Am I missing the point here? Is the Sotawatch website intended for spots of activating stations or to let the activators know that you cannot hear them? Surely this is wrong and should not be used as a way of means in contacting the activator that “conditions are poor and I cannot hear you”.
If you can hear “Spot” them. I dare say if I was the one posting in this way I’m sure I would be in trouble…
off my soap box
Dave
In reply to M0IBC:
Hello Dave, the spotting topic has been recently exercised ~~
http://www.sotawatch.org/reflector.php?topic=7859#66271
~~ however I think an idea of propagation is helpful to fellow chasers and sometimes activators.
I have seen some spots and thought no way will I be able to hear them and then a ‘prop spot’ comes up and I am encouraged.
73
Mike G6TUH
Edit PS: Another good reason for ‘prop spots’ I think is because some people have antennas that have directivity which they can adjust on site; eg. buddipoles etc.
Mike, I am well aware of your approval of “prop spots”, you must be well aware of the disapproval of them by a number of your fellow SOTAwatch users. The spots is really for communicating to fellow chasers about what CAN be heard, not communicating to activators that you CANNOT hear them.
You can relay your propagation observations to activators via the reflector, as indeed you regularly do anyway. Please, no more “non-spots”.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Mike G6TUH
Nothing wrong with that one Mike. This is the type of thing that people find irritating:
Thu 15:17
EC2AG/P on EA1/LR-036
14.285 ssb
Sry Antonio no copy SEUK Can hr 9V1SV on .275 but not u ;( (Posted by G6TUH)
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Hello Tom, I suppose so it must be annoying to some. I have to say though that if I entered a post for everything that annoyed me here that would be hugely irritating 
As I now have the opportunity to give an example. Activator on frequency, has worked stations, spot has gone on, then activator goes to another band or frequency.
I leave the radio on frequency and then someone seeing the spot comes on frequency bleating their call. Of course they have not listened and continue to call to a station that does not exist which starts to annoy me.
“The SOTA station has gone QRT (or QSY) from G6TUH”
I sometimes get a brief thanks back and they disappear.
Oh well see what the vote is
No more from me on this thread.
Almost tropical here with +5C.
Mike G6TUH
In reply to M0IBC:
Am I missing the point here? Is the Sotawatch website intended for
spots of activating stations or to let the activators know that you
cannot hear them? Surely this is wrong and should not be used as a way
of means in contacting the activator that “conditions are poor and I
cannot hear you”.
Dave, no you’re not missing the point.
Spots should be, as you say, station W1XYZ is now on summit X/YZ on 14.321.
The fact that the page becomes a bit of a chat room at times can take away some of the clarity and usefulness for a chaser I find.
As a chaser, a simple spot is more often than not all I need. I tune around and listen. Can I hear the station? Yes - call them. No? Listen and tune around some more and then move on. The fact that someone else can or cannot hear them, with or without a garnish of QRM, makes absolutely no difference to my reception capabilities. If I can’t hear them, I can’t work them - period.
There can be the odd gem of info however. Yesterday we could have studied how weaker signals became more readable with QSB (33 - 51 QSB), useful info for those running QRO to reduce power.
As for a method of contacting activators - the vast majority of activators will never see the spot, they have better things to be doing than checking Sotawatch from a mountain top!
Never mind Dave, you can now put your soap box away for another day.
This time you have got away lightly.
When I dared suggest that people don’t post QRGs where the activator is NOT operating:
If there’s one thing that irritates me its people who request changes of frequencies by spotting an activator on a new QRG with a comment along the lines of “Can you do 20m/SSB too?”
I was told that my post was “Arrogant and dreadful”!
So there you are freedom of speech as long as you toe the party line.
I just let it go. I made my point, many others agreed, but some took it a bit too personally.
So I’ll complain no more.
Now shall I start a thread on my dislike of self appointed net controllers and frequency police?
Enjoy
Pete (who really ought to get out on the hills)
In reply to M1EYP:
it is a matter of your imagination:
SOTA watch (as well as DX cluster) should help chasers to find the
activators. It is NOT an additional means of communication with the
activator.
So always think about your input to be helpfull to other users.
E. g.: It does not help to do a new input because the activator is 200Hz
higher or lower in frequency, 500 Hz or more or "his signal drifting down"
or “much QSB” might be very helpfull.
And you might first announce and later delete some minutes after the
activator has left QRG.
73, cu on the SOTA de Mike, dj5av
In reply to G4ISJ:
Spots should be, as you say, station W1XYZ is now on summit X/YZ on 14.321.
I have only been participating in Sota for several months, and yes before you say it I am still very green on the Sota process.
However it is very easy to spot innovation so that Sota doesnt stand still but moves forward with the modern way of thinking.
