I am new to SOTA (like the whole EA1 association) and learning every day about its workings. The other day I uploaded my first log and checked the activator statistics and award schemes. There is something that puzzles me and would appreciate if you could clarify it to me.
As far as I understand, as an activator you have to make 4 QSOs from a summit in order to get the points associated to that summit. Making more QSOs will not give you any extra points for activator awards.
So if you walk to a summit with a walkie-talkie and make 4 local QSOs on 2m FM, you will get the same points as if you carry an HF rig and antennas and make 400 QSOs on different bands and modes with different countries all around the world.
It all depends on what you want out of SOTA… if you just want is to tick off the summits with four QSOs then you can do that (whether on 2/FM, or any other band/mode). If you want to make lots of QSOs then you can do that too (again, you can do that on 2/FM if conditions are right)
Personally, as a relative newbie, I look on SOTA as an excuse for portable operating, and opening up new opportunities… the points I gain are almost inconsequential.
This is correct, you get no additional points for making more than four contacts. Making additional contacts gives you the satisfaction of giving points to more chasers, gives you the opportunity to work more countries and greater distances, and gives you an increased chance of making summit to summit (S2S) contacts for which there is an independant award scheme. Also, and this could be important to you, if the chasers know that you will take the trouble to stay on the summit and work as many of them as possible then they will make more effort to work you, so you have a better chance of a successful activation. We call an activation where the operator makes just four contacts and closes down a “smash and grab” activation, and many chasers won’t bother to call known “smash and grab” activators as they have a better chance of being rewarded with points if they use their time looking for more generous activators. In effect SOTA is a partnership between chasers and activators.