In reply to MM0FMF:
That’s because I don’t see HEMS or WOTA as being in
competition with SOTA but complimentary schemes.
OK, I know what WOTA is, but what is HEMS? I don’t think I have ever heard the expression before (other than Helicopter Emergency Medical Service).
73 de Les
In reply to G3VQO:
Humps excluding Marilyns (All Marilyns are also humps but are catered for by SOTA)
Roger G4OWG
In reply to G3VQO:
Hi Les
I am not sure why they are called HEMS the Correct expression is HEMA
Which translates as HuMPs Excluding Marilyns Award
http://www.summits.org.uk/tiki-index.php?page=HuMPs%20Awards
This is the new adventure radio scheme setup by Summitsbase - It is effectively the same concept as SOTA but only includes Hundred Metre Prominence summits.
It is becoming quite popular with many SOTA activators and Chasers taking it up (G1INK, GW0DSP, G4YSS to name a few), since its introduction in 2012! At present it covers G, GW, GD, GI and GM - No doubt Summitsbase will be looking to intergrate GU and GJ an area untouched by SOTA due to the lack of P150 summits.
Being that you are based in Southern England you may be interested in the scheme, as it will offer you so many more hills to walk up! SOTA currently has 15 summits in SE but HEMA will add another 21 taking your total to 36! Less miles for being on the hills! You can see a list of SE HuMPs here
http://www.summits.org.uk/tiki-index.php?page=HuMPs-Southern+England
I look forward to seeing how the award grows, It compliments both WOTA and SOTA perfectly in my opinion.
If you want to see the spots/alerts service then check out
http://www.summitswatch.org.uk/sb/index.php
This site also provides spots/alerts for WOTA and SOTA.
73 for now
Matt
In reply to G8XYJ:
Thanks for the detailed explanation Matt. I am certainly familiar with most, if not all, of the listed HuMPs in the south-east, and have even operated from many over the years. There are some very pleasant locations amongst them, but, on balance, I think I’ll save them for dog-walking rather than using them for “SOTA-lite” activations as the existing fifteen summits are quite sufficient for my needs (I hope that doesn’t sound rude, and I wish “all the best” to those who choose to activate HuMPs).
73 de Les
In reply to G3VQO:
Hi Les
Humps/HEMS/HEMA is certainly complementary to SOTA - in the same way that The Conference is complimentary to the Premier League.
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Think fellow sufferer / enthusiast. They’re also cold, damp and suffering the impatience of their non-radio, walking partner. Everyone else is warm,indoors and can wait. E.g. dear Dad wouldn’t put his down jacket on whilst on top of St Sunday Crag this last Sunday for some obscure reason so was chuntering about “can we go now?”. Besides the Summitsbase S2S awards look splendid on the shack wall beside the grey and red SOTA certificates.
I like all mountain and hill top portable radio award schemes in the UK. I’ve spent the weekend calling CQ WOTA in Lakeland many times and done 4 Marilyns including Lambrigg fell “Why is this one in the award scheme, son? What an odd set of criteria!” RHB is no more perculiar then AW’s selection Dad]. Happily I didn’t invent any of these schemes and am unlikely to start griping about them! I am looking forward to activating Caer Caradoc for SOTA and on to the neighbouring Lawley for HEMA this summer. The Gun, the Cloud and the Roaches [rather like the Good, the Bad and the Ugly] are a trio I would like to visit and say a cheery hello to any bivvy bag inhabitants I encounter. Besides I have to wear my down jacket inside my shack so I might as well go /P
73
David M0YDH
In reply to M0YDH:
Hi David
Nice to catch you the other day.
My last activation had Mrs TUB and the two Tiny TUBs all chuntering "it’s two cold Daddy, C’mon"
Regards
Dave
In reply to G4OIG:
On the subject of S2S, I had my first S2H when I was up in Scotland -
from Wisp Hill GM/SS-119 to Robert G0PEB/P on Tennyson Down G/HSE-017
on the Isle of Wight. Big smiles all round!
Wonderful contact, Gerald. There’s something about a summit and the 2m band that can keep me rivited to my seat for hours.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to M0YDH:
Hi David,
Well, from one fellow sufferer to another, many thanks for the S2S’s from yourself and 2E0MIX at the weekend amongst others. I was lucky ! Little Mell Fell and Great Mell Fell thankfully stayed below the cloud base.
I certainly didn’t envy you both when the cloud base dropped and the storms blew in down the valley and I beat a hasty retreat back down Great Mell Fell.
Personally, as with others here, I will alway priorities S2S, followed by mobile stations within reason, as they are the ones that have a limited time slot to make the contact and in the case of summit activators, often enduring extreme cold, wet, windy weather etc. and being chased by others or wanting to catch other summits themselves.
Activations like this Sunday are what makes a day; good solid contacts, including five S2S’s, from a summit that is not the easiest to work from in the Lakes due to it’s height and location, only to get a suprise S2S summit contact into Scotland on 2m FM!
Certainly made my day - many thanks to MM1AWV and MM3UVL.
Thanks also go to a very cold Victor MI0JST in Ireland for waiting that extra five minutes on the summit to allow me to get back home, dash indoors and make the contact with him onto SM-004 after my partner alerted him to the fact that I was almost outside the house after being out on the fells.
Having read his account of that activation day, it most defintely was appreciated.
73’s
Liz
In reply to M0YDH:
Well said Mr Holman, these complimentary schemes whether good in the eyes of some or bad in the eyes of others are surely a good thing for Radio!
I cannot wait for the summer evenings to start coming, the joys of walking up a 1 point SOTA after a days work (or Before) and then the next day doing a HuMP in the nearby region, surely that will be great for not only me but my fellow chasers. Furthermore it may increase the chances of S/H/W 2 S/H/W!
As stated earlier in the thread as long as people are on the hills albeit (SOTA/HEMA/WOTA) who cares about the height/prominence or even location!
73 all - Enjoy the Hills!
Matt G8XYJ
In reply to M6EPW:
Hi Liz (and Colin), It was a pleasure to work you both again on Sunday. Its the other Victor (GI4ONL) that writes the accounts and I think he described the scene very well, the weather on SM-004 was quite horrendous, but I hardly noticed the horizontal rain/hail mix when working the mini pileup. Look forward to hearing you soon, maybe even an S2S next time! :o)
73
Victor MI0JST
