The aim of SOTA is to encourage licensed
amateur radio operators[4] to operate temporarily from
mountainous locations[5][6] using any method of travel including
hiking,[7]mountain climbing,[8] and
cycling[9] while operating their
amateur radio station from the summits of hills and mountains.[10][11][12] In addition to getting operators out into the field the program encourages others to listen in to the transmissions from these stations and send in reports.[13][14][15] In areas that are not remote or difficult to access some SOTA activations serve as community outreach events.[16]
The program now has over 24,000 participants world wide, with about 7,000 in the United States.[17] Amateur radio operators who set up stations on mountain peaks are known as activators,[18][19] and other amateur radio operators who complete contacts with them are called chasers.[20][21] Points are given to both activators and chasers based on how high the mountain is.[22]
Awards are given based on accumulated points and certain special criteria.[23][24]Amateur radio contacts between summits, referred to as summit-to-summit, are considered special achievements.[25]
Operators make use of a wide array of communication methods including
morse code, voice (
FM or
SSB), and digital modes such as
FT8.[26][27] Although all parts of the
amateur radio bands can be used to make contacts, setups and communication modes vary across operators based on equipment,[28] environment[29][30] and
license class.[12]
Operators use both
VHF and
HF signals to make contacts, in both cases enjoying improved
line-of-sight propagation over obstructions that would otherwise block transmissions.[3] Contacts are also made using amateur radio satellites.[31][32]
The highest ever Summits on the Air activation reported was in February 2019 by Polish
amateur radio operator Tom Rudzinski (SQ9FVE), who successfully operated from 6,962 meters (22,841 feet) above sea level, atop
Aconcagua in
Mendoza, Argentina.[33][34]
^Davidson, Gerald (2015-02-01).
"Summits on the Air". RadCom. Vol. 91, no. 2. Radio Society of Great Britain. pp. 14–23.
Archived from the original on 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
^Nair, Tim (2015). Gerber, Suzanne (ed.).
Connection in the Sky: Mount-Top Ham Radio(PDF). Seattle, WA: Mountaineer Magazine. pp. 24–25.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
^"Awards". Summits on the Ari.
Archived from the original on 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
^Shepard, Phil (2015-06-06).
Summits On The Air(PDF). SEAPAC. Seattle, Washington.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 2022-11-04. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
^Gregory, Nick (2021-03-01).
"SOTA working via QO-100 /P". RadCom. Vol. 97, no. 3. Radio Society of Great Britain. p. 26.
Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2022-10-21.