Activating SOTA on VHF/UHF - Radios, Antennas, & Tips
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.ค. 2024
- Interested in activating Summits on the Air using VHF/UHF frequencies? This quick overview is part of a series focused on those newer to SOTA, and please check out the playlist for additional videos. This video will cover activating tips, radios, filters, and various antenna options. Please see additional information & resource links below, and comment if I missed important tips that should be shared with others. Thank you!
Tips:
- Research the summit to see which bands it's been activated on (helpful if summit has been activated).
- Let chasers know you will be on a summit (Alert) and when you are there (Spot)
- Program repeaters into your radio for safety, and can be useful if struggling to make contacts...to ask if someone on the repeater can make a simplex contact with you.
- Have fun and try other bands (70cm, 1.25m, etc) or modes (digital, SSB)!
Radios:
- Hearing stations is the most important part of activating, and based on my experience (and others) recommend not using a Baofeng (or similar) radio. There are limited 5w radio options (in production) for 1.25 meter, and using a TYT or Baofeng may be the best low cost option for this band. 1.25m Band (220MHz) radio options below...and would love to hear other 220 options in production or your experiences with these radios.
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TYT TH-350 Tri-Band Radio
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BTECH UV-5X3 Tri-Band Radio
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- Lower cost quality radios from Icom, Yaesu, Alinco could be a good option. I've had good experience with the Icom V86, and a few local activators have used the Yaesu FT-4X or FT-65. One activator bought the FT-4X due to light weight and increased filtering over Baofeng.
- More expensive radios will generally have superheterodyne receivers (vs direct conversion), and do "hear" a little better. Many activator use the Yaesu FT60 as lower cost radio that's been proven, and I purchased the FT70 when it was on sale (since newer radio & had digital C4FM). I upgraded to the FT3D after wanting dual independent receivers (to listen to 2 calling frequencies), and for APRS/GPS (including texting via APRS to family cellphones).
- A band pass filter is really helpful on some summits, and good tool to have!
Antennas:
- HT Extension antenna: The MFJ 2m Long Ranger is commonly used, but there are others quality ones from Diamond, Smiley, etc. I bought the RH770 antenna from Bigham Wireless after it was recommended as a dual band option, and will have to use in the future.
- Rollup Jpole or Slim-Jim: N9TAX & Nelson Antenna (no longer produced?) are the primary ones I've used, and have hung from a tree branch or from an extension fiberglass mast. Ed Fong or making your own could be another option. On wooded summits, I've had better experience hearing stations in the noise (vs. the MFG Long Ranger) likely due to it being a little higher in the air.
- Directional: I started using Arrow antennas and have activated using on 2m & 70cm. I've primarily switched to using the Elk Log Periodic dual band, since I like easily switching between 2m & 70cm. It is easy to assemble due to color coded elements (something I need to add to Arrow Yagi), and I like the pvc mounting options.
00:00 VHF/UHF Activating Intro
01:06 Tips: Research summit, Alerts & Spots, Repeaters
02:27 Tips: Calling Frequencies, other bands/modes
03:22 Radios & Batteries
05:19 Band Pass Filter
05:56 Antennas: Extension Whip, Rollup Jpole, Directional
09:15 Closing summary
KB1HQS is a great resource and this is his video on "Ultimate Arrow Antenna Modifications"
• Ultimate Arrow Antenna...
K0NR has a great blog with various SOTA articles about activating on VHF (and higher). This one is focused on the antenna he has used and tested.
www.k0nr.com/wordpress/2021/0...
www.sota.org.uk/
www.sota.org.uk/Joining-In best place to start...includes rules, faq, etc.
sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/ post or watch for Spots & Alerts
www.sotamaps.org/ mapping resources, find gps tracks, activation maps, much more
www.sotadata.org.uk/en/ submit activator/chaser logs, track progress, etc
reflector.sota.org.uk/ discussion for SOTA topics
summits.sota.org.uk/ summit information
sotl.as/
User friendly website to see summits on interactive map, click on summit for more information, post spots & alerts, etc.
www.pnwsota.org/ Resource for those in the Pacific NW
www.pnwsota.org/content/gettin...
www.pnwsota.org/content/sugges...
www.pnwsota.org/content/pacifi...
