Brian,
When the hobby ceases to be fun then it’s time for a change. There is no doubt satisfaction to be had with manual adjustments.
Automating the atu is like automating many other things. The machine is faster than a human, remembers what worked last time without getting confused and can still respond if the match is not very good. Also in spite of the smaller coils the auto atu is efficient. It’s to do with the unloaded and loaded Q of the matching circuit. But you know that.
Anyway it’s good to know you are actively chasing in spite of the increased noise levels.
Exactly. Besides one never knows what the other guy is hearing. As a corollary to Fund’s Fifth Law of SOTA (If a piece of string can get tangled, it will) there is the QRM Uncertainty Principle: The chances that another station will come up on the same frequency that you just asked if the frequency is clear, tuned up on, made the spot on and started calling CQ on increase exponentially the longer that process takes.
If I remember correctly, Guru had commented on something similar.
How time passes for an activator and a chaser is completely different. Many times the climatological factors, noticing that other hikers begin to arrive at the summit and other etc. generate some anxiety in the activator.
Possibly sudden noises appear (meteorological radars or TV repeaters) and the activator has no choice but to suddenly abandon or change that band.
It has happened to me in 14Mhz that after doing a couple of CQs an idiot without even asking ¨QRL?¨ started calling on my frequency and I end up leaving the frequency because the idiot didn´t understand or accept that I was there before.
It´s impossible to determinate how many minutes before abandon frequency or band are necessary.
I believe that ¨Patience, guys, patience!¨ doesn´t fit to activators
Hi @G8ADD Brian, I was out this morning and worked 60/40/20 HF-SSB and 145-FM. I’m not sure are you meaning me in this instance…. but the heavens had opened and I was on summit. I worked everyone calling into me on 60m. I then flicked to 40m and yes, I called out for approximately 5 minutes in the rain! Worked 2 stations and then no more takers, so I moved to 20m and worked a further 6 stations. Got soaked doing this and went onto 145-FM.
Really sorry if it was me, I try and work everybody on frequency. But, if I’m getting soaked and I’ve had no success for a good 4 minutes after calling and calling. I will switch bands.
I still use a manual ATU, and it takes me a few minutes to get to the shack and be operational.
(My radio has a spectrum display, and one benefit of a high noise level is that I can tune up quickly by peaking the “grass”)
Based on that experience as a chaser, when activating, I aim to stay on my spotted frequency for at least 10 mins to give others like me (and Brian) a chance.
Having said that, it isn’t always practical, as others have pointed out.
We are all different, and it would be less fun if we all did exactly the same things!
Contests today and having worked about 3 stations on one frequency I then got trampled by a QRO station. Having taken over my frequency he didn’t even give me my fourth contact . With 10W it’s not worth competing, I just find another frequency (or band).
That’s just one (of many) reasons for quicker than normal QSY. There’s always another day for the chase! (But you’ll have to find someone else for Carnmenellis, I won’t repeat it ).
Edit: Sorry I didn’t read all the thread - I’ve repeated Pete’s reason
I would dearly LOVE to, but my family has made it clear to me that I am now far too ancient to go gallivanting up mountains on my own. I have activated in heavy rain, snowstorms, gales and a negative wind chill factor - and on one frustrating occasion in a solar blackout! I remember before we had the spots page, when you alerted on the Group before going out, and had to keep going in the hope that you would get found. My opening post was prompted by the thought that SOTA activity levels are so high now that at busy times activators are in effect competing with each other. As a chaser I can spend several minutes in the queue to work an activation, during that several minutes I am not available to work other activators who might be calling fruitlessly and ready to give up.
The saying “the activator is king” dates back to the start of SOTA, but a successful king listens to his advisors before exercising his prerogative!
I confess I’m guilty of quickly changing bands and frequencies.
If I’m using a linked dipole changing bands is something to be be delayed but as others have said after you have found a frequency and spotted you frequently find a powerful station start up near your frequency. The only answer is to move and make a new spot.
This is not the same as changing bands. Which I’ve done to find somewhere quieter, I remember 40m recently being almost impossible due to a contest. I’ve also changed bands before checking the new band was even open. I think I spent just 30 seconds on 15m once before realising my spot was a waste of time as it wasn’t just quiet, it was dead.
I was using an end fed wire with an ATU at the time and I could change the band in seconds. I am conscious this could be very annoying to chasers but on a summit there is a lot to think about and the aim of finding a free frequency which is open is the main quest.
Today on 40M was brutal, full of Spanish stations in a contest; it’s possible that he QSY’d a few times looking for a frequency and then just gave up and switched to 20M.
Brian,
I appreciate that you have achieved your main objectives and are no spring chicken but there are surely plenty of SOTA summits you could activate. Families can sometimes be overprotective.
Should the inevitable happen sooner rather than later then I can think of no better way to expire than while sitting on a rock on a summit with my portable station.
Beats the prospect of a morphine haze in a hospital as the last memory.
Morphine haze is long gone. Remember Brompton Cocktail from a bit post-war? That was supposed to be anti-haze, and it was later replaced with even better elixirs. As for me, line up a half dozen good Martinis with olives. No diapers, please.
Brian, More summits just as you wish, your majesty!
Not to worry about being slow uphill.
No point is awarded for short hiking time. I believe that SOTA’s wilderness, and the physical and mental exercise, not to mention the satisfaction, add up to a positive contribution to quality of life. My 2 cents.
or the king 
. With 10W it’s not worth competing, I just find another frequency (or band).