You see Sota is all about the thrill of the chase for us chasers and thats what gives us the buzz.
It also breeds an element of competitiveness.
Therefore I believe if somebody wants to test the water and attempt new ways of thinking to gain more points,why not?
In reply to G4ISJ:
…As for a method of contacting activators - the vast majority of activators will never see the spot, they have better things to be doing than checking Sotawatch from a mountain top!..
I totally agree with you Pete, in fact on many of the summits there is no GSM signal so no way to check Sotawatch, but even when there is getting 3G can be very difficult.
Victor GI4ONL
In reply to M6RGF:
As an activator, I don’t carry anything that would allow me to look at spots, even if there was phone coverage, so messaging me in that way would be pointless. (pun intended :o)
As a chaser, I look at Sotawatch from time to time, and it is most useful when the condensed view shows a list of recent spots. I’ll listen for any location / band combination that seems possible, and call in if I can hear the activator, as Steve does.
Much less useful to me is when the condensed view shows multiple spots for the same activation, many of which say “can’t hear you” or suchlike.
I don’t have any strong feelings about missing an activation, as I am not an ardent chaser. But an activator could be spotted, but still fail to achieve the 4 necessary contacts. I would have called him if I had seen the spot, but it was pushed out of view by a series of repeat “comment” spots. An unlikely scenario, but not impossible!
Just my 2 penn’orth
Adrian
G4AZS
In reply to GI4ONL:
they have better things to be doing than checking Sotawatch from a mountain top!..
How people choose to operate when on a summit is of course their call…some use the spotting system some dont.
However the proof in the pudding is the very clear lead Mike has on the S2S.
Hat off to Mickey as greatness has been achieved by skilfully using the tools provided by Sota.
Anyhow I too have other things to be attending too now.
73
And have a nice Easter.
Russ
M6RGF
In reply to G4AZS:
As an activator, I don’t carry anything that would allow me to look at spots, even if there was phone coverage, so messaging me in that way would be pointless. (pun intended :o)
Love the pun Adrian…Have a great Easter.:o)
M6RGF
In reply to M6RGF:
However the proof in the pudding is the very clear lead Mike has on
the S2S.
Hat off to Mickey as greatness has been achieved by skilfully using
the tools provided by Sota.
I’m not belittling Mike, but if your summit stay is measured in hours rather than minutes then your chances of S2S contacts are greatly enhanced. I doff my hat to him for having the hardiness and stamina to sit on top of a hill for so long in full winter conditions, I couldn’t do it! It’s not SOTA as most of us do it, but it is magnificent!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
.
If it weren’t for the likes of Mickey, many s2s enthusiasts would be shut-out on days when their 8 or 10 point climb yielded no such contacts…when a single QSO with him would have gained both sets of points toward the s2s award. Clearly he is the founder of the IBM (Iron Bottom Meritocracy), an august group I hope to be worthy of joining.
.
Elliott, K6ILM
IBM’er wannabe
In reply to K6ILM:
Clearly he is the founder of the IBM
(Iron Bottom Meritocracy), a group I hope to be worthy of joining.
Like it!!!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
I doff my hat to him for having the hardiness and stamina to
sit on top of a hill for so long in full winter conditions, I couldn’t
do it! It’s not SOTA as most of us do it, but it is magnificent!
There’s no secret to it, Brian. In order to stay aclimatised to the cold, I simply sleep in the chest freezer every night The sprouts are a bit lumpy though 
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
In reply to G8ADD:
There’s no secret to it, Brian. In order to stay aclimatised to the
cold, I simply sleep in the chest freezer every night
I suppose when summer comes, and you have to give up the habit, you go through cold turkey :o)
Adrian
G4AZS
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Oh man! I can just imagine it - the alarm goes off and then a Hammer House of Horror scene as re-imagined by Monty Python, the lid creaks up, a puff of vapour, and Mike emerging white faced, covered in frost and icicles, amidst a cascade of sprouts!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to K6ILM:
In reply to G8ADD:
.
If it weren’t for the likes of Mickey, many s2s enthusiasts would be
shut-out on days when their 8 or 10 point climb yielded no such
contacts…when a single QSO with him would have gained both sets of
points toward the s2s award.
Indeed, Elliott. An activator who participates in s2s award, will always be dissapointed to leave a sumiit no matter how small without a s2s contact. There have been plenty of activators who have climbed 6, 8 and 10 point summits, who have been delighted to hear a call from a 1 point summit.
Clearly he is the founder of the IBM
(Iron Bottom Meritocracy), an august group I hope to be worthy of
joining.
.
I’ll give it due consideration Elliott, however, I make no promises
73 Mickey
2E0YYY