Dear SOTA chasers,
These last times, I am more and more concerned about some bad habits which have been spreading amongst some SOTA chasers. Perhaps the example given by a few but active and renowed chasers -whose behavior is far from being the best- has something to do with it. For the activators can be a very hard situation to be in front of a bunch of shouting people after making the effort of climbing to the summit -sometimes after hours of driving-, mount the station, and stay up there operating on cold, hot, wind, rain or snow.
So, I finally decided to share these very simple advices to make our lives easier, and to allow your fellow chasers achieving the QSO too. Please remember that SOTA is only a competitive issue for a few, whose only interest is fame and prestige, no matter the cost.
- Please, LISTEN, LISTEN and LISTEN again. Don't transmit just after turning on your transceiver. Remember that you have also a receiver. This is key to avoid other mistaken behaviours.
- Please, don't tune your rig on the activator frequency. Think on the rest of chasers. All of you are trying to contact the activator. The faster we do it, the more will achieve it.
- Please, call only once. This is, send your call just one time. If you call and call and call again, you are only contributing to increase the noise on the activator side.
- Please, don't repeat your call if the activator copied it right. If we make short QSOs, more chasers will be able to make them. Of course the QSO is your moment of glory, when all the rest are listening. But if you need that, probably it would be better you to choose another hobby.
- Please don't transmit when the activator is calling to a partial callsign, a particular zone or a SOTA to SOTA station. Respect the rest, and the rest will respect you.
- Please, don't transmit exactly on the same frequency than the activator. He/She will only hear a continous tone. Move your dial just 60-100 Hz up or down, and your transmission will be clearly listened.
That's all. It is not very complicated. It is only a matter of mutual respect. Don't be anxious, the race is only for a few.
Many many thanks for being there. Except if you come just to make DQRM.
73 de Mikel EA2CW