This could be regarded as a “so what” category, but… Today I had the opportunity to be ready to chase activators - to do so I monitored SW3. Just now I noticed a spot for a summit in Switzerland for 20m SSB. I went out to the shack - my hex beam was already set for possible Long Path to EU… I dialed in the frequency only to see a follow-up post with a spot for 2m FM from the same activator, The gap between posts was ONE MINUTE… I mean seriously! Do people expect to get a reply with just one CQ?
This is not an isolated occurence , I have experienced this, not just chasing from home, but also whilst activating - but the S2S opportunity was snatched away within one or two minutes…- Please , if you can be bothered posting Alerts and Spots, then give the other activators and chasers at least a small chance of catching you !!
First World problem - but… hey! You need some level of patience to collect your contacts.
Is that more likely to be a mistake? I’d struggle to switch from 20m to 2m in less than a minute. Or perhaps they found their rig or antenna on 20m wasn’t working so they grabbed their handheld.
No mistake, the very same operator repeated the stunt a few minutes later - however I note that those spots have since been deleted… But this is not isolated to one operator, I noticed this during my last activation just over a week ago looking for spots to chase S2S only to see that the op has QSY’d before I could even switch bands. Happens a lot I am afraid.
There was a recent discussion starting about here …
… as to what some activators and chasers consider the minimum time to wait calling CQ / listening with no replies before QSYing to another band.
One minute does seem very short even for me in mid-winter so, like Richard, I suspect the activator had a HF equipment fault or mistakenly spotted for 20m (even repeatedly, and not notice the incorrect-band spots until later - hence the deletions).
I wouldn’t judge a particular activator unless that happens on more than one activation.
There could be a host of reasons for doing this, rather than just impatience. But on the surface it does seem a little odd.
In all but the coldest weather on HF I would give it 5 mins, at least, of calling CQ after spotting and checking my spot was up. If no replies by then I’d assume poor propogation and call it a day on that band. I tend to find I do start getting some replies within the first 90 seconds if the bands are in decent shape.
Were they doing both? It isn’t unusual in my area to monitor 2m for locals (there are few), sending a spot out so locals know you are monitoring, while activating on hf.
To add another potential explanation for this particular case: today at least 14 different activators were on HB/BE-111 due to the HB9SOTA yearly general assembly that took place there. It could for example also have been a case of band/QRM coordination gone wrong. I don’t know anyone who would abandon a frequency only one minute after having spotted without a very good reason.
My personal rule is to remain QRV for at least 10 minutes after a spot. Sometimes, if weather conditions are very harsh or the band seems to be completely dead (e.g. no takers and no RBN spots at all after a few minutes of CQing), I may deviate from that.
It’s an interesting topic. Take me for example. Started doing SOTA in 2020, when the sun wasn’t so active, however I could regularly get half a dozen contacts on 40m and the same again on 20m, all in quick succession. When the calls stopped coming in, I’d pack up.
Fast forward to 2024. I would start on 40m and work my way up to 10m, adding contacts on every band I chose. Again, when the contacts dried up, I’d hit the next band.
May 2025, today in fact. I was determined that I was going to get my 10 POTA* contacts on 20m, having already failed a couple of times this week, despite poor conditions. It took almost an hour. I found it boring and nearly gave up on more than one occasion. I knew 20m was the only band open, but after a couple of unanswered calls, I was itching to re-tune.
As activators, we are generally spoiled**, and often impatient. Well, I am anyway.
The sun has been driving me nuts all week, however it made an effort this evening…
Hi Fraser, have you tried 30m? I find it more reliable than either 40m or 20m. 40m and 20m can be great but at other times very slow going. With often limited time on summit especially in winter, I need those chasers there quickly and 30m has rarely let me down. I usually get enough contacts to qualify the summit based on 30m alone and 1 or 2 S2S’s (thanks HB9 guys). Okay, no exotic long-haul dx but all points of Europe including the UK.
I don’t always have the time (often fitting an activation in between other commitments) or the patience (yesterday it was drizzling rain and swarming mosquitoes, with no joy on 10, 15, 17 or 40 and weak sigs on 20).
I quote my uncle Joe: “if it were easy, it wouldn’t be fun”.
As an SSB operator it’s unlikely! (Although he may have done data).
Recently it has been slow going at times. A switch to 20m or 40m then brings in plenty more. So with an over active sun it does seem to be pot luck which band will be the best. Another reason for a quick change although 1 minute is a bit quick to decide a band isn’t going to work.
I tuned to your reported frequency yesterday and heard a familiar voice, but it wasn’t yours.
It was Manuel @EA2DT calling CQ, operating portable for POTA together with Joaquín @EA2CCG
After our QSO, he had a few more but didn’t hang around for long when there were no further responses for his CQ calls. If it’s good enough for Manuel…
I believe my shortest (qualifying) activation - after spotting myself - was 3-4 minutes on 2m FM in the pouring rain somewhere in Wales.
Called a few times but after no further responses, so packed up and waded back to the car.
Had the weather been better and a decent view, I may have stayed longer.
I’m not getting long pile-ups on 30m this year (so far) which were a frequent occurance in previous years,
I had two activations [marked in red above] where I couldn’t have qualified the summit on 30m alone (in one case doing fine on 40m instead). That used to be rare.
I don’t think it’s a propagation / solar max / D-layer absorption problem as my reports to and from all over Europe are about as good as in previous years. I’m not having a problem working 95% of the chasers - there just seem to be a bit fewer chasers. No big deal but curious.
As a corollary to Fudd’s First Law of Opposition is the QRM paradox. +/-3Khz of any given frequency will remain clear only until an activator posts a spot for that frequency.
FWIW I will time each posted spot for 10 minutes even when I seem to be shouting into the void or suddenly on frequency in the room with Micky Mouse or Darth Vader. CW would probably help that if I would knock the rust off of that old chestnut.
Posted a self spot on, say 7mhz, then realised my linked dipole doesn’t cover 7mhz…
Also posted a self spot, pressed ‘send’, but no phone signal. Called for a while with no replies then changed bands only to notice that my phone signal had improved and had managed to send my self spot on the earlier band only a minute or so before …
