How to Undertake a SOTA Activation - Step by Step Guide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- A step by step guide to carrying out a SOTA activation in the great outdoors. It covers the set-up, spotting, operating procedure and tips and tricks I've picked up over the last few years. I reference several of my other videos including:
My Kit for SOTA/Portable Amateur Radio ( • My Kit for SOTA/Portab... )
Batteries for SOTA/Portable Amateur Radio ( • Batteries for SOTA/Por... )
Got any questions? Let me know in the comments!
73, James M0JCQ - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
Hello James. Thanks for this great Video and Information. Im a new SOTA Man who works 2 Aktivations. In the next few days I plan to another What I you have any questions. What a log app used for you?
Thanks for a Information
73 gd happa Christmas HB9FZE Stefan
The3DMoviemaker Hello Stefan, thanks for your comments and merry Christmas! I use the RumLogNG app for logging on both my iPhone and iPad. This software has worked well for me and saved me a lot of time submitting SOTA logs afterwards.
73 James M0JCQ
Thanks for sharing your SOTA activation. I noticed the KX3 receiver passband set to favor the lower audio portion. How did you arrive at that adjustment? What is the advantage? 73 AF4B
An excellent video, James. I've been licensed for almost 50 years and worked my first 2 SOTA activations today. Living in Virginia, there are many summits in the western part of the state. Will take the KX-3 and give it a run. Looks like you had a good bit of fun and thanks so much for sharing.
Nice! Thanks for the video. I've been thinkin about doing SOTA one of these days.
BTW, try building a W3DZZ antenna. It works great on many bands. SotaBeams sells tuned traps for the antenna. All you need to add is some wire and a center insulator. I prefer to use a 1:1 balun instead of a center insulator to minimize common mode currents on the coax's shield.
Hi James, great video - quick question, what system do you use for self spotting by sms?
It's the official SOTA SMS Gateway. You need to register your number to use it. Full details can be found here: www.intermoose.com/SMSBOT-usage.txt
Very helpful. great video thanks for taking the time. 73.
Helpful video thanks. However I’m not sure that trig point is the correct SOTA location for Wendover . The highest point is at the end of a short track close to the Wendover Woods main car park. This also seems to match the SOTA coordinates better. It’s not a great spot though as there is very little clearing in the woods to set anything up as you’ll see from our video... th-cam.com/video/tGPidrkPtmI/w-d-xo.html
You're right, the highest point is at the summit cairn. However, a lof of that whole area is valid for SOTA, you can operate anywhere within 25 vertical meters of the highest point. Wendover woods is a plateux which gives you about a 2km activation zone.
I choose to activate next to the trig point because it's much quieter and it's nice and open :)
I found with my linked dipole I could set the ATU to Bypass. Reported SWR was excellent as the dipole was cut to resonance, and I take the ATU out. To be fair, the ATU does work things out quickly if asked to tune, and is needed if I start experimenting with off centre feeding it for other bands.
There seems to be a number of variables which will affect the SWR of the dipole, the ground type of which on each summit seems to have an effect. The angle of the inverted V (depending on mast height). I find the ATU just smooths out these small things.
Really good video! Silly question but how do you keep the mast up when you’re guying it?
Practice! I usually set the mast up without the antenna attached so I can get all of the guys positioned correctly. I guy 3 points with the mast on the ground (you get used to the space needed), then pull it up, and guy the 4th point. I can then go around and adjust any points if needed. Then I lower the mast (with all points still attached), attach the antenna and then hoist up into its final position. Don't guy the pole too tightly, otherwise the downwards pressure on the pole will force it to collapse!
great vid James, love the dipole setup with the crock clips. Re the radio overheating, perhaps something hard for the radio to sit on, to keep it off the blanket to let the air circulate? Cracking vid. Cheers RIchie.
Thanks Richie. You're right, I'd forgotten I'd laid it flat for the sake of the video, I usually use the stand to tilt it upwards! I've had the problem before and I just need to learn to keep the sun off the KX3 when it's so hot.
Trouble is I don't operate very often when it's that warm, normally I'm trying to keep the rig dry in freezing conditions in G :)
73, James M0JCQ
Thank you for sharing, I've subbed you. just wondering what app ur using to log? atb Si
Ascent 41 I use RumLogNG on the iPad for all my logging, works well for me 🍻
Fantastic, very informative. Thanks
James, would you wear headsets normally- seems like you will only hear the "big gun" stations running a beam antenna and amp. To hear the barefoot calls or other QRP stations would be rather difficult- I now know why DX stations pick the louder calls...and thank you for the nice video....
Earl O normally I wear ear phones to hear better and limit the noise I'm making for others. You're right, just with the KX3s speaker I only hear loud stations 👌
hey James great video
Just did a Sota activation with deep snow at minus 5 degree. Not too convenient either, at least the TX didn't overheat HI. Thanks for the very nice video. 73 de OE7SIT.
I hear static crashes like that when thunder storms are nearby.
Interesting receive bandwidth setting.
I'd forgotten why or even how this got set like that! It's been changed back now :) 73 James M0JCQ
Thanks for the explanation. 73 AI6PD
Awesome video - thanks!! :D
Is it OK to ask with your 36 QSOs in this vidclip and taking Wendover Woods as 1 point, does this mean you get a total of 36 x 1 = 36 points?
Thanks.
Sadly not! That would be a quick way of getting to 1000 points for the SOTA mountain goat award. 1 point is awarded as long as you get at least 4 contacts, and then only once a year (I couldn't just keep returning each day!)
Great video. Curious... do you spot or alert or both on the SOTA station activation website as the transmitting station on the mountain? Then when you change bands to 40 an 60 do you send an update to the SOTA website? And last is there any limit on how long the activation can be? Hours, days, weeks? Thanks ahead of time for your answers.
Hi Dan, I might do both, but more often I'll just spot myself when I'm setup on the mountain. Alerts are great if you're organised and know which mountain you're going to and when you're going to be there... I'm not that organised, so often don't place an alert!
I will spot again each time I change bands. Most activations can be measure in minutes/hours, but I'm unsure about limits. I'd assume you'd need to log 4 contacts within the same day to claim the points.
73 James M0JCQ
selfspottig is cheating...
Not in SOTA it isn't, everyone does it.
@@M0JCQsSOTAChannel I know, all do it.
But they cheat all :P
73
Why do you have such a large shift on your filter?
by the way this is archie