There are several hams here in South Africa that have expressed great interest, in taking part in future SOTA events. We have many, many summits here that have never been activated before - probably more than 98 % have not been activated…ever. Does anyone know when the next international SOTA weekend is scheduled to happen ? This last one caught me by surprise - I only heard of it 3 days before, and then I couldn’t get any accomodation at a hotel in the area at such late notice.
I have put an alert in over the weekend of 6 and 7 June 2009. I will be doing a recce to ZS/KN-001 and ZS/KN-011 over that weekend. But will not spend much time operating - only a few hours on each day. It is more a recce, to take pictures, and see what is needed to conquer these two summits on a future expedition. It is the highest summit in Southern Africa at 3450 meters, and might be a bit difficult at this time of year, as we will be approaching mid winter. So there will likely be ice and/or snow on the rocks. Sorry, I have waffled on a bit long, but my question - does anyone know when the next international SOTA event will take place ? as I need to start making arrangements and inform the other hams here in S Africa.
73
John, ZS5J
In reply to ZS5J:
I would like to know that, too.
Whilst I have not finished the PY-ARM, in part due to my inability to determine prominence of several summits (which are presumed to comply with the 150m rule).
I understand that the ARM needs to be approved if Brazil is to be a valid entity for SOTA.
In reply to PU2PIX:
The rules permit an Association to start with an incomplete summit list, other summits can be added in later updates.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to ZS5J:
The SOTA weekend was nice event with a lot of activity.
From the activators point of view this kind of activity has also weak point. During the SOTA-weekend many activations were running on the same time and close to each other making interefrence. The chasers were very busy jumping from one to another activation station, sometimes missing to catch some of them.
I have no evidence if there were more chasers for SOTA weekend than usuall.
For ZS-SOTA activations I suggest a quiet, non SOTA-weekend, with higher possibility to be heard from distant EU chaseres.
You make a good point. International SOTA Weekend certainly increased both activator and chaser activity and S2S contacts in Europe, which is the ‘hub’ of the SOTA world, but probably made only marginal, if any, difference further afield.
I think that EU chasers and activators would be very keen to work ZS activations if alerted and advertised in advance. So if there was a special ZS SOTA weekend with much activity from the ZS association, I’m sure EU chasers would be hunting ZS and EU activators wanting to make skeds with the ZS activators on suitable bands.
By the way, does the ZS association cover the nation of Lesotho? I think there are some ZS summits on the border between ZS and 7P, but haven’t checked if there are any fully inside 7P.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to PU2PIX:
Hi Paulo,
May be you know that, may be no, so, to help you in your work to find summits prominences, you may use this software:
http://www.landserf.org/
Then, with SRTM datas from NASA (free), you will be able to determine PY summits.
Best 73, and hope to hear you soon from a PY summit.
Alain F6ENO
In reply to G8ADD:
Thanks for the reminder, Brian.
I was already aware of that.
AFAIK, it is impossible to determine all summits beforehand.
I have not detemined (or found) prominence values even to the top 10 PY summits…
There is no such list!
In reply to F6ENO:
A grand merci, Alain.
Another SOTA fellow has already advised on that.
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom
Most of the highest summits are indeed on the border between South Africa and 7P8 - Lesotho. However the peaks appear to be on the South African side. In fact, the best way to approach the summits is to cross over into Lesotho 7P8, and then approach the summits ‘from the back’ rather than from the SA side. The SA side is VERY steep.
I plan on driving up the very steep pass with a 4x4, going through the border post into Lesotho, and then hiking from there. It is a short 3 km hike from the border post to ZS/KN-011, and for the more intrepid, its about a 16km hike to ZS/KN-001. But the hike is very easy, because the border post is already very high up on the escarpment at around 2800 meters ASL.
73
John, ZS5J
Hi John,
I hope you take off the SOTA activaty over in South Africa (ZS), it is a very quiet SOTA assoctian and it would make us all happy if we did see some more SOTA activaty over there.
Jimmy M3EYP