In reply to M1MAJ:
I find it rather worrying how often it seems to be necessary to
self-spot in order to get contacts from a summit.
It’s not just on a summit… it is the same for any of the other programmes. If one is on the “designated” frequency for the activation, then getting contacts is easy enough - but stray by even a single kc and the inability of chasers to twiddle the dial can leave you talking to yourself, until a spot appears on the cluster and whoosh - the hoards descend.
In reply to M6ADB:
Hello Andrew,
This bit is not true:
“…but stray by even a single kc and the inability of chasers to twiddle the dial.”
Here I do not have to “twiddle” as I can see most of a whole band. There are some dumpling chasers who just wait for spots to arrive but best not to put all chasers onto one label!
Mike
In reply to G6TUH:
This bit is not true:
I agree absolutely with Mike.
There are times when I have not even had to call CQ.
Just tuning up around the usual SOTA watering holes often gains contacts before I’m ready for chasers or any spot has been posted.
Always nice to get a few QSOs before the onset of the maelstrom.
There are some very dedicated chasers out there.
Pete
In reply to M1EYP:
Martyn is a CW op Walt!
I don’t think I have ever heard a CW SOTA activation on the 5 MHz band!
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to G3NYY:
I’ve done a quite a few CW QSOs on 5MHZ.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Yes you certainly have Andy. I don;t go on the band as much these days but I have logged 8 SOTA QSOs with MM0FMF/P on 60m CW here. Check your station out Walt…
73 Phil
G4OBK
In reply to MM0FMF:
And so have I but not for a while.
Dave/G4ASA
Hi Tom
All things considered and on balance… I think doing a magnificent mountain like Pillar in the sunshine has got to be well up in my top 5 summits.
Hi Paul
We walked up from Wasdale Head via the Black Sail Pass and the top ridge path. It was not as difficult as we expected taking just over 3 hours with lots of water breaks. We did start at 7:45am (the earliest we could get there) and walked through the valley in the shady morning even though the temperature was already into the high teens. It was a long slog though.
To all the chasers and spotters,
Thank you for making it such a great day out on the hills. Helen will hopefully be able to write up our last few days soon,
Carolyn
In reply to G3NYY:
I don’t think I have ever heard a CW SOTA activation on the 5 MHz
band!
37.5% of my CW QSOs have been on 5MHz.
100% of my CW QSOs have been SOTA chases.
Martyn M1MAJ
In reply to M1MAJ:
.
So, Martyn, is that an I.Q. test??
Elliott, K6EL
In reply to M1MAJ:
Therefore, I deduce:
You have made 8 CW SOTA “chase” QSOs in total.
3 of your CW SOTA “chase” QSOs were made on 5 MHz.
You have not done any CW SOTA activations.
[Other solutions are possible].
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to G3NYY:
[Other solutions are possible]
…but not after one has looked at Martyn’s chaser log on the Database. Your solution is spot on Walt.
I knew that Martyn had chased my activations several times (three in fact) on CW, but didn’t realise he had never activated himself with CW.
CW activating is very highly recommended Martyn - go for it. As an added incentive, I can confirm that you are lucky to have the best prefix for CW activating!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
CW activating is very highly recommended Martyn - go for it. As an
added incentive, I can confirm that you are lucky to have the best
prefix for CW activating!
Trying to extend the domination of CW, Tom?
Is this a syllogism too far?:
If it is easier to qualify an activation on CW,
and if there is merit in tackling difficulty,
Then there is more merit in a phone activation!
Just in fun…
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Trying to extend the domination of CW, Tom?
What is this domination of which you speak?
Of all the SOTA activator QSOs in the Database:
Phone - 54.0%
CW - 45.8%
If it is easier to qualify an activation on CW, and if there is merit in tackling difficulty, Then there is more merit in a phone activation!
Without doubt Brian. CW activating makes it so easy to qualify that it sometimes feels almost like cheating. However, Martyn’s remarks were concerned with the sometimes difficulty getting QSOs while activating, and Walt suggested CW as a way of improving this. I am supporting Walt’s advice.
Having said that it seemed the other way round last night. After a slow 14 QSOs on PSK63 in the 80m CC Data contest, I got a swift 15 QSOs on SSB. But just the solitary one on CW. When I enter that activation in the Database, it will further extend the domination of phone over CW in SOTA.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
So,
keep calm
and
make some CW
CW rules! 
yours, ea2CW
In reply to G8ADD:
It is noticable, though, how more and more chasers on 80/60/40 give R4 reports citing high local noise levels
When I can hear them at all, most of the 40m acivators have been R2 with me today in s8-9 noise 
Roll on the next expedition…
73 de Paul G4MD
In reply to M1EYP:
.
