After some Virginians volunteered to research the mountain peaks in the Commonwealth and see which ones are sufficiently prominent to qualify for the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program, we now, as of Feb 1, 2011 have 542 peaks from which to operate a ham station.
If you are a hiker and a ham, the Summits on the Air award program is for you. Originally organized in England, SOTA has become very popular in Europe for both hikers and summit collectors. Operators in the United States have caught on; Volunteers are working feverishly to add US peaks to the growing number of valid SOTA summits.
Virginia is now proudly represented in the W4 area.
Check out the Virginia peaks right here in this web domain.
http://sota-w4-va.hamradio.me/
K4QS has already activated W4/SH-058, Clark Mountain in Orange County, VA.
This post is an all call to Virginia hams to think about activating a peak in Virginia. Check out the rules on the main SOTA site, download the W4-VA manual and start your planning.
Information Links:
- Main Summits on the Air Web Site
- SOTA W4 Associations
- W4 VA Association Manual
- List of Virginia’s SOTA Peaks with Maps
I hope to work you on a Summit very soon.
John