SOTAmaps GPS Tracks functionality

Activation Reports Pre-Planning
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I recently had a question about the GPS tracks functionality as featured on the SOTAmaps website. This website is a great tool for planning your SOTA activations. And as more devices support the recording of GPS tracks, uploading a track could be very helpful for other activators:

The only SOTA-related GPS tracks are at the sotamaps.org website which is a great tool if you are not already using it. Select the “mapping” tab then “tracks” in the drop down menu. For W7A, I see there are 98 GPS tracks uploaded, primarily from KR7RK, NJ7V, and W7JET. You can also add a short helpful note for that track and view the elev/distance profile for the track. You can get a list of all tracks available for a Assoc/Region (like W7A/AW-xxx by clicking on the “List all in System” button on the left menu which will give you a list of those 98 tracks. Check the track button to get specific track info that is drawn on the map.

After you select a specific track, you can then display that track with the “View User-Defined Tracks on Map” menu on the left screen. Very nice, IMO.

As you explore this application, note that you can (from the main menu), select an Assoc, then click the “Multi Region” button and get a list of summits for that Region or multiple Regions. That summit listing has a “star” next to summits with a stored track. See the attached screen snip.

This is a feature that Rob/DM1CM, the app developer for SOTAmaps, has offered up for the SOTA community. As more folks use GPS-capable devices and upload their tracks, especially on longer, trailless hikes, it will only help with the Activators hike plans.

Please add an “External Link” to the summit info page to help other Activators that a track exists on the SOTAmapping website.

By the way, I’m using the GAIA App for my iPhone (also available for Android). The app doesn’t drain your phone battery the way other GPS tracking apps do. Plus you can preload local maps and use it for navigation.

Probably much more info than you were asking…

Regards, Guy/n7un (aka nS0TA)
SOTA MT Summits Team

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I think the Tracks can be tremendously helpful, would love to see more use this feature. There are quite a few peaks that have numerous activations but no info on how the ops made their approach. There are times when seeing someone’s track might help make things safer, there have been several where I took the wrong approach and discovered upon reaching the top that a better way up existed. I try to upload my Garmin GPS64 track immediately after every activation. I also try to blog about the hike but I’m pretty far behind with that.
Keith KR7RK

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Love the palindromic callsign :slight_smile:

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Use this feature regularly. Most England and Wales hills now have tracks and descriptions.

Great resource to have.

Thanks to the other activators and of course to Rob for the site.

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This is a fantastic tool with a lot of potential. It is very useful for future activators.
I’ll try to do it on a regular basis going forward as well.
sotamaps.org rocks, love that tool.

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Uploaded a track for my latest JA 1 QSO failure: JA/NI-148.