Summits on the Air - In Germany

Summits on the Air (SOTA) is an award scheme for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners that encourages portable operation in mountainous areas.

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). Click here to see what is happening with SOTA in real-time via the SOTAwatch portal.

The Association Reference Manuals contain a list of qualifying summits, together with their locations. 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.

An example of an active Summits operator can be seen here in this link. With many thanks to Klaus, DF2GN, for some outstanding shots from various locations.

Summits On The Air in Germany

SEANET Convention 2007 - Lampang

You are invited to exotic Lampang in northern Thailand in November this year for four fun-filled days when the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) is hosting the 35th annual Southeast Asia Net (SEANET) Convention.

With activities that include an opportunity to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony on elephant-back - either as the bride or the groom, or as a well-wisher - the organisers are sure that you will have a memorable 'ham-holiday' and will enjoy mingling with over 100 like-minded radio amateurs from Thailand and around the world between November 8 and November 11, 2007.

Lampang is Thailand's fourth-largest city, and is some 200 years older than the better-known northern capital Chiang Mai (an hour away by car) and which dates back to the 11th Century.

Radio Hams meet in Thailand........read on