QMX out portable on SSB

 The QMX is a popular SOTA radio as it is very compact and works on SSB with a firmware update.

Oscar 100 and SOTA

Southgate News has a piece about a recent SOTA activation using Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite between 2 G stations.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/june/qo-100-s2s-in-sota.htm#.XvoFkYjYq00

SOTA spots

Some people choose their amateur radio the hard way. Some like to combine hiking to high spots to do "activations". These activations are part of summits on the air (SOTA).  I believe there are awards for summits worked.

If this is your "thing" you may like https://www.on6zq.be/p/swf/index.html#/spotfilter which shows activations. At least you can work these stations from the warm and dry!

Summits on the air (SOTA)

This is an activity that has taken off in recent years. Keen operators hike up a mountain and "activate" it. Points can be gained by working (or hearing) these activations. It combines hiking and amateur radio. My days of hiking up mountains is probably over (not that we have many mountains in East Anglia!) but others do it. Great fun.

See http://www.sota.org.uk/

Travel masts and SOTA accessories

When out portable it is often useful to have a small mast that can be erected to get a wire antenna up in the clear. SOTAbeams are now selling a 10m long fibre glass collapsable mast that is just 67cm long when collapsed, so easy to put in the boot of a car or even in luggage.  I see they are also selling a newer Mk 2 version of the FG02 antenna analyser which now covers 4m and has 62 memories.

I am wondering if SOTAbeams are intending to sell the YouKits TJ2B SSB handheld? This would be an ideal SOTA item.

LA1TPA - a fellow QRPer

Just got this nice email from a fellow QRPer, Mads LA1TPA, from Norway. Mads, I hope to work you soon on HF or 6m QRP. In this part of the UK there are no mountains to climb with the highest being less than 150m! There are a lot more in the rest of the UK though and I think SOTA is a great idea.

Hello Roger
My name is Mads and I'm a Norwegian QRPer. I'm writing you to tell you that I really enjoy reading your Ham Radio Blog. I got my licence in 2005 and my main interests are Summits On The Air activations and QRP DXCC hunting. I also write a QRP Blog myself: http://la1tpa-qrp.blogspot.com/. I'm a G-QRP member and attended the Rishworth convention last year and also intend to go there this year. Hope to work you 2-way QRP one day.

72
Mads LA1TPA