I have started a new thread as I felt it may be better to discuss this elsewhere.
It great to hear in the news that the WB 24/24 is going to considered again this time with some prior publicity, great news, at least we can listen in etc. However I would like to see each summit activated by the trig point, this sets a standard and also sets a level playing field for any future attempts. Just going to the AZ zone is, IMHO, wrong and DOES NOT give credibility to the attempt.
There are quite a few summits that you can drive to if you get landowners permission… This does not come under the spirit of SOTA IMHO. For example, will the attempt to the Wrekin involve driving to the summit, after all the paraglide chaps do this or will it involve the walk from the car park where everyone else parks when they activate the Wrekin!
If this is going to be done again then it NEEDS to be done in the spirit of SOTA to gain any credibility.
However I would like to see each summit activated by
the trig point, this sets a standard and also sets a level playing
field for any future attempts. Just going to the AZ zone is, IMHO,
wrong and DOES NOT give credibility to the attempt.
If this is going to be done again then it NEEDS to be done in the
spirit of SOTA to gain any credibility.
There are many summits that do not have a trig point, of those that do many are not at the true summit.In the case of WB-001 the trig is outside the AZ as it is 1m too low
Further, the true summit of a popular hill at a weekend will be busy, and it could be antisocial to set up and undertake amateur radio right there, potentially disturbing others. What if the summit itself offered little or no shelter in poor weather? Being able to retreat up to 25m vertically down the lee side is surely sensible.
G1INK is a member of the team that is going for this attempt. Steve has long since achieved MG and has a huge total of activator uniques. I know Steve, and know that there is no way he would entertain operating outwith the spirit of the programme. There is no way he will be driving up The Wrekin, put it that way.
In reply to M1EYP: "Further, the true summit of a popular hill at a weekend will be busy, and it could be antisocial to set up and undertake amateur radio right there, potentially disturbing others. What if the summit itself offered little or no shelter in poor weather? Being able to retreat up to 25m vertically down the lee side is surely sensible. "
Yes if you were doing a 1/2 hour or more activation then you would move away from the summit because you are bound to set up some decent antennas and take a little space etc, but I am referring to a WB24/24 activation, this is a as fast as you can smash and grab activation on a handy so standing by or near the trig and/or an agreed reference position is no real issue.
It is evident to me that the prime method of operation on this WB 24/24 will be to make contacts outside of the group carrying out the activations and only recourse to contacts between members of the group will be as a last resort. Given this and the fact that the attempt is being made on 2m FM, it will be necessary for the activator to be as close to the summit as possible, so I am certain that the fears that you have expressed will not be borne out in practice.
With the operation being notified well in advance, I would expect there to be major support from others within the SOTA fraternity and several will no doubt be making a special effort in relation to the summits activated at night.
Only 11 of the 24 WB summits have a trig point at the summit. Disturbing others is disturbing others - I would avoid it whether it is for 30 minutes or 2 minutes. “An agreed reference position” - surely the activation area is precisely this?
I would agree that simply getting to the point that is just less than 25m below the summit for each and every activation is somewhat outwith the spirit of the programme, but knowing Steve I am sure that this will not be the strategy employed.
I won’t go into detail here but would just say keep an eye on the news. I will add that the team has been chosen specifically to include ops who are the most honest and sincere for this event and we would invite anyone to come along and say hello to the team at ANY summit parking space. As for “the spirit of SOTA” activating anywhere within the AZ for ANY given summit complies with that. Furthermore, I think people should look more towards the spirit of why it is being done in the first place, a very good and needy cause.
