Lots of good advice in here. I would add that, as an activator, I am sometimes puzzled by quite readable stations that only try once or twice, and I never hear their call again (if I don’t work them). I chalk it up to QSB (as I’m usually QRP), but I do wonder.
I would recommend against split operation, for all the reasons cited above.
73, Jim KK0U
Thank you all for your kind words and experiences. My wife was listening to some of your responses and said, “What a nice group of people.” Indeed!
The pass band of my MTR-3B LCD is about 400Hz.
Thanks, Etienne, for the kind welcome. I checked out the PNW site before activating Sherman and Columbia last year. I’m thinking of posting some notes about the summits in Ferry County, especially about the trees at the top that you can throw your wire up into.
When I passed my Extra class exams (conveniently after the 20 wpm requirement was dropped), I was given AE7NS as a callsign, much lighter than my original Novice callsign; but I consciously went back to my original callsign for several reasons. WB7WUQ is quite code-heavy. 
My MTR-3B LCD max RIT is a little less than 10kHz if I had to do split in another context.
Yes indeed, Tim. Thank you, too! Hope to work you again soon!
Well I’ve worked you now. 
Thanks, Greg. Worked you five times now!
One clue I use that hopefully doesn’t add to the qrm of an activator is to listen to his rst reports. If I’m only hearing the activator 559 then he may only be able to hear me 559 or slightly better. Once he works the pile up down to the 559’s then I jump in. I miss a few doing that but I’m OK with that. As an activator, the QRM of double and triple calls of chasers doesn’t help me sort out calls any better. Dean ~ K2JB
Hi Jim,
If I’m activating, let me ask you to, please, don’t wait until I had worked the S9+ chasers down to S5 or S4. My advise for you is to call sending your callsign twice and possibly a bit delayed, not starting right after my last TU or K or QRZ?
When I listen to the pileup, I always try to hear any possible DX calling and there’s no doubt they will always be TOP priority, as I know conditions may change quickly and our time window chance for a QSO will probably be small.
I’ll be looking forward to be chased by you soon,if conditions help a bit.
I’ve managed to chase 4 activations from NA today (2xVE and 2xW)
73,
Guru
Hi,
I am chasing SOTA with qrp 5w and a small 10ft long milwhip gp. Indeed often I have to sit out the pile up to get a chance. When to send your call, what I recommend is, get a feeling for the rhythm of the activator, get a feeling for the qsb situation, send complete call.Be patient.
Regularly activators ask for other /P stations for S2S, wouldn’t hurt if they from time to time would ask explicetely for /QRP chasers.
Good to hear from a QRP chaser! All well and good and you do right I say, to wait until the pile up subsides whilst listening to the QSO flow while you do and getting a feel for the activators style.
Is this using CW - SSB or both modes I wondered? Not trying to preach but if using CW try not to send the /QRP suffix like some do after the callsign. It not only breaks licencing rules in most countries it also wastes time and frustrates the pile up. Its very good that you recognise that if it looks like an S2S is about to take place that you hang back. I tend to do the same when chasing, however if the S2S /P /P /P repeating caller is having no luck after several tries and I have a good path, I will started calling and may get the QSO before the /P caller does. In which case I try to tip off the activator holding the frequency to listen for the /P caller. It often works and the next contact is S2S.
Another thing I have found which works when chasing is if an activator is sending CQ (such as Andre F5UKL/P is just now on CW) he may well be listening on full break in as Andre was today. Just sending a few dots or single letter the activator will hear if he/she is on full break in and may well immediately stop the CQ, which is an invitation to send your call, be heard and make the QSO.
To do any good you will need to improve your antenna if that is possible, a 10 foot whip will not net you many Qs whether QRP or not. You only get out what you put in OM!
73 Phil
Hi Malcolm/all,
My wife generally determines when I have to stop playing SOTA - it’s usually about 1ms after contacting four people, which is never great when there are lots of chasers waiting!
If I’m activating alone, I’ll generally work all the callers, try a few more CQs, then call it a night if there is no more interest.
Annoying kit failures are the other pileup killer, such as the one I had last weekend whilst activating Ward’s Stone. My VHF handie died just as I was about to work @G1JPV. I only noticed something was wrong when Tony didn’t reply to me. Think the PA may have gone pop, as my handie no longer transmits! 
Sorry Tony…!
73, Simon
Hi Philip,
No I do not use the /QRP extension. That I am a qrp only OM is easily to see on qrz.com + on my qsl + the activators I meet on a more regular base know that I am qrp.
With regard to my antenna I have little choice: very little space. Additional I get the impression that my FT891 is not exactly super sensitive. Other qrpers do hear me better than I do hear them. What I do is use always headphones. CW Filter is best at 100 Hz. The milwhip has got me about 35 SOTA contacts in 1 month time, which might be not overwhelming, but enough to keep me going.
Patrick
But don’t assume that all operators can see your QRZ page. I often activate summits with no signal or a very weak phone/internet signal so rarely able to visit QRZ.com
David M6GYU
I have approximately 5 or 6 S2S with USA. In each S2S all the chasers stopped when we were trying to do the QSO. I(We) really appreciate it!!!
73 de JP3PPL
I’m surprised that the obvious has not come up: WB7W is assigned. Given that you must never bootleg someone else’s call sign, you have no option but to keep sending to the bitter end, even if it causes QRM. For related reasons, I advise CW noobs to hold off getting on the air until they can articulate their own call sign correctly at least 4 times out of 5! 
If you get caught up in the whole points-scoring thing, you’re not doing yourself any favours, anyway, until you get it right…
Pile up: when to bow out
I forgot an important one: when the pile up is overwhelming large + there are a large number of chasers that do not operate properly and mess up the activation both for the other chasers and the activator.
In such case I recommend the following: look on the sotawatch list and first try to get other activators in your logbook, return later and see what the situation is.
Hi Simon,
funny, you should have told your wife that in SOTA one must have at least 10 contacts to be ok.
David, yes that is true and I know it. Do not underestimate very active activators, after some time they have a pretty good idea who the people are that chase them on a regular base.
After 6 weeks of chasing (I am a newcomer) I have learned that the activators are extremely capable radio amateurs who I respect enormously.
Patrick
I do have a clip board with most of the regular chasers callsigns and names.
David
Yes! I like to qualify each summit on at least ssb and cw, if not the same on multiple bands. It isn’t always possible, but the lure of the second certificate is something I can legitimately claim to need. So 8 contacts at least, if not 16 when 2 bands are working, etc. ad infinitum.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH