A mountain lamb?
5 Likes
My current traget is to activate the Scottish southern uplands as defined in this SQL statement.
where [SummitCode] like ‘gm/ss%’ and [Latitude] < 55.9441 and [Longitude] > -5.05 and [ValidTo] > CAST( GETDATE() AS Date ) and [SummitCode] <> ‘GM/SS-153’ or [SummitCode] = ‘GM/SS-280’
and [ValidTo] > CAST( GETDATE() AS Date )
i.e. All SOTA mainland Scottish summits between the Forth Clyde canal and the southern Scottish border.
73 de
Andrew G4VFL
4 Likes
I only really started SOTA this year, and I’m trying to learn and develop my skills, so my personal target is to activate all the 23 summits in my local region G/WB in the 6 months April-September. Two left now, so they are planned in for next week.
Rick
5 Likes
Hi,
My private challenge is to achieve 2000 chaser points and / or 500 activations in my chaser log in 1 year (2021) with my 5W QRP and 3m long whip antenna.
73 Patrick ON4BCA
5 Likes
Good topic, Armin!
one of my goals is to continuously improve my operating technique and optimise my equipment in terms of performance and weight. Both are ongoing processes with no end date.
Making as many S2S QSOs as possible during an activation is another permanent goal.
Every now and then I get enthusiastic about fun events like the HB15SOTA award (which ended in May this year).
However, as @HB9DIZ wrote, I too notice trends rather in retrospect. At the moment, I can recognise a shift in my destinations from low mountain summits to alpine peaks.
As SOTA is a hobby, my main goal, however, is to enjoy being active in beautiful environment. An activation is successful if my internal battery got charged a bit.
73, Roman
7 Likes
Hi all,
My wishes in terms of goals remain quite modest !
Chaser :
- Reach 7500 unique summits by the end of the year.
- Reach 1000 unique summits 5Mhz all modes (my prefered band).
- Finish my all worked G summits (174) I have 10 left.
G/DC-008
G/NP-023 G/NP-026 G/NP-027
G/SC-011 G/SC-013
G/SP-003 G/SP-010 G/SP-012
G/WB-006
subliminal message in the air
Activator :
I’m a long way off the mark of ever being an MG, but I love being on a summit and contacting SOTA friends. I will do what I can to activate according to my state of health.
73, Éric
8 Likes
I didn’t think about my home brew challenges.
Several years ago I set myself the challenge to see if I could manage a ‘scratch built’ transatlantic QSO. I’d been persuaded my a friend and also Pete Juliano N6QW to try an Arduino DDS for the first time. With help from Pete, via emails from California, I managed to build a working 20m SSB rig.
I gave the rig a test run in my garden, with the bare circuit board arranged on a table.
I had finished building the rig around the end of winter, and I’d heard about early morning propagation to Australia. The temptation was too great, so I headed up Sharp Haw G/NP-029 early one morning. I’d not actually tried the rig since I’d finished putting it into the home made case, I’d still only had the one QSO on the rig - in the garden as a naked circuit board. I made a few European QSOs but then I was called by VK1DI! I went on to make a further three QSOs to VK. I still regard this achievement as my ‘ultimate’ achievement in ham radio - I still think its magical, building a voice radio from scratch and contacting at the other side of the globe - I can’t see how it can get any better.
I did eventually achieve my home brew transatlantic QSO, working Barry N1EU.
I keep a sticker on the bottom of my rig -
I’ve not managed to achieve a home brew transatlantic CW QSO yet, which is one reason why I built my tuna can RockMite. I think I’ll have to wait a few years until the propagation supports a QRPp transatlantic QSO.
73, Colin
15 Likes
My personal goal is reaching MG status in a beautiful, satisfying way; as a string of alpine experiences that make sense in themselves given our limited time on Earth; outdoor adventures in calm solitude or crowded companionship that are amplified by the always stunning joy of realizing from strings of dits and dahs in a sea of noise that there is a fellow mind somewhere on this beautiful planet… this combined with a tiny, humble feeling of linkage with the pioneers of alpinism when beeing able to do a first activation evey now and then.
That is the essence of SOTA for me.
73 de Martin, DK3IT
10 Likes
Hi Mark @M0NOM
Definitely would like to come to the G/LD 2022 event and optimistically travel should have eased such that we can “easily” come back to the UK.
Enjoy Malta, never been but seems a great place. Lots of history and possibly the only place to receive a British VC medal.
In another of my too many hobbies I ran across a model of the SS Ohio whose history is thoroughly tied up with Malta. Entirely off topic!!!
Paul
2 Likes
@K6EL EL, I’m almost sure I did share that with you and also that at the time it’s what I adamantly believed!
To some extent as we grow older I think we become more aware of what we really would regret not doing as much as what we want to do. With that, mastering CW is in former camp for me. I don’t think it’s an easy journey for most but after almost 5 months of daily practice and now being in the second of four CW Academy classes, I can finally see a path to success (well that what I want to believe).
I suspect Kay will beat me but I won’t be far behind.
Paul
2 Likes
Excellent topic.
My goals:
- Activate all the summits on or very near the Appalachian Trail.
- Activate previous summits by a different approach such as an opposite direction or other side of the summit.
- Always activate a new and challenging summit on my birthday
- One day before I die, surpass KI4SVM in at least one category. This one is doubtful unless he dies first.
Dean ~ K2JB
4 Likes
Hi Colin,
perfect!!! This is perfect HAM radio.
73 Ludwig
Nice topic!
My challenge (should I say dream?) is to do an S2S with each continent in a single activation.
73 JP3PPL
6 Likes
Hi Mark!
The only way I could do it is by camping at a summit knowing that Africa and South America will activate and that the propagation and weather conditions help.
Hello Colin, thanks for the great video of your home built radio. Congratulations for that achievement and managing to work VK. Well done. 
73 Geoff vk3sq, hope to work you!
1 Like
Very impressive Colin @M1BUU and I like the board lay out using the MePADs which on a much smaller scale I’ve always found fun but hard to arrive at a working circuit that looks sharp. I’m sure you are aware of a fellow Brit Dave Richards a Manhattan King who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area that is (was) a big proponent of Manhattan style.
Pete N6QW chased me on Blanco Peak in the White Mountains on 40m. Given we weren’t too far apart he was 59+ and while I have never worked him before his voice is so distinctive (on YouTube) I knew it was him before he even gave me his call sign.
Keep up the good work!
2 Likes
@M1EYP Activate a whole region within a calendar year
My dream is to activate whole OE/NO.
200 summits. I now have 40. Some of them are not valid any more.
I’m on sota for 8 years now. Some calculating: It will take me 32 years. I’ll be 76 years old then,
seems like a life-time challenge. Well, Tom can do it in one day, no question.
73 Martin
4 Likes
Another good thing about SOTA is you can go back and edit posts you have made.
Context…etc
2 Likes
Hello Armin, hi everyone,
a good question that is not so easy to answer.
Yes, there are goals that are not fixed and also change due to various circumstances .
I am 73 years old and my goals change as a result of different restrictions.For me, Sota is first and foremost the ideal combination of two hobbies, mountaineering / hiking and amateur radio. At first, both take place in nature!
Yes, and sometimes it turns into a sporting event and you also look at the points achieved.I came across Sota late (2016). I am still looking forward to every activity and hope to be able to pursue this variety of our hobby for a long time to come.
It would be important for me to get to know many new areas and maybe also meet one or the other activator.
Best 73
Paul DL6FBK
8 Likes