Mark, welcome to SOTA. It’s a ton of fun. Sounds like you’re getting most of the info you required. I just got a FT5D myself, can’t wait to try it.
The answers to 3 of your questions are directly given and the answer to the other is implied. I strongly suggest you read all of it several times even though it is a bit stodgy. Well very stodgy!
The definition in the general rules is that for a successful activation 1 QSO is needed (otherwise there is nothing to log into the database) but 4 QSO are needed to get the points for the summit.
You can set up an Alert on your PC before heading out to do a summit and then ask one or two of the chasers to spot you. If you’re relying on 2 m to activate you might need all the help you can get, but if you’ve got HF capabilities as well, you might be fine without alerting and spotting.
I suggest doing some chasing to get used to how SOTA works. If you’re chasing you can get chaser points for the same summit once a day, so you can collect those more easily.
If you want to get out more, you can also activate the same hills more than once a year. You won’t get any extra points for it, but other people will want to get the chasing points so they’ll be keen to get a contact with you anyway. Other activators will also be keen to get points for S2S contacts with you.
As some one already mentioned, do make sure you double check where the boundary of the activation zone (AZ) is, so that you’re definitely inside it when you set up your station.
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Hi Mark,
Welcome aboard!
Once you have activated a summit or two, and entered the logs into the database, you can see how you are getting on by looking at the “My Results” pages - see screenshot below.
Under “My Statistics” it shows how many activations you have done, as well as points gained etc. So, even if you don’t manage to “Qualify” a summit by getting at least 4 QSOs, you can take pleasure from watching that number grow!
There are lots of goals that you can set for yourself within SOTA, which is one of the reasons that it is so much fun. And addictive, as someone else pointed out 
73
Adrian
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Hello again Mark… my first activation wasn’t a success Didn't manage to activate G/NP-006 - advice needed but I have not had a “fail” since - and probably spotting made the biggest difference.
If you use CW then something called RBN Hole can do this for you - again making it easy…
If you put an alert up there is a better chance of people listening for you - even if the time is vague. I find it is a useful distraction when faced with an exciting work task…
On HF if you appear on some frequencies where activators usually work you are more likely to be heard 3.75MHz - although that requires quite a lot of wire to make an effective antenna, 7.1 MHz - but usually finding a gap on 7MHz (40m) can be a bit hard, and around 14.300MHz on 20m is a good starting point. Once someone hears you they can put a “spot” up for you and the masses will follow…
Finally SOTA is as easy (or hard) as you make it - it is your challenge and whatever kit or operating sytem you use will change over time - if nothing else so you don;t get bored. Even with something as simple as antennas on 2m you will find advice suggesting that either it should be done with a small rubber helical antenna, up to a station with 4, 5 element arrays all phased together… but what is right is what works for you!
Even more finally have a look at sotl.as SOTLAS loads of information about summits, and also what contacts other people have had from them which will give you an idea of what has been done!
Still hoping for a S2S at some point. Paul
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Welcome to the addictive world of SOTA!
If you don’t want to spot at least put out an alert. This way chasers will know to listen out for you. You can say that the time is very approximate (everyone knows they are approximate to some extent). I am sure the MD prefix will help attract callers too.
Here in G/NP land 2m FM is usually quite successful although it can sometimes be a struggle depending on the summit. I am also an HF CW operator and putting out an alert means I get an automatic spot. CW is also much more effective than SSB, especially with QRP.
73 Richard
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Boom! Now that’s an elegant solution using technology at it’s best. Thanks Simon. I’ll dig deeper into how I can best implement this without sending out spurious SOTA messages via APRS, as I’m a frequent user and don’t want to alert spotters unnecessarily. That’s a topic for another thread…
Great definition, thank you. (and to @OE5JFE for same) The point regarding the AZ is also noted - I’ll research this some more. Wonder if activating GD/GD-001 from the cafe counts, having ridden up in the electric tram. 
Thanks for the warm welcome Matt. The FT5D is a cracking little radio but its menu layout takes some getting used to, at least for this Icom user. I think the jury’s still out over Yaesu’s APRS implementation, but then again I’m still quite new to all this. Enjoy!
I’ll have a go at chasing, thanks Sara. To date I’ve not yet heard anybody calling CQ SOTA from either my home setup (IC-705 with end-fed longwire) or while portable (IC-705 with Sotabeams multi-bander) probably because I tend to play radio in the week between shifts, with weekends taken up by a number of other hobbies. I also seem to ‘suffer’ from skip whereby I usually fail to reach UK and Western Europe, but get across to Eastern Europe no problems on 5W. Sadly there’s not much SOTA going on in Croatia on a Tuesday… 
Thanks Adrian, must be quite nice to reflect on your achievements once you’ve been doing this a while. I very much hope to work my way up to a full license so that I can combine SOTA with my other travels, assuming we ever get to do that again. Not sure the XYL will be pleased, at least not at first … hehe.
