In this page, you’ll find some basic information about SOTA, Summits On The Air, and information to help get you started.
What is SOTA?
Summits On The Air is a scheme that encourages amateur radio operators to go portable and work from high places around the country, and around the world – You don’t need to be a mountaineer to take part, and if the idea of climbing mountains and hills in the name of amateur radio doesn’t appeal, then you can be a ‘chaser’ sitting comfortably at home working the more adventurous SOTA operators.
There’s a large number of qualifying hills and mountains around the world that are valid for SOTA activation. Each summit has a unique reference, and is awarded a number of points from 1 to 10.
There are a number of rules for a valid SOTA activation:
- Access to the final part of the summit must not be by motorised transport.
- A portable power supply has to be used (batteries or solar) – no mains or generators!
- A minimum of 4 QSOs with different stations is required for the activation to count towards SOTA points
- Any mode (Voice, CW, Data) is permitted – No use of repeaters though
- You can use the maximum power allowed by your licence – although many work at 5 watts
SOTA relies on spotting and reporting using SOTAWatch (a SOTA-specific cluster), and it’s worth a look on this site to see what’s active and where.
What kit do you need?
For many SOTA activators, the Yaesu FT817 is the rig of choice. Although limited to 5 watts, this is usually enough for SOTA work, the rig is portable, and with the addition of a cheap SLAB (Sealed Lead Acid Battery), a day’s operation is easy.
For VHF and UHF, antenna-wise, the SOTA Beam is ideal, and a slim-jim for 2m operation also works. For HF, options include tuned dipoles, linked dipoles, delta loops and fishing poles.
Other equipment can come in handy, such as a GPS device, a decent compass and set of maps, a first aid kit, torch and waterproof clothing. Logging is important, so pen, paper, clipboard and a way of keeping everything dry is handy too.
SOTA – Why do it?
It’s all about Awards – The “Mountain Goat” Activator being a common one – Four QSOs are mandatory for SOTA points at a summit. Chasers stay at home in the warm, and they can get awards too. There’s also a “Summit to Summit” award.
Video: SOTA Explained
If you’re looking to find out more about SOTA, take a look at the first episode of TX Factor, the new TV show for amateurs. From about 12 minutes into the show, there’s a feature showing what SOTA is all about and looking at a typical activation
Handy SOTA Links:
- SOTA Website: www.sota.org.uk
- SOTA Beams: www.sotabeams.co.uk
- HamHub UK SOTA Primer and links: Summits On The Air Primer
Thanks to Annie M6NHB and Nev M6FNR for asking about SOTA, and James 2E1GUA for suggesting this page