Question - while I was on W0C/FR-004 today, I worked another ham who was up there (he surprised me by answering my CQ on 2 meters). He was a tourist, in his car and not there for SOTA. I realize I can’t claim an S2S QSO, but is it valid to claim a chaser QSO? I’m guessing the answer is NO since it would sort of go against the concept behind the SOTA Complete award. But presumably ok to include him in my Activation QSO log?
Thanks and 73,
Keith KR7RK
I assume in the case you described it would be an invalid contact for the SOTA activation
Rules:
“3.7.1.
9. QSOs with others within the same Activation Zone do not count towards the QSO total”
Expanding on the comment by SQ6GIT, it is entirely possible your contact was parked OUTSIDE the activation zone. If you had arranged a contact like that, I would consider it contrived. Not specifically against the rules, but not in the spirit of SOTA either.
But as an unplanned happy coincidence, if you have reason to believe they were outside the AZ, I say log it with a smile as a chaser contact only.
It’s perfectly acceptable. Many people have to the “chaser shuffle” to get a complete on a summit. This is where two activator work where the AZ ends and one leaves the AZ and the other remains. They have a QSO so that a chase occurs (and a complete) and then they swap positions and repeat. It’s contrived as you say.
Wait, it was totally bogus to log false information to get a confirmation - so it is gone. AND I DON’T MISS IT. But it is your position that it is totally acceptable to take bogus credit for a cheap meaningless complete by way of a chaser shuffle?
"The world is a contradiction; the universe a paradox.”
Err… Glenn, the General Rules allow it so isn’t that what Andy implies (and added that it would be contrived)? Now whether YOU would want to do that is another matter… Just as some folks “dislike” drive on summits.
Thanks guys for the info! Especially SQ6GIT, I should have read the rules more carefully and appreciate the reference.
As I said it was a surprise, he just happened to be one of the hundreds of tourists who were on the mountain that day (Pikes Peak is one of America’s most popular tourist mountains) and apparently he had his 2m rig on in the car and heard my CQ. I never even saw him up there, no idea if he was in or out of the AZ so I’ll assume he was in it. Fortunately I had plenty of other contacts to qualify. I’ll just delete it from the Activation log but it was kind of fun to work him anyway.
73,
Keith KR7RK
And SOTA is a game that hams play. The rules are the rules, it isn’t necessary that they make sense because its a game, but we have to play the game within the rules.