What is Summits on the Air?
Summits On The Air (SOTA) is a points based award scheme for radio amateurs that encourages portable operation in mountainous areas. SOTA is designed for all Radio Amateurs and Shortwave Listeners – this is not just for mountaineers! Points are awarded 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).
Visit https://www.sota.org.uk/ for more information.
KARC's SOTA Coordinator: Ron Burns, NR3E (ronliz1998@gmail.com)
Scheduled SOTA Activations
| Date | Summit Name (click for info) | Reference | Approx Drive | Road Condition | 4x4 Needed | Points | Hiking Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-7-2023 SOTA/POTA | High Knob | W4V/GC-001 | 60 mi, 1 hr 15 min | Paved | No | 10+3 | Drive up |
| 2-18-2023 | Summit 3940 | W4T/RV-002 | 50 miles, 1 hr 20 min | Good gravel | No | 8+3 | 0.7 mi, 102 ft EG |
| 3-4-2023 SOTA/POTA | Grindstone Knob | W4T/SU-038 | 47 mi, 1 hr | Paved | No | 8+3 | 0.4 miles along the AT with 350 foot elevation gain |
| 4-1-2023 SOTA/POTA | Holston High Point | W4T/RV-001 | 45 mi, 1 hr 15 min | Good gravel | No | 10 | Drive up |
| 5-27-2023 | Walnut Mountain | W4T/SU-033 | 77 mi, 2 hrs | Forest service gravel, can be dicey | Not usually | 10 | 1.2 mi, 625 ft EG |
| 6-17-2023 | Summit 4580 | W4T/SU-022 | 65 mi, 1 hr 30 min | Good gravel | No | 10 | Drive up |
| 7-8-2023 | Roan High Knob | W4T/SU-005 | 40 mi, 1 hr | Paved | No | 10 | 0.8 mi, 196 ft EG |
| 8-26-2023 | Camp Creek Bald | W4C/CM-028 | 57 mi, 1 hr 30 min | Some rough spots near the top | Not usually | 8 | Drive up |
| 9-16-2023 | Sugar Run Mountain | W4V/FC-003 | 125 mi, 2 hr 20 min | Good forest service road | No | 10 | 0.5 mi, 360 ft EG |
| 10-21-2023 | Elk Knob | W4C/EM-005 | 80 mi, 1 hr 35 min | Paved | No | 10 | 1.9 mi, 985 ft EG |
| 11-18-2023 | Barnett Knob | W4C/WM-055 | 130 mi, 2 hr 20 min | Paved | No | 8 | 0.6 mi, 360 ft EG |
| 12-9-2023 SOTA/POTA | TBA |
SOTA Activations Report 2023
| Date | Summit | Activators | Total Contacts | CW | Phone | DX | Trip Report (click for report) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-7-2023 | W4G/GC-001 | 5 | 137 | 88 | 49 | 9 | High Knob |
| 2-18-2023 | W4T/RV-002 | 6 | 82 | 37 | 45 | 5 | Summit 3940 |
| 3-4-2023 | W4T/SU-038 | 6 + Nora | 105 | 69 | 26 | 1 | Grindstone Knob |
| 4-1-2023 | W4T/RV-001 | 7 | 147 | 112 | 35 | 4 | Holston High Point |
| 5-27-2023 | W4T/SU-033 W4C/CM-035 | 5 | 100 | 83 | 17 | 3 | Walnut and Bluff Mountains |
| 6-17-2023 | W4T/SU-022 | 7 | 104 | 93 | 11 | 4 | Summit 4580 |
| 7-8-2023 | W4T/SU-005 | 4 | 91 | 80 | 11 | 2 | Roan High Knob |
| 8-26-2023 | W4C/CM-028 | 8 | 106 | 41 | 38 | 1 | Camp Creek Bald |
| 9-16-2023 | W4V/FC-003 | 5 | 82 | 64 | 18 | 3 | Sugar Run Mountain |
SOTA Activations Report 2022
| Date | Summit Name | Reference | Activators | Total Contacts | DX Contacts | Trip Report (click for report) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-5-2022 | Whiterock Ridge | W4T/SU-062 | 5 | 33 | 1 | (No report) |
| 4-23-2022 | 3940 | W4T/RV-002 | 4 | 26 | 2 | Summit 3940 |
| 5-21-2022 | Round Mountain | W4T/SU-029 | 3 | 34 | 1 | Round Mountain |
| 6-4-2022 | Roan High Knob | W4T/SU-005 | 4 | 39 | 2 | Roan High Knob |
| 7-16-2022 | High Knob | W4V/GC-001 | 6 | 60 | 1 | High Knob |
| 8-13-2022 | Mount Mitchell | W4C/CM-001 | 7 | 38 | 1 | Mount Mitchell |
| 9-3-2022 | Pinnacle Mountain | W4T/SU-058 | 7 | 104 | 3 | Pinnacle Mountain |
| 10-8-2022 | Black Mountain | W4K/EC-001 | 7 | 52 | 2 | Black Mountain |
| 11-12-2022 | Paint Mountain | W4T/SU-095 | 5 | 31 | 1 | Paint Mountain |
| 12-17-2022 | High Rock | W4T/SU-024 | 5 | 86 | 1 | High Rock |