Some Misunderstanding in Spain

The SOTA MT has recently become aware of a "Vertices Geodesicos Award"
program for radio amateurs in Spain. This requires activators to stay
at a “Vertice Geodesico” for at least two hours and to make a minimum
of 200 QSOs. However there is no requirement to use battery power so
operating from or using a vehicle is permitted. In fact none of the
SOTA requirements such as final access or fossil fuel generators are
in this program.

Several Spanish “Vertices Geodesicos” activators have recently logged
their activations in the SOTA database even when operating from a
vehicle or using power supplies which were connected to a 230V supply,
which of course is contrary to the SOTA rules. We are requiring these
activations to be deleted from the database by these operators. If
this does not happen then the SOTA MT will delete the activations. As
well SOTA chasers who may have logged these activation should delete
their chase record.

We also know that sometimes more than one operator has activated using
the same call sign and we have seen these being logged in one case by
both operators. SOTA points accrue to the operator and not the call
sign so an activator must not log QSOs that were made by an other
operator.

We would appreciate it if some Spanish activator or chaser could reply
to this post with the translation of this text in Spanish.

73 Jim G0CQK
OBO SOTA MT

In reply to G0CQK:
Hi Jim,
I will do the translation to spanish as soon as I can.
I am also in the “Vertices Geodesicos Award”, so I know very well the rules and what makes it different to SOTA award.
Best 73,
Mo, EA4MZ.

In reply to G0CQK:

“As well SOTA chasers who may have logged these activation should delete
their chase record.”

Just a thought Jim - how would chasers know they`ve logged one of these activations?

73 G1INK heading up to Northumberland tomorrow for a few days.

In reply to G0CQK:

“or fossil fuel generators”

This rule might need an overhaul as I guess that nowadays a generator running on chip fat might technically be possible?

73 Richard G3CWI
(who admits responsibility for the rule in question.)

In reply to G0CQK:
I’ve tried to make the translation as literal as possible but, if any error, it will be mine. I have corrected just the time and number of QSOs needed. So follows:

"El Equipo de Gestion de SOTA ha sabido recientemente del “Diploma Vertices Geodesicos” para radioaficionados en España. Este requiere que los activadores permanezcan en un Vertice Geodesico durante al menos una hora o hagan un mínimo de 100 QSOs. Sin embargo, no es necesario usar baterias como fuente de energía sino que tambien se permite operar desde o utilizando un vehículo. De hecho ninguno de los requisitos SOTA tales como el acceso final o el uso de los generadores de combustibles fósiles se aplican en este programa.

Recientemente, varios activadores de Vertices Geodesicos han cargado sus activaciones en la base de datos SOTA incluso cuando han estado operando desde un vehículo o utilizando fuentes de energía conectadas a una fuente de 230V, lo que es por supuesto contrario a las reglas de la SOTA. Estamos solicitando que estas activaciones sean borradas de la base de datos por estos operadores. Si esto no sucede, el Equipo de Gestion de SOTA eliminará las activaciones. De igual forma, los cazadores SOTA que hayan subido estas activaciones a la base de datos deberan borrarlas.

Sabemos tambien que a veces mas de un operador han realizado activaciones utilizando todos el mismo indicativo y hemos visto que, en un caso, han subido el mismo log para ambos operadores. Los puntos SOTA se acumulan para cada operador, por lo que un activador no puede cargar QSO’s que fueron realizados por otro operador.

Agradeceriamos si algun activador o cazador español pudiera responder a este post con la traduccion de este texto en castellano."

N.B.
You can read the V.G. Award basis at: Bases Diploma Vértices Geodésicos de España – DVGE | Radio Club Henares

73 de Mikel EA2CW

In reply to G1INK:
Around 99% of the calls logged are from EA stations, so we will try and resolve this via the EA Association Managers. For the handful of non EA stations, we can probably let then know directly. We may have to provide details of deleted activations in some cases, but we would like to avoid a messy situation.
I will be looking for your weekend plans.
73 Jim G0CQK

In reply to G0CQK:
Hi Jim,
I understand the point. Your are rigth and the spanish Vertex award is a completely different program running here since years.
But just to keep that in mind, some vertex are placed in the wild and there is no other way to reach them than climbing and carrying batteries like we do on Sota.

It wouldn’t be acqurate to consider that all EA vertex activation are done with the aid of a car.
Myself, in the past, I worked as a chaser some vertex and contacted later the activator to request his working conditions, and so far -as for me- when they were giving both the Sota and the Vertex reference they fulfilled the Sota requirements and were activating running on batteries and reached the summit on foot.

I agree we should take care to not accept Sota refs when they have not been activated meeting the rules, but please do not consider all the Vertex activation as a non-valid ones…

It’s gonna be difficult to differentiate ones from the others, although there is a number of regular EA activators that give both refs and they always meet the Sota criteria. They are well known and they frequently upload videos and we can see their working condition are suitable to Sota.
Most probably, the EA management could advise the Vertex program to encourage avoidance of Sota rules violation to their activators.

Count on me as well to provide any required support. Myself, I decided long time ago that I would just provide the Sota ref to allow DX contacts. If you give the Vertex ref the EA pile-up is such long that EU & DX contacts become very difficult.
All the best, 73
Ignacio EA2BD

Ps: well done Mikel, the translation is fine!

In reply to G0CQK:
Hello everyone

This is me becoming more like a soap opera , it seems at this point someone doubt my activities, I think I’ve been honest and right by 'll reply via e- mail from the contents of ok .
Already explained the reasons that led me out , it is clear the rules must be complied with and made a mistake and I accept it , repeat if someone is upset or affected the result I apologize.
We were operating almost four hours in which 90 percent was transmitting it in person at the 7MHz band in which I worked mister John G0RQL , passed the following when I changed the antenna to twenty meters and checking it was right , I took hechar some pictures of the environment , and the return I realized I did not have my glasses and spent a good time in the search due to the amount of leaves, and for this reason my friend Josep EA3FHP out this is what happened.
My most are almost activations in videos, if anyone doubts my activities , I think I do not deserve such treatment , this is a hobby , is to just have a good and do not want to get into allusions in nigún site .
For my part nothing seems reasonable if this thread should be closed

EA3HP
Daniel

In reply to EA2BD:
Oh Ignacio, I am well aware that not all Vertices are easily accessible and I have watched many videos of dramatic countryside with significant rock structures and scrambles. These clearly count for both SOTA and the VGA. However I have seen several videos of a number of Vertex activations using clearly 230v supplies or being conducted from a vehicle. There are also videos of teams of activators who access via person power and carry a number of batteries but we can see all using one call sign and all the QSOs logged under just one call sign. All of these situations are against the SOTA rules and we must ensure the integrity of SOTA. All of these people need to be advised. In some cases it may be simply language misunderstanding and that needs to be clarified.
73 Jim G0CQK