Summits on the Air (SOTA)

Summits on the Air (SOTA) has been carefully designed to make participation possible for all radio amateurs and shortwave listeners—this is not just for mountaineers!

There are awards for activators—those who ascend to the summits, and for chasers—who either operate from home, a local hilltop, or are even activators on other summits.

See the Joining In section of the SOTA website for lots of information, advice, rules, guidelines and our FAQs.

SOTA is fully operational in nearly 100 countries across the world.

Each country has its own association which defines the recognised SOTA summits within that association.

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.

How Do I Start?

SOTA is an amateur radio awards scheme.

To participate in this scheme you do not become a member of anything, and there are no dues to be paid, or membership cards to be issued.

You can join in straight away!

Just go to SOTAwatch to see what is happening right now in SOTA.

To post to SOTA facilities you just need to register an account.

Then you will be able to add alerts and spots on SOTAwatch—which will likely help a lot, if you plan to activate—and upload your chases or activations to the SOTA database.

There is no charge for registering.

The SOTA reflector uses a separate user account system; so to join in with discussions there simply click on the sign up button.

You can then chase or activate when you feel like it—SOTA is global and activations can take place 24 hours a day.

Once you transfer your log to the database there is a permanent record.

You can check your entries against those of the stations that you contacted, and keep track of your progress towards awards.

Later you might wish to purchase awards, trophies or goods from the SOTA online shop.

These purchases and the occasional donation are the means of financing the SOTA facilities.

You can find out much about the Summits on the Air programme at sota.org.uk

Summits on the Air (SOTA)

Summits on the Air (SOTA) has been carefully designed to make participation possible for all radio amateurs and shortwave listeners—this is not just for mountaineers!

There are awards for activators—those who ascend to the summits, and for chasers—who either operate from home, a local hilltop, or are even activators on other summits.

See the Joining In section of the SOTA website for lots of information, advice, rules, guidelines and our FAQs.

SOTA is fully operational in nearly 100 countries across the world.

Each country has its own association which defines the recognised SOTA summits within that association.

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.

How Do I Start?

SOTA is an amateur radio awards scheme.

To participate in this scheme you do not become a member of anything, and there are no dues to be paid, or membership cards to be issued.

You can join in straight away!

Just go to SOTAwatch to see what is happening right now in SOTA.

To post to SOTA facilities you just need to register an account.

Then you will be able to add alerts and spots on SOTAwatch—which will likely help a lot, if you plan to activate—and upload your chases or activations to the SOTA database.

There is no charge for registering.

The SOTA reflector uses a separate user account system; so to join in with discussions there simply click on the sign up button.

You can then chase or activate when you feel like it—SOTA is global and activations can take place 24 hours a day.

Once you transfer your log to the database there is a permanent record.

You can check your entries against those of the stations that you contacted, and keep track of your progress towards awards.

Later you might wish to purchase awards, trophies or goods from the SOTA online shop.

These purchases and the occasional donation are the means of financing the SOTA facilities.

You can find out much about the Summits on the Air programme at sota.org.uk

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