I got out of the habit of signing /P long time ago when I used my other call sign, VK5XE/P. Can you imagine the confusion of the cw learners trying to reply to that call and give me a chase score. The mistakes would just increase as they tried to get it right. But over the years my CW chasers have improved with their CW so probably not a problem these days. Any of these portable radio activities are a great thing for the hobby and if they have to run in their own realm or DATA tribe so be it. There is enough Air conditioned data bases without filling it with more complexities of cross over awards. We pay enough for servers now.
I personally don’t mind this, but I’m not hung up on making S2S contacts. It’s another entry in the log which is always welcome.
What makes me smile is a POTA chaser working a SOTA activator who is obviously not in a “park”, who sends 44 and obviously expects a log to be submitted to POTA. I’ve been on the receiving end of this when the summit I’ve been on is SOTA and nothing but SOTA.
As a POTA activator, I don’t expect a log entry from a SOTA activator—any more than I would from a regular chaser. In fact, POTA chasers can’t make an entry at all. Only activators can do that.
On the other hand, many SOTA activators aren’t even aware that they are in a park. The website Pota-map.fr is helpful for this, but that’s a topic for another time.
73 Chris
Indeed Chris. I have activated a few WWFF and BOTA that have coincidentally been POTA areas. I have been asked quite a few times whether I intend to put a POTA activation log in, even to the extent where I have been emailed by the chaser (in the USA). I have submitted logs on the POTA site for such activations as I appreciate that some chasers are very keen and really do appreciate it and in turn it is always good to receive calls.
I very much prefer the SOTA system where you don’t have to rely upon the activator to submit a log.
Sending me 44 when I’m not in a POTA area certainly makes me wonder… over keen chasers?
Isn’t that a WWFF thing? WWFF, of course, has it’s own list of entities. I’m sure there’s some overoptimism but it may also just be force of habit if they’re WWFF old-timers.
I had always thought that the 44 (instead of 73) text comes from the 44 contacts that are needed to qualify a WWFF park; however, it has been adopted by POTA operators as well (who only need 10 contacts to get the park qualified, so it is no longer logical). 72 is also used in place of 73 to indicate a QRP contact.
Allow me to express my doubts about this. Perhaps in some regions, but mostly it means exactly what it used to: “I’m not transmitting from home”, so in DL, OK, OZ, F, and a whole bunch of other places. Maybe not so much in countries such as Italy where region numbers are in use.
Very true in my experience. “/p” is by virtue of its frequent use also rather conspicious to all but the newest and rawest CW operators, and in voice or text modes it obviously draws attention quite easily. So, why waste an advantage?
AFAIR, way back when it still was WFF, they rather mystically attributed it to the four “philosophical” or alchemical elements, and arbitrarily put two fours side by side to arrive at the number 44. But it has now taken on a life of its own as a greeting between outdoor enthusiasts.
Shall we mention cross-references in the summit listings? Not compulsory, of course, and with the caveat that they may change (although that should be self-evident).
I should have said: “in European SOTA circles”, I thought it was implied, but I was mistaken since this thread is about the intersection of SOTA with other programs.
I am afraid I just don’t get the logic of expecting the administrators of an award scheme to reward a participant for contacting a participant in another and entirely independent scheme. It just doesn’t make sense to me at all! Mind you, I have absolutely no interest at all in POTA. I mean, some of those parks are as big as small countries, it all seems too diffuse to me. If it comes to a vote, I am firmly against.
It’s very simple Brian, if the award doesn’t debase either scheme and if sufficient participants would like such an award and enough are prepared to pay for such an award then it would be foolish not to consider such an award. Especially as that award can be sold as a PDF via email and avoids the barriers/tarrifs and duties to physical trade just about every trading block on the planet seems to determined to put in place.
The phone argument falls down when there is no coverage from the phone networks. We have a fair bit of hilly country that fails on that count.
As I said to an onlooker at one summit, I just talked with Juan and could have phoned them, yes. But do you have their number, because I don’t.
Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA
I agree with G8AAD, the whole thing is diffuse. I feel like the only limiting factor is how much fuel in the car you are willing to pay to reach them. Once in the park, one can use qrp radio but many deploy an entire shack , hundred watts, 12m mast and then operate from the car, drinking and ice tea from the cooler. I mean … I don’t really see the difference with a home station.
That said, people love it, and it gives the hobby more activity than any other thing. To each their own, and it’s great like that
@2E0JWA , I believe you have it nailed down. As WD4DAN puts it in his videos: If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!
Some people like QRO, others (like me) don’t see the appeal in it, some drive long distances in order to find a place to operate from, others just walk or cycle a few miles, but as long as they have fun (and preferably, some QSOs in the log), and don’t spoil it for others, all is fine.
