Introduction to SOTA
Summits on the Air (SOTA) is an award scheme for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners that encourages portable operation in mountainous areas. It was an original concept by John, G3WGV and developed with Ric, G3CWI.
SOTA has been carefully designed to make participation possible for everyone - this is not just for mountaineers! There are awards for activators (those who ascend to the summits) and chasers (who either operate from home, a local hilltop or are even Activators on other summits).
SOTA is now fully operational in many countries across the world, including here in Australia (Victoria VK3, ACT VK1, & South Australia VK5).
Each country has its own Association which defines the recognised SOTA summits within that Association. Each summit earns the activators and chasers a score which is related to the height of the summit. Certificates are available for various scores, leading to the prestigious "Mountain Goat" and "Shack Sloth" trophies. An Honour Roll for Activators and Chasers is maintained at the SOTA online database.
The VK5 SOTA Association commenced on 1st October, 2012.
Ian, VK5CZ is the VK5 Association Manager.
I also have a WordPress site with details of all my SOTA activations. It can be found at....
https://vk5pas.org/
SOTA has been carefully designed to make participation possible for everyone - this is not just for mountaineers! There are awards for activators (those who ascend to the summits) and chasers (who either operate from home, a local hilltop or are even Activators on other summits).
SOTA is now fully operational in many countries across the world, including here in Australia (Victoria VK3, ACT VK1, & South Australia VK5).
Each country has its own Association which defines the recognised SOTA summits within that Association. Each summit earns the activators and chasers a score which is related to the height of the summit. Certificates are available for various scores, leading to the prestigious "Mountain Goat" and "Shack Sloth" trophies. An Honour Roll for Activators and Chasers is maintained at the SOTA online database.
The VK5 SOTA Association commenced on 1st October, 2012.
Ian, VK5CZ is the VK5 Association Manager.
I also have a WordPress site with details of all my SOTA activations. It can be found at....
https://vk5pas.org/
SOTA General rules
Below are the SOTA General Rules in PDF format (current as of April 2015).
| sota-general-rules-april-2015.pdf |
KML file of all SOTA summits in the world.
Here is a KMZ file which can be downloaded and used in Google Earth and My Google Maps. It shows all of the summits around the world (as of 15th March 2018).
| summits__2_.kmz |
SOTA in Australia
SOTA in Australia commenced in Victoria (VK3) on the 1st February, 2013. This was followed by South Australia (VK5) on the 1st October, 2012. And the ACT (VK1) commenced on the 1st February, 2013. New South Wales (VK2) commenced on 1st September, 2013. Queensland (VK4) also commenced on 1st September, 2013.
The following is a list of VK Associations, their Managers & the dates they came online:-
The following is a list of VK Associations, their Managers & the dates they came online:-
- VK1 - Bruce, VK1HBB (1st February 2013)
- VK2 - Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH (1st September, 2013)
- VK3 - Wayne, VK3WAM (1st February 2012)
- VK4 - Dave VK4OZY (1st September, 2013)
- VK5 - Ian, VK5CZ (1st October 2012)
- VK6 - John VK6NU (1st September 2014)
- VK7 - Justin VK7TW (1st October 2014)
- VK8 - Jack VK2AXL (1st March 2014)
- VK9 - Wayne, VK3WAM (1st May 2013)
SotaWatch page.
Click on the Button Texts below and they will take you to two flickr sites where you can view many SOTA pictures.
Operating practice
It is often hard trying to get through to SOTA activators if you are running QRP, or if you are activating from a SOTA peak yourself. Often, signals get drowned out by the big guns.
So I try to develop the following operating practice when I am out in the field.
So I try to develop the following operating practice when I am out in the field.
- call for any SOTA activators. Summit to summit contacts
- QRP stations.
- portable or mobile stations.
- DX
- stations who can hear me, but with difficulty
- anybody else.
Trig points
Trigonometric Points or stations, sometimes referred to as Triangulation stations are fixed surverying stations, used in geodetic surveing and other surveying projects in their vicinity.
They are known in Australia as trig points or trig stations as they are known in Australia,
A national geodetic survey and adjustment carried out in the early 1970's in Australia has left a legacy of trig stations consisting of a ground mark with a white quadruped supporting a black disc above the ground mark. These trig stations are clearly visible for many ams and useful for hikers.
Information courtesy of:-
They are known in Australia as trig points or trig stations as they are known in Australia,
A national geodetic survey and adjustment carried out in the early 1970's in Australia has left a legacy of trig stations consisting of a ground mark with a white quadruped supporting a black disc above the ground mark. These trig stations are clearly visible for many ams and useful for hikers.
Information courtesy of:-
- Wikipedia, www.en.wikipedia.org
Australia's mountains & elevation
Australia is the lowest continent in the world with an average elevation of only 330 metres. The highest points on the other continents are all more than twice the height of Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko which is 2228 metres above sea level. The world's highest mountain, Mount Everest is 8848 metres above sea level, almost four times the height of Mount Kosciuszko.
Australia's ten highest mountains are.....
- Mount Kosciuszko 2228 m
- Mount Townsend 2209 m
- Mount Twynam 2195 m
- Rams Head 2190 m
- Unnamed peak on Etheridge Ridge 2180 m
- Rams Head North 2177 m
- Alice Rawson Peak 2160 m
- Unnamed peak south-west of Abbott Peak 2159 m
- Abbott Peak and Carruthers Peak 2145 m
- Mt Northcote 2131 m
Information courtesy of:-
- www.ga.gov.au
The SOTA mapping project
www.sotamaps.wsstvc.og
SOTA Television
The SOTA TV site brings together SOTA videos from You Tube and other sources.
SotaGoat
SOTA Goat is an all-in-one utility for Summits On The Air activators and chasers.
Pocket SOTA
Handy iphone app for SOTA use
I recently downloaded a program called 'Current Elevation'.
It seems to be quite accurate in determing current elevation.
It seems to be quite accurate in determing current elevation.
VK2 SOTA Yahoo Group.
'Bonzle' website
'Peakery' website
www.peakery.com
'Geocaching Australia' website
www.geocaching.com.au
'PeakClimbs' website
http://www.peakclimbs.com
'Summitsbase' website
Presentation on SOTA to EMDRC by Wayne, VK3WAM
N7UN SOTA presentation
| n7un_sota_presentation.ppt |
Map showing Earth's 50 most prominent peaks
c/o www.peaklist.org
Top 80 summits in Australia (excluding Tasmania)
Click on the link below to show the top 80 Summits in Australia with Prominence of 600 meters or more
Tasmania - 41 summits with prominence of 600m or more
Click on the link below to show you this Tasmanian list
North American SOTA
SOTA site of Ben VK5TX
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
Mapping
topographic-map.com
An interesting website is en-au.topographic-map.com. This site allows you to explore topographic maps by place type or by geographical area. Unfortunately the map area is very small and you cannot expand to full page. However it is worth a look.
Below is a screen shot of Mount Lofty summit, VK5/ SE-005.
Below is a screen shot of Mount Lofty summit, VK5/ SE-005.
Bonzle.com
Bonzle has a terrain option which provides a topographic profile in north-south, west-east, and NW/SE, plus NE/SW diagonal slices.
Below is a screen shot of Mount Lofty summit, VK5/ SE-005.
Below is a screen shot of Mount Lofty summit, VK5/ SE-005.
Location SA Map Viewer
The Location SA Map Viewer contains spatially referenced datasets collected by South Australian State government agencies.
SOTA trip scheduler
| sota_trip_scheduler_v4.0_2016-2017_dst_plus_zl__1_.xls |