TIPS FOR ACTIVATORS.

What to do in the planning stage.

  • Check topo maps, Google Earth satellite view for scrub
  • google search for articles from anyone who may have walked there before, eg local bushwalkers
  • reports. Check long range weather forecast.
  • If possible plan to line up activation time with other activations for S2S.
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  • Am I going on a trip that might take me past or near an interesting summit? 
  • Do I have a spare day I can be away from home so I can activate within say 3 hours travel? 
  • Study the SOTA maps pages to select possible peaks if I dont already know of them. 
  • Look for roads, parking and walking tracks to the summit.
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  • Check maps for access (forest explorer (url?), aussie explorer maps, Open cycle
  • map etc.
  • Check weather forecast
  • Google search summit for other writeups or blogs
  • Find out what summit has on it for attaching antennas to
  • Is there shade on the site?
  • Are there commercial repeaters on the site that might overload or interfere
  • with radios?
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  • In my planning I consider what summits are near enough to activate,
  • preferably those I have not activated before. This is easy in the
  • early days of a new association or in a new year, but after that it
  • will be a matter of what is accessible in the time available
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  • Check www.sotawatch.org/summits.php for past access reports

  • Google location for other reports, blogs, hiking trip logs, DSE or Parks Victoria info

  • Check www.geocache.com for nearby geocaches with access details

  • Check interactive map at land.vic.gov.au for roads and contours

  • Check Google Earth for visible tracks


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  • Check maps for access.
  • Look for any info or clues for access.

  • Will scan the Forest explorer PDF into MacGPS, place check points then
send to GPS so the printed and GPS are aligned.

  • Will also checkout the next summit on way home from a activation.

  • There is a lot of history around these days to assist with access planning.
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  • Open OziExplorer with all the summits as weighpoints

  • Look for a group of summits that I can combine into one trip

  • Check any trip notes from other Activators

  • Check the access approaches on the OziEx maps

  • Open my Trip Schedule speadsheet and feed them in with the appropriate
travel times between summits, I also use Google maps for some of the initial
travel time estimates between towns - the TS spreadsheet gives me the
activation times in both Local and Zulu time (I will provide a copy in the
next few days, others may like to try it
  • Use OziExplorere to plot the key weighpoints for the trip (summits, key
road junctions, car park points, etc) and load into the GPS
  • Print A4 maps of each summit area (forgot to do this on one occasion and
paid the price of a wrong turn and added delay)

  • Ensure batteries are all charged

  • Post intentions to the SOTA site


  • Check the weather forecast the night before or on the morning - In Feb I
refrained from going into the bush due to the fire risk, likewise, no point
going is the weather is really bad - the summit will still be there next
week or next month or next year


  • By going through this planning process I am then very familiar with where I
am going and how long it should take


  • Use of a charged smart phone allows checking/posting of Spots in most
instances.
  • Consider a spare battery for it or charging capability.
  • In the
bush phones often go flat much faster than normal


  • And the rest follows the general approach of others

My motto is "time spent on preplanning and preparation is never wasted"


  • I have a prepacked day pack for SOTA activations with food, water, log book,
lightweight water resistant jacket, radio gear, waterproof cover for the
radio gear, etc. My squid pole is in a nylon cover that clips to the pack.
If the weather looks dubious then I throw in my Bothy emergency shelter - a
v large garbag can also be a good shelter in an emergency, and it weighs
next to nothing.
  • Remember food still in your pack does not produce energy


  • It is also important to know how to use all your gear - esp GPS, emergency
shelter, etc. 


  • For anyone taking a PLB remember to log into the AMSA PLB site before each
trip and record your trip details - also setting of your PLB does not
necessarly mean "instant" rescue, depending on the circumstances it may be
the following day before the authorities can get to you


  • Finally - "let someone before you go", details of your trip should be left
with someone who cares - so that if you have an accident or are still out
beyond your agreed "back in contact time" authorities can be notified with
good information