged to Malta twice, and to ZS once.
So flat, easy AZ’s, will get a blast of up to 10’ish Watts, and a more difficult one will receive the full onslaught of 3,000,000 microWatts !!
A good idea, Andy, I have to set up in the garden to adjust my aerial wire, so the natural progression would be to take everything else down there.
As long as you record what you used you will know what must be in the bag you “carry”. You can then have another bag that contains the optional stuff. Arrive on site, consider if legs are working well/iffy/poor and decide whether to add optional items to essential items or not.
If the legs are not good. then I don’t venture out at all.
I need to consider, when I have a look at where I have to go to, can I manage to get back?
I’m not too bad most days, my leg problems are that my thigh muscles are too short, so they are always in tension, even when I’m asleep; if I’m going to have a bad day, it’s usually because I did too much yesterday.
I also have a “zip” on the chest, with four bypasses underneath, and I’m a diabetic.
All manageable, but sometimes, you just have to know your limitations, and listen to what the body is telling you - if I knew that I was going to get to 71, I would have looked after myself better in my “yoof”!