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Music: www.purple-planet.com
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Excellent video, this one is a keeper for future reference. It is always nice to have a video that views the whole package, band use, radio and antenna without going into price. Thank you so very much for sharing.
Thank you Janice, and glad it was helpful! Always appreciate your comments and feedbac! 73
Well presented summary of options for activations with HTs using FM. I think the best results are found when an alert is posted at least a day before the activation, together with notices to local hams via the usual mailing lists and even news broadcasts. Self spotting when on the summit then is the trigger for many chasers and for other activators nearby to look for you. There’s another thing you may be interested in trying when signals are weak. Go horizontal - we have found that horizontal polarisation gives better range than vertical. Some people think FM requires vertical polarisation - no, it’s just a convention due to vertical antennas being easier to set up on cars and HTs. Then once you have found that improvement, use SSB. The FT817/8 at 5w, for example, is easily capable of good distances on SSB, more than FM distances. There are not as many folk readily available on ssb but there are well equipped home stations who like working dx ssb to distant summits. They are more used to “real” distances above 500 miles, but will still appreciate working a summit at 250. 73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA
Thank you Andrew and great feedback! Spotting is key and there are many great chasers watching for and wanting to help activators with QSO's. The email idea also works, and I saw a newer ham with tech license almost activate some sparsely populated summits (ones mostly done on HF). Told me he reached out to the club in the area, and they shared with members that he would be over there looking for simplex contacts. Someday I need to try 2m ssb...and good info on polarization. 73
Nice video. Great info. Well done sir!
Thank you so much, and appreciate the quick comment!
One of the most helpful video I've seen for SOTA. I appreciate it.
Glad it was helpful, and thank you for commenting... good inspiration to start working on the next one (-:
@@wa7jnjradio I’ll be waiting for it! GMRS only right now, but working on multiple ham licenses. WRQX632 out ✌️
Another awesome video James. Thank you!
Thank you Jon! 73
Lots of good tips thanks!
Thank you Bill! Looks like you're a member of the BC SOTA FB group... I am as well, and check it once in a while. (-: Thanks for the quick comment, and maybe we'll get a S2S this year! 73, James
@@wa7jnjradio That would be great. I'm planning on going out today on VE7/CV-030 and start on VHF. I think you're in WA state but not sure if I'll get out to your area. Should be on the air around 3:45pm.
Sorry for delayed response... I turned on radio that afternoon, but not sure my radio hears the best and I often drive a few hundred feet up the road in Marysville, WA when chasing or seeing a spot or hearing other people chase the SOTA station (-:
@@wa7jnjradio No worries. I managed to activate it on VHF which was my goal. That was my first VHF activation. I think Marysville is too south from where I was to get a good shot into it. But it does have a great direct shot into Bellingham.
Great video! 73 De HI8ESF
Thank you Eduardo for the quick comment, and much appreciated! 73
I am wicked hard on my equipment when hiking/SOTAing and have recently killed my HT from too many hikes in the snow and it being on the outside of my pack. Got any good picks for a rugged good HT? Great video. Thanks
K1EEB
Hello Eric, not sure what you've been using or price range for new... but a few ideas. As background, I generally hike in better weather, but have gotten radio rained on a few times. Most of my radios are resistant (ex. IP54), but with you being extra hard on equipment and using in snowy weather...there are probably 3 to recommend depending on price/preference. All three are more weatherproof & even submersible. The newer ICOM IC-T10 is dual band and more weatherproof than the IC-V96 I've used and been impressed with ruggedness. The Yaesu VX6R is an older radio, but rugged, tri-band...and had good reviews recently from TechPrepper and others due to quality, rugged, etc. The most expensive option would be Yaesu FT5D...I've liked the FT3D and dropped once or twice, and would primarily get this radio for APRS, 2 receivers, etc. Hope this helps, and would love comments from others if I missed any. 73!
