For a young chaser I am, I see that some peaks have never been activated! Why? No doubt because they are difficult to access, or because they are in isolated areas or ask for authorizations difficult to obtain or other reasons… It’s a shame…
So why not “reward” the activators who will activate a summit for the first time? A bonus like the one that exists in winter for some high summits would “boost” the SOTA activity by encouraging activators to make new ones and by filling chasers with unique summits!
Your thoughts on this suggestion…
Best regards.
Chris - F4WBN
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Ciao Chris. See the answers to my topic " [First Activation Bonus: why not?]"
I think about the same things as you but we are lonely
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Hi,
When the ideas seem good they must be repeated to “shake the old coconut tree”…
Thanks.
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One point, Chris, irrespective of whether I agree or disagree with you on this, if you want to start a discussion on the reflector you have gone the right way about it, but if you want to make a serious suggestion it is better to contact the MT directly using the contact details on the “SOTA home” website. Remember, though, that any such change as you are suggesting would involve a lot of work behind the scenes re-writing the software and updating websites, so the MT would have to see potential for a real benefit before undertaking the work.
My personal take on this is that many unactivated summits are unactivated for good reasons, such as private property, military reservations, hard to get to summits in remote locations, tribal reservations, and physical difficulty to reach the AZ - such as needing high technical climbing skills - or dangers from stonefall. Keen first activators might be tempted to trespass to bag a summit, but in some places (such as the USA!) trespassing could be quite dangerous with property defended at gunpoint! The MT would have to consider whether the existance of a bonus might motivate people to take unwise risks - indeed, even the winter bonus has been criticised for that reason.
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The other main reason why we haven’t adopted this suggestion previously, and are unlikely to do so now or in the future, is that the points in any of our awards can be claimed by everyone, regardless of when they start taking part.
You can’t run an awards programme in which you can’t claim points because a fellow participant has already done so.
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Chris, speaking as an activator, I appreciate your desire to reward us and encourage more activations. But I agree with the others that the benefits of such a reward would be outweighed by the negative aspects. For me, it is enough to be listed on the summit page as the first activator.
By the way, thanks for being such a diligent chaser - you are my top activation chaser!
73,
Roy
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I like this idea. I would also like to see recognition for activators that garner a large number of chasers. Not that there is anything wrong with getting your four and going home if that is your thing, but those of us that stay on the summit for as long as we can and work as many as we can are good ambassadors for the program by my way of thinking.
Another country heard from,
Eric KG6MZS
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Once someone has “1st activation” nobody else can get that status. As I have said before if you award the first activator you disenfranchise all the people who were not able to take part in SOTA when you allocated the award. If my son was to get licenced now there are only a handful of unactivated Scottish summits left and because he wasn’t a ham at the time, he can NEVER get any of these awards.
Award people for doing things not doing things because they were active at an opportune time.
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I see your point Andy and I should probably be more in your camp than not as I didn’t discover the program until 2020 when most of the juicy Southern California summits had already been claimed - summits I had done when I was only doing the Sierra Club’s Hundred Peaks list:
I still like traveling to find the unactivated. Actually I really relish the major trifecta: 1st ever activation, my first time there and a new HPS summit. (a “complete” can stand in for the 1st ever activation)
Eric KG6MZS
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I have to say the admirations from the reflector community when you do something special is a good incentive to go the extra mile.
Reporting first activations on a regular basis would be great but obviously requires effort.
Regards Mark
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I can understand the various reasons for not awarding extra points for a first activation and am in favour of retaining the status quo.
As a first time activator (x2) I have to admit to a certain vanity in seeing my callsign forever acknowledged in the database as that summit’s first activator. I also like to look at the other unactivated summits and consider whether I can add some more notches to my mast. However, I regard it as a purely personal goal. I’m not inspired to activate first more summits than someone else and fully recognise my (many) limitations (not including modesty).
Chris, I will let you know if/when I plan to activate any more of the unactivated summits; and no doubt we will exchange 59s thanks to your enviable setup (and chasing commitment)!
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Maybe if folk want acknowledgement then a certificate could be way to go, with a graded point system for first time activations based on total summit points?
Of course I know I am volunteering the likes of @MM0FMF for more work, but he will have all that free time on his hands after his retirement 
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If the attraction of the first activator is important enough then there are a hundred accessible peaks in VK that haven’t been activated. It will cost you some money but the once in a lifetime opportunity is there.
Plan, organise, do.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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Sounds good Ron! I’m guessing that would be a few bus journeys from Scotland for me?
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Definitely agree with Andy - I was one of the early starters and there are very few GM/ES summits that others can claim a first activation for - now I am much less active (turns on the coil) but others are now working their way through all the summits up here but can never claim “first activation” - but it is a first activation for them and that should be the only measurement
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Hi Fraser,
Fly, bus, walk could work but fly, drive, hike is a better bet. Our bus companies seem to be fixated on destinations where they can deliver and collect a bus full of paying passengers. Driving a 4wd is better.
Hint: These summits are not in the centre of cities
You have the experience. Bring Mo for an adventure.
But be quick. I hear a soon to be retired activator is looking at his atlas to find out where Queensland is.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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I’m sure the soon-to-be-retired activator knows full well that it is a holiday park in Girvan. But I thought he’d already activated Ailsa Craig GM/SS-246?
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I think being forever memorialised as the first activator of a summit massively outweighs a measly 3 point bonus.
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I consider myself to be very fortunate to have been able to be the first to activate a number of summits. I do not want a fanfare, a certificate or indeed any points. The achievement of being the first is purely personal. In no way should it detract from what others achieve in activating these summits after me.
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Interrogative: What’s the best way to see your “first activations” on the Database?