SOTA friends net on Peanut - 0900z Monday 20th April

People
61

Hi Tom , sounds fine with me. Note that it will be saturday morning for vk.
73 de Geoff vk3sq

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62

Reminder - SOTA friends net on Peanut coming up in just over an hour.

Everyone welcome. It’s mainly SOTA activators and chasers of course, but we do usually get one or two dropping in that are just intrigued by the room name!

Look forward to chatting with SOTA friends around the world again in a short while.

63

The net is underway, and in the SOTA room on Peanut are:

Tom @M1EYP
Jens @HB9EKO
Allen @2E0AGB
Jimmy @M0HGY
Geoff @VK3SQ
John @EI3KA
Mark KM6ZPO

64

Thanks again Tom a job well done :smiley: :smiley: It was lovely to hear everyone and I am so sorry for taking a bad turn. Best 73 de 2E0AGB

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65

No apology necessary Allen. You just take it easy and look after yourself - I hope you’re feeling much better soon, and thanks again for supporting the “PeaNet”.

66

Tom, thanks for arranging the net. Allen, hope you are doing better today.

73 Jens HB9EKO

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67

Next proposed Peanut SOTA gatherings:

Monday 20th April - 0900z

Thursday 23rd April - 1600z

Sunday 26th April - 1030z

Any comments or other suggestions?

68

Thursday and Sunday would work for me.
73 Jens HB9EKO

69

Here’s a suggestion. How about a forum where I can join? Peanut is neat, but it is limited to Windows and Android.

I’ve registered a SOTA server on Discord and I’m glad to add more admins. Discord has a web UI and native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

This invitation link is good for 24 hours. I could make a non-expiring link, but I’d rather not put that on a public server.

wunder

70

I’m predominantly an iPad and iPhone user as well Wunder, but Peanut is now established for SOTA, and works really well. We’re not going to be standing it down so quickly, with its initial success and effectiveness.

I either use a desktop PC, a small Windows tablet (same one I use for WSJT) or an Android phone borrowed from one of my sons.

71

I’m not sure that three get-togethers is “established”, but y’all have fun without me. I’m excluded, I’ve never owned any Windows or Android gear.

The Discord server is still open.

wunder

72

You don’t know what fun you are missing. And so cheap too! :wink:

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73

Peanut has not only served for the get-together nets Tom has nicely advertised and organised. Peanut is being used and enjoyed by many of us on one to one QSOs like the ones I’ve had with Luc ON7DQ, Ignacio EA2BD, Ric EA4M, Jens HB9EKO, Bruce W2SE, Lars, SM4BLM, Allen 2E0AGB and surely others I don’t mention here now.
To be honest, these are the type of QSOs I have enjoyed most over Peanut. The bigger nets are nice because many of us show up and we can hear each other voices with great audio quality and not having the QRM, QSB or the rush of a SOTA pileup, but having a one to one QSO is great because it let’s you get into a more detailed and personal conversation, which is highly enjoyable and less likely to happen when there are 8 or 12 hams in the room.
I encourage you all to show up and call CQ on the Peanut SOTA room for a chat from time to time, either while you are home or away in an outside walk.
This will surely strengthten the knowledge and ties between the SOTA community.
73,

Guru

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74

It’s more established than the single voice calling for it’s abolition :wink:

[By the way, it’s 5 - the next one will be #6]

75

I have not called for its abolition. I’ve asked folks to try something that reaches more SOTA operators.

wunder

76

To be fair, there have been many such attempts in the past that were expected to reach many amateur radio operators. The “survirvors” are

I have been monitoring them all for years now, with virtually no activity except for about maybe 5 regular users.

Echolink never took off for SOTA either, but Peanut seems to attract more people.

One option would be to use run an “ambeserver” on DCS033 module S for Peanut. That would combine a “ham radio” solution with an internet based application. It just requires an “always on” machine with a fixed IP address and a USB dongle (see ambeserver – David PA7LIM).

…but I guess some people would then ask “to try something that reaches more SOTA operators.” than D-STAR" because they happen to use another technology :wink:

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77

Hi Wunder,

thanks for that, I have logged in, (got a funny announcement that a kangaroo had arrived), but at that time no other users were active. It’s in my list. been using discord for a few years.

Andrew vk1da/2uh

78

Discord is used in VK as a text message back channel for SOTA and Parks activations. It has proven to be robust. I’ve added this SOTA channel to my Discord desk top.

79

Quite agree Christophe, all the systems you mentioned require people to buy in to that particular technology. Until we have a Betamax/VHS moment (if anyone actually remembers video tapes :wink:) this situation will persist. I suspect peanut’s “success” in the SOTA community has something to do with the unique situation we find ourselves. Time will tell if it survives the end of lock down. Most of us probably just want to get back out in the hills with our radios!
Stay safe and happy

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80

Lockdown has encouraged people a bit more to try to connect together using these internet technologies, without doubt. However, from my own perspective, I’ve found Peanut generally more pleasant, enjoyable and easy to use compared to previous such attempts we’ve had at this sort of thing via Echolink, SOTALINK (WIRES-X), internet chatrooms etc.

Regarding Wunder @K6WRU’s proposal for Discord, well there’s no reason that cannot happen as well. I will continue to organise the Peanut get-togethers for now, but if Wunder would like to organise some scheduled gatherings on Discord, then I would support that too. If that also attracts regular support like the Peanut net is doing, then maybe we could settle into a schedule of alternate platforms.

Meanwhile, see you all for the next “SOTA PeaNet” tomorrow morning @ 0900z. (Evening for our VK friends).