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VHF FM, also starting to learn CW for HF activations.
Mountaineering objectives near Seattle, interested in first activations.
(last updated 2025 March 09)
Father of 2 teenaged sons and very active in Boy Scouts. Avid backpacker, QRP CW OP, restorer of ancient Volkswagens, dirt bike rider, computer nerd, and all around nice guy =) PNWSOTA admin and host.
I went on my first SOTA activation with Rich (AC7MA) and Bill (WA7NCL) in July 2017. I was hooked! I now have a KX2 and have been going on as many activations as my schedule will allow. I mainly do CW and sometimes 2m FM.
Dad, small business owner, new ham
Using SOTA to get out of the house, learn how to set up antenna's and just get out there.
Being in the mountains is just about my favorite way to spend time.
When I am not carrying a radio into the woods to do SOTA or support a wilderness ultra, I like to build RF gear of all sorts. I pick SOTA summits for the challenge or hike rather than the points and when I am out I really enjoy chasing other SOTA ops for S2S points.
My primary rigs are the KX2 and FT2D. I generally use endfed antennas for HF and a half-wave whip or beam for VHF/UHF. I mostly work CW on HF and FM voice on 2M.
In 2021, I put together the first Pacific Northwest Not-Quite-Fourteener to coincide with the Ham14er and Socal SOTAFest. It turned out pretty well, with more than a dozen W7W and W7O ops getting out and making a bunch of S2S contacts.
Working in Portland metro area, doing parks and summits as I can around an odd work schedule and two small children.
Running an FT-891 with an EFHW and some light masts. Only done a few summits in SE Oregon when we didn't draw any deer tags but still wanted the trip. Mostly get summit chases when I sneak in a POTA activation.
With retirement, I am renewing my outdoor fun life. This includes off roading, overlanding, and hiking. Recently got interested in HAM radio and then I found SOTA!!!
I plan to be an activator. For UHF / VHF using a FT 60 HT and role up J pole. For HF will be trying EFHW from PackTenna and WRC and 72 inch whip. Radio is an Xiegu g90
I enjoy packing my gear into the high country, making contacts from summits, hunting, and activating parks throughout the SOTA & POTA networks.
My family and I live between two beautiful properties, one in San Juan County and the other in Whatcom County. We keep a small farm, and we're made up of a family of five "humans being" with creation and the inhabitants of this land. Our homestead is comprised of roughly 10 acres of wooded grassland. The property is situated on a three percent slope with total southern exposure. You can learn more about us at www.GentlmenFarming.com and Instagram.
In my free time, I enjoy exploring light as it gets captured through the lens of my camera. I am interested in investigating ideas through photography and designing for our challenges in the ophthalmic industry. You can learn more about my work at www.JohnTrefethen.com | you can also connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Equipment -- IC-705, KX2, KH1, IC-7300, IC-5100, ID-52. (all barefoot) | HF Antennas -- Hexbeam 20M and up & EFHF 130' length, Sloper configuration | VHF/UHF Antennas -- Cubical Quad and Vertical 9' Commet.
I love getting into the very high cascades and taking challenging overnight treks into the wilderness.
I like any SOTA activation, but especially like summits that have never been activated, and we have a LOT of those in my region and surrounding regions. I have an IC705 and a KX2 and use a multi-band end fed, a linked dipole, and a random wire, and for a mast I use an ebay carbon fiber fishing pole. Works wonders.
Hi I'm KA7WYR, licensed back in the 1980's along with my entire family, earning my Novice and Tech (with code) licenses. This year 2024 upgraded my license to General and have started doing more HF ops. Living in Western Washington I wanted to become more active and combining hiking and radios seemed like a great combination! My full QRZ bio at https://www.qrz.com/db/KA7WYR.
QTH is Issaquah, WA and starting (in 2024) to activate local peaks in W7W and branching out from there in terms of difficulty. For equipment I have a 2m/70cm HT with rollable j-pole antenna, and also recently build a packable HF rig based on FT-891 and either EFHW or simple dipole.
I enjoy spending time outdoors and learning new skills. SOTA seems like a great combination.
Currently hold technician license but aiming to get general in the next 2 months. My goal is to mostly activate but also chase, to start with I have a Xiegu G90 (would like to get something more compact once I get started) with Packtenna EFHW for HF and a Yaesu FT3D for 2m.
B.C.Ham radio operator
I activate SOTA in B.C. Canada and hope to hit more this year.
Half-century ham and quarter-century QRPer who "discovered" SOTA just before the pandemic. Outside of radio, I focus on birds and words. Lately, I've upped my geocaching effort.
I prefer CW but can use voice, especially VHF/UHF, and will someday soon try FT8 from a summit. I built an Elecraft K1 when they came out and really enjoy using it both as my primary shack rig and my SOTA/POTA station. In both cases, simple wire antennas are generally my go-to. I've spent a lot of time on satellites, but the equipment demand is a bit heavy for SOTA.
first licensed in 2020. I've been in construction all my life. The outdoors have always been my goto to reset. My dogs keep me tethered to day trips or an occasional overnighter. TX500 EFHW FT3D 5/8 tele whip and QuadZilla
drive ups hike ups snow shoes on the weekends. I use WE4DX club call typically.
Let's Goooooooooooat 8^P
Located at Lake Tapps, east of Tacoma, WA., I'm on the plateau above Sumner/Puyallup at 520', surrounded by trees.
The base station is an Icom 7300 radio,
53' of DXE-400 MAX coax cable and a Hustler 5 vertical antenna
40 #14 AWG multi-strand radial ground wires. The radials are 32' long (9.7536 meters) in a morning sunrise pattern.
Transmitting on 10, 15, 20 and 40 meters so far.
New to SOTA
I run Ultratrail races as another hobby and am always near summits when I am training. I received my General License in September and stumbled upon SOTA and thought that it would be great to combine the training with summitting.
Fairly new to amateur radio. I spend a ton of time in the outdoors so when I found out about SOTA it really got me excited. Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, scuba diving, backpacking, dirt bikes, etc are just a few things I enjoy.
I’m fairly new to amateur radio and learning more everyday. My equipment seems to change all the time ,radios include the IC705, TX500, G90, GS-5B, TH-D75. Antennas are mostly home made random wire antennas, SSB phone is currently my favorite mode. Winter activations and summits with no trails I enjoy the most.