Thanks for another +1 on spotting first, Paul, I can see where this is leading. Sadly no CW at this end, though to be fair SOTA presents the best reason so far to give that a go. The frequencies are noted too - very useful! I don’t think I’ve seen SOTA in band plans yet, though if QRP centres of activity are in there… hmm.
Oh yes Richard - I’m hoping to ‘dine out’ on that ticket before too long. Certainly makes one popular on the worldwide digital channels! 
Your post is noted via the email notification Nick, thanks for sharing. Love all, Serve all - as they say the the 'rock. 
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Given where you live with the Lake District and Wales not far away then 2m FM should work well. Simply calling CQ on 145.500 should get a response. I would recommend an improved antenna such as a Slim Jim or Yagi but give it a go first if you want with the stock Rubber Duck.
HF can be done without spotting but you may find it slow going. If you stay around the QRP zones it might help. Band choice is important. For example, 20m will probably go over the heads of most folk in the UK. 40m is often better for inter-G but can be very busy especially at weekends. If you are working mid-week you should find a slot.
I use a 705 and the AH-705 ATU with an end fed wire and it works well but I do use a phone to spot except when using CW when the RBN system does it for me. It was a life-saver in Scotland last year on a windy summit with no mobile signal. 
My suggestion would be to try 2m FM first and get your first activations that way. Using HF without spotting may be more frustrating and you don’t want to be put off at the start.
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Hi Mark,
often when wanting to make a contact to a certain region it is about selecting the right band and the right time of the day.
Have a look at the following tool.
https://www.voacap.com/hf/
This will help you to select the right band at the right time of the day.
Welcome to SOTA! Enjoy!
73s
Ingo
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But this does not apply to the points you get for a summit to summit qso (s2s). Every s2s qso counts, no matter how often you go up the mountain.
It can be very attractive to achieve as many s2s points as possible. This challenge is often overlooked.
73 Chris
Welcome. Ignore the curmudgeonly posts of some people (one person). By way of explanation: they work in the software industry.
"A helicopter was flying around above Seattle when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft’s electronic navigation and communications equipment. Due to the clouds and haze, the pilot could not determine the helicopter’s position and course to fly to the airport. The pilot saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, drew a handwritten sign, and held it in the helicopter’s window. The pilot’s sign said “WHERE AM I?” in large letters. People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a large sign and held it in a building window. Their sign read: “YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER.” The pilot smiled, waved, looked at her map, determined the course to steer to SEATAC airport, and landed safely.
After they were on the ground, the co-pilot asked the pilot how the “YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER” sign helped determine their position. The pilot responded “I knew that had to be the Microsoft building because, like their technical support, online help and product documentation, the response they gave me was technically correct, but completely useless.”
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I also work in the software industry. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you RTFM, you are still none the wiser.
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Thanks @G4TGJ and @G3CWI - I too work in software (loosely speaking) but we have quick-start guides which are written from the point of view of a net-new beginner; a headline, a two paragraph explainer, then a single-pager with links to further reading. This lets a prospective new user judge if it’s their cup of tea with only minimal investment of time, and so you reach more people.
I don’t know if I’m unfairly comparing amateur radio with professional industry (or if I’m getting more impatient / slow in my old age) but so many facets of the hobby appear to start at the complicated end and require significant digging just to get hold of the basics. Seems AAF to me.
Bah humbug, etc, where are my slippers? 
No, not your slippers yet Mark, they’re for us old beggars. Get the walking boots and get yourself up Snaefell or one of the other four summits you have on the Island. All lovely summits!
73 Phil
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Indeed! . I’ve yet to chase any GD summits. Welcome!
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That’s a good idea. I’ve just scanned the stuff in the SOTA Home site and though very comprehensive it isn’t a quick read.
If I get bored in the coming weeks I might try and draft something. 
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Hi Mark,
& welcome to SOTA from another newcomer. The fact that your post has generated 26 replies speaks volumes in itself. I cannot tell whether you did too, but I did read all 23 pages of the ‘SOTA General Rules’ (dated 2015). You commented that you couldn’t find any ‘concise’ info and I would tend to agree with that comment. Whilst I enjoy researching any new thing I get into, I acknowledge others may have less time or inclination and are in need of a ‘quick start guide’ as comes with most bits of kit nowadays - maybe a request to the Management Team might sort this out for any more newcomers to follow.
I look forward to seeing your alert/spot and chasing you one day soon!
73, Lea M0XPO
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SOTA home site starts with 2 paragraph introduction entitled “New to SOTA”. In there there is a larger font link to “Joining in”. Joining In is another 2 paragraph section explaining what you have to, introducing with links important websites and links to where you register for accounts.
There are then more involved sections on the various aspects of SOTA, links to FAQs, guidelines, the rules (in full stodge)
In what way is this “quick start” lacking in explaining what SOTA is about so you can determine if it may interest you or not and help you get started in using the facilities? Serious question.
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