MARTYN’S HOME-BOUND SECRET
Which is the best: CW, Phone
He never climbs, he chases from home
…Why would that be?
…There’s a reason, you see
At tea time he drinks only Rhone
Elliott, K6EL
Warped One
In reply to many:
I’ve been interested in some of the thoughts expressed here and as someone who provides 3rd party spotting services I thought I just wait and see before commenting.
The obvious comment is you don’t need really to spot to make contacts. Maybe some remote summits will be challenging to qualify on 2m FM with a handy but it shouldn’t be impossible to get 4 contacts on VHF/HF using voice, data or CW. Even if you are QRP with not the best antennas. You don’t need to alert either. There should enough activity for random QSOs. Of course this depends on your chosen band/mode/location and time of day.
The advantage of alerts and spots comes in linking up chasers who don’t want to spend 24/7 in front of their radios but would like to do other things some of the time. Spots give them the advantage of not having to sit in the shack all day.
From my point of view as an activator, I started off with SOTA because I wanted to play radio and the climbing of mountains was a necessary evil to play SOTA. Even when I first started out and the exertion was crippling, I still enjoyed the getting out in the countryside. By sticking at it, I’ve developed enough fitness that I now enjoy the exercise. Radio is the cherry on the cake. I go out for a good walk, to see the wonderful countryside and to play radio. I’ve got enough CW skills along with SSB/FM that I should be able to get 4 random contacts without letting on I’m on a SOTA summit.
The reason for alerting and spotting is simply that having driven some distance and walk/climbed some distance, I’d like to give as many chasers as possible the chance to chase me. For me at MG level, the points don’t matter anymore, uniques do but I only need 1 QSO for that. I spot myself to give chasers the chance to work the summit.
I’ve always thought QRP SSB operation was more difficult than CW for a few reasons. You’re at a 20+dB power disadvantage to start with SSB over CW and on busy and noisy bands that disadvantage can be serious. Secondly, there aren’t that many SSB watering holes to hang out at. We have 7.188 in Europe and 5.3985 too. But on 20m/17m/15m? Sure 14.285 is the SSB QRP calling frequency but it’s nearly always in use when I want to use it. Without spotting, trying to get SOTA chasers to find you on 20m is hard.
So spotting is not essential. But is very desirable.
As a techno-twiddler, the various spotting software I have put together has been to make my SSB QRP ops easier but mainly to play with the technology. I’ve used it to learn a new programming language and to experiment with virtual servers in datacentres. Having put it together, letting others use it is the sensible thing. All very silly but most satisfying.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Hello Andy,
"…The advantage of alerts and spots comes in linking up chasers who don’t want to spend 24/7 in front of their radios but would like to do other things some of the time. Spots give them the advantage of not having to sit in the shack all day. "
The best ‘service’ provided to me is the alerts. In the winter when it is -C outside I am quite happy to sit in front of radio for quite awhile but in these summer months there are just too many other things to do. I have also got to know who are the reliable alerters and who are not so I am quite happy to hang around awhile for someone who (mishaps aside) will turn up. I also track activators who have told me they cannot self spot which sometimes takes some time but then I am sitting here and they have spent time, effort and money getting to the summit so why not 8)So my plan right now is to listen out for an activator alerted for 1500 for 45 minutes and then off to the veggie patch to see what can be eaten tonight!
Mike
In reply to M1EYP:
In reply to G8ADD:
Trying to extend the domination of CW, Tom?
What is this domination of which you speak?
Of all the SOTA activator QSOs in the Database:
Phone - 54.0%
CW - 45.8%
Accurate but misleading figures, Tom. Clearly you have added SSB to FM to get these figures, but FM is mainly used on the V/UHF bands where CW and SSB contacts are regrettably scarce. If you take FM out of the picture to concentrate on mainly the DC bands where CW activity is concentrated, and just look at CW and SSB, you get 58.5% CW. This is not a huge margin, and my comment was really made because of the strange tendency of CW operators to proslytise as if they are afraid that if they don`t keep cranking the wheels of CW will grind to a halt! Despite these fears of extinction often expressed by mainly the older CW enthusiasts it appears that CW is still going strong and on the HF bands it is a little more popular than SSB. I rather suspect that SOTA can claim some of the credit for the continuing health of CW!
FWIW, while I do keep an eye on the spots (and more or less ignore alerts!) when in the shack I monitor around 14.285 with occasional excursions up to 14.350, 7.100 to 7.130 and 5.3985, though this latter has become somewhat less profitable since it seems to be more and more used by rag-chewers!
Brian G8ADD