Hi folks… Today a fellow ham was activating a summit about 22 km from my QTH. He was operating on 20m and since I live near downtown of my city, it was impossible to reach him. However, our club has a remote station about 6 km from here and it can be operated via internet by 2 or 3 peoples only, me included (passwords required).
Via that station, the contact was possible and made easily. My question: is it ‘legal’ for both the activator and the chaser (me) to consider it a valid activation ??
The situation regarding remote stations remains unchanged. At present there is nothing in the General Rules regulating the use of remote stations. If at some time in the future the MT decide that such regulation is necessary, any new regulation will not be applied retrospectively. Your contact is and will remain valid.
You must operate from a portable power source (e.g. batteries, solar cells). Fossil fuel
based generators are not allowed. All equipment must be carried by you to the summit.
Update
From original Summits on the Air – General Rules
3.7.1 Criteria for a valid Expedition All equipment must be carried to the site by the Activator team.
The original question was about validity or not of chasing (not S2S) using a remote station and that’s been clearly answered by Brian in behalf of the SOTA MT.
Regarding the quoted sentence, I see it off topic but I think it’s not well worded, as I may go to the summit with friends and they may be carrying part or all the equipment to the summit for me. In that case, all the equipment will have not been carried by me to the summit, but I understand it should be 100% valid no matter how many friends or goats I used to carry the equiment to the summit for me.
In my opinion, rather than current vaguities about the use of vehicles to get to the summit, it would be much better writing things clearly about how an activator can get to the summit the way he/she wants/can but stating that the activation will only be valid for SOTA as long as the radio station, including the operator, remains away and fully independent mechanical and electrically of any motor vehicle at all times during the activation, as well as of any mains or motor based portable power sources.
But this has been discussed in other threads and there it should continue in case it does.
73,
The rule about carrying equipment means that you cannot use equipment already there. For example if somebody has a permanent shack at the summit (there are examples of this) you are not allowed to plug in your portable, battery-powered rig into their antenna system – you must carry your own antenna.
You may be right about vehicles, Guru - although the basic principles of SOTA have remained unchanged since it commenced, there have been several iterations of the GR with the intention of clarifying those principles and closing loopholes - people are good at sniffing out loopholes! Sometimes the full meaning is distributed through several paragraphs - for instance having friends help carry the equipment is covered by 3.7.1.5. “All equipment must be carried to the site by the Activation team.” This precludes the use of equipment, including antennas, that are permanently located in the AZ. Here it might be understood that a pack animal may be considered as part of the team!
I do see that 3.7.1.3 needs a re-write, I would think of something along the lines of “Although in a minority of cases it may be possible to access the Activation Zone by vehicle, operation must not be in, or in the close vicinity of, a motor vehicle. No part of the station may be connected in any way with the motor vehicle.” At the same time, the MT have always accepted that summits with vehicle access make it possible for people with disabilities to take part in SOTA, and that close vicinity to a vehicle - though still not touching it - may be necessary in some cases. Here again, we have to consider people who are confined to powered wheelchairs…the process of refinement is never ending, at some point it has to stop!
The real problem remains unsolved. For short distances, the HF bands are almost unsable. Why not using VHF ?
After some attempts, it seems that on VHF, a short distance QSO is possible ( and confortable).
Next year, I will certainly open a VHF spot during my activation to give a chance to anyone leaving in the near proximity ( in FL/VO and HB9) to reach the summit. I’m just looking for a convenient VHF antenna ( probably vertical with some gain).
