Sota, I do it my way

Activation Reports
1

After more than 500 activations in 5 active Sota years it is time for a summary. In order not to bore you with it, here is a fictional interview:

X: Chris, with around 100 activations per year, it seems like you’re enjoying the Sota program. How did you come to this?
C: In 2013 I had to give up my job with a burn out and depression. Fortunately, I found the strength to pursue my old passion and finally get the Ham radio license.
X: And how did you get to Sota?
C: It only really started in 2016. The portable operation in nature with small equipment has always fascinated me. Fortunately, the conditions were raised around 2014 and I was always able to find a qso partner with the FT-817 and 5W by chance. By the way, I activated 2 summits without spot. At some point I happened to hear Pom, DG7ACF and it took me on one of its activations. And spot me.
X: And that intrigued you?
C: And how. I found it extremely exciting to finally experience a pileup for myself. And then I activated one summit after the other in our area.
X: Will you soon become a mountain gout?
C: Oh dear, with 504 points and an average of only 0.98, I’m still a long way from that. After all, two local summits have already activated over 90 times.
X: Don’t you get bored of going up the same mountain over and over again?
C: Not really. In these times of pandemic and climate change, I avoid long journeys and individual traffic as much as possible. But I have to admit that I usually take the car to get to the starting point of the hike. But I rarely have to drive more than 1 hour to do this.
X: So is sota not a competition for you?
C: The most important thing about sota are the many lovely people I got to know. Some even personally. Despite qrn / m and qsb you can feel the joy of every contact. Even if you’ve mostly never met, it feels like a big family to me.
X: And then?
C: At the moment I’m focusing specifically on the s2s qso. Right now I have 7500pts on s2s and hope to get 10000pts this year. It is therefore quite possible that I will not send a spot on the summit. I’m sorry for the chasers.
X: This sets you apart from many activators who climb as many different summits as possible.
C: Yes, I do it my way

73 Chris

40 Likes
2

Congratulations on the 500 activations, and I enjoyed the interview! Here’s to 500 more and look forward to another S2S QSO sometime this year.

73 and I hope you keep enjoying SOTA!

Matthew M0JSB

2 Likes
3

Hello Chris, every S2S it’s a pleasure with you!
73 Fabio

1 Like
4

Hi Chris,
you made me thinking that actually it is a great idea to walk or climb on a summit twice or more often a year to exclusively make S2S contacts even though you wouldn’t get activator points for that activation. Sometimes a summit is just nearby but has already been activated, but making S2S contacts is definitively an alternative.
73 de Chris

3 Likes
5

A very similar journey for me @DL1GKC Chris, although you got a couple of years jump on me. I feel the same way about SOTA. I didn’t even know there was a S2S award until about a month ago, but it seems like a great goal - not least because S2S contacts never seem to loose their shine! I am a little off a 2,500 point award.

Cheers, Mark.

2 Likes
6

X: Already do any QSO with F5LKW/P ?

73 QRO and Bravo !

3 Likes
7

Hi Chris,

a great idea with your interview, I liked it very much!
Good luck and health and enjoy your DM/NS summit in future.
73 Lutz

1 Like
8

YES YES YES!

7 Likes
9

C:Yes, Roger is very nice too. I had 26 contacts with F5LKW. The first in 2017 and last year even on 10m and 6m.

2 Likes
10

Good Morning Chris @DL1CR.

Nice Interview :+1: Everyone enjoys SOTA as they want and can :mountain_snow: See you soon again in a QSO.

73 Marcel DM3FAM

2 Likes
11

Excellent idea and very good thoughts!
Looking forward to a S2S Qso!

73s
Ingo

1 Like
12

I like the Interview very much. Sounds like a good title for a song. 73. W.J.L.

13

73 Chris

2 Likes