History was made in February on an Argentinian summit.
Tom Rudzinski, SQ9FVE, made Summits on the Air (SOTA) history on February 16 by activating Aconcagua in Mendoza, Argentina.
At 6,962 metres (22,841 feet) above sea level, the mountain is the highest peak in both the Southern and Western hemispheres.
An experienced and skilled mountaineer, Tom planned the expedition carefully, including all necessary support. He began his ascent to the summit nearly two weeks ahead of his activation, setting up camps and acclimatizing to the elevation en route.
At 1747 UTC on February 16, operating as LU/SQ9FVE, he managed five contacts on 2-metres FM, working Argentinian chasers some 90 kilometres (56 miles) away.
Tom worked with a group of friends from the Cuyo Radio Club (LU1MA) to activate Aconcagua. In his post on the SOTA reflector Tom thanked all of his helpers especially the local Argentinian Amateurs.
Aconcagua has the reference LUM/PH-001, in the relatively new Argentina (Mendoza) SOTA association.
Background Information:
Summits on the Air (SOTA) is a fun and challenging activity for Radio Amateurs and shortwave listeners that encourages portable operation in mountainous areas. SOTA has been carefully designed to make participation possible for everyone – you don’t have to be a mountaineer! There are awards for activators (those who hike to the summits) and chasers (those who operate from home, a local hilltop, or another summit). There are no fees and you can participate on your own schedule. The rules of the SOTA radio-sport make it interesting and accessible to all.
SOTA is now fully operational in many countries across the world. A country or in North America, Provinces or States, may become an Association with qualifying SOTA summits. Each summit is assigned a point value according to its elevation. Certificates are awarded for various scores, leading to the prestigious “Mountain Goat” and “Shack Sloth” trophies. An Honour Roll for Activators and Chasers is maintained at the self-serve SOTA online database.
For more information please visit:
- Summits on the Air: https://www.sota.org.uk
- W0C SOTA: http://www.w0c-sota.org
The preceding news item is based on the following reports:
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2157 for Friday, March 1, 2019:
https://www.arnewsline.org
American Radio Relay League news:
http://www.arrl.org/news/highest-ever-summits-on-the-air-activation-reported