Hello, I enjoyed your video! What brand/model mast extension (green color) are you using?
Another chance to get on the air portable is during the ARRL contests. Thanks and 73.
Thank you, and very true about ARRL contests. The green mast is a fiberglass 5.4 meter, telescopic fishing rod, and one that I got on Amazon for about $16 in 2019. I wish they still sold them, and currently I've been looking at the Goture 7.2 meter for potentially getting in the future. I know Ebay could be source as well...seems like there are less options the last few years. 73, James WA7JNJ
Thanks for this video. I've had mixed results with 2m and am yet to activate a summit with it. It doesn't help that I'm often in remote areas in Utah, where hams are thin on the ground. One of these days, I'd like to buy a radio that does 2m SSB. I expect that it will only be useful when there's a 2m contest happening, but I think it would be cool. 73 de K7DMJ
Thanks David, and agree it definitely depends on location and hams around... I still haven't done 2m SSB, and would be fun for sure... it does help to time activation with 2m contests, and I've done that to help with 70cm and 1.25m. (-: 73!
Thanks; I carry a roll up J pole and a small mast to get it into the air on almost all activations; helpful video. I have called CQ once on 146.520 and gotten nothing; how many times have you gotten a response without first some type o spot or aid to tell folks you are there?
For calling on 145.520 without a spot, I'll often get contacts but it will depend on the summit (ex. elevation & line-of-sight to Puget Sound), day or time of day, antenna, etc. Sotl.as or the Sota summit website will list each summit, and how many contact have been used on each band. That can be a good check to see if the summit you want to activate has had success on 2m, and will help confirm whether it has good line-of-sight to more populated area. Day or time of day can change as well... mid-day on a weekend there are usually quite a few people listening for summits in our area. While I have made contacts without a spot, recommend posting an alert to let people know you will be on a summit with approx time. It helps chasers know you'll be there, what band, and they might want to chase that summit for a SOTA "Complete" (both activating and chasing a summit). Posting an alert, and then a spot is the best way to increase chances of a 2m contact. Hope this helps, and have a great day! 73
@@wa7jnjradioSolid analysis and advice; thanks. Was going to tr it yesterday at my park activation and then I reached for my handheld and discovered....I had left it at home! :-)
It is easier to get simplex GMRS contacts than on the amateur frequencies. Is that allowed?
Thanks for reaching out with this question. GMRS contacts wouldn't necessarily be easier, but potentially similar to 2m VHF or 70cm UHF band contacts? I'm a bit unsure how many people are listening on GMRS frequencies, but there are usually decent amount of people monitoring the 2m band 146.52 (national calling frequency) With SOTA, per rules section 3.10, only amateur radio frequencies or bands are allowed.
@@wa7jnjradio thanks for your response!
Our area might be different from most. We have a large group of GMRS users, and because there are only 22 channels people just tend to scan through them all on a regular basis. Simplex contacts are almost as common as repeater contacts. On the other hand I have never heard any traffic on the 2 meter or 70 cm calling frequencies, even though I monitor them on regular basis.
Your answer clarifies the importance of lining up friends ahead of time so that someone will actually be listening!
I also have a ton of baofengs but never use them now. Once you get a much better radio(s) you hardly ever go back to baofengs.
Very true! (-: I love having them compared to GMRS cheap bubble pack radios and am surprised sometimes how well they work when I use with the kids, but completely agree with you. Thanks for comment!
Good video. WA7OCZ watching.
Thank you Don, and Happy New Year! I rewatched some of the Mt Fremont video clips the last few days, and was awesome to make QSO's with you that day on 2m, 70cm, and 1.25m! Thanks again! 73