What is SOTA?

Summits on the Air (SOTA), is an amateur radio operating award program that started in Great Britain in 2002 and has become popular worldwide. SOTA's aim is to encourage licensed amateur radio operators to operate temporarily from mountainous locations, combining hiking and mountain climbing with operating their amateur radios from the summits of hills and mountains.

Points are awarded to the activator for operating from a summit, and to each of the chasers who contact the activator. The higher the mountain, the more points are earned.

The rules include that the "method of final access to the Summit must be non-motorized," and "all equipment must be operated from a portable power source, such as battery, solar cells, etc." Because of the sometimes difficult hiking involved, activators have used innovative ways to minimize the total weight of their equipment, while still providing adequate antennas and electrical power. 

More information about SOTA, can be found on their website, SOTA.org. Another website, called SOTAwatch, shows real time information about ongoing and planned SOTA activations, and is especially helpful to chasers, for finding the whereabouts and frequencies used by various activators. An independant project called the SOTA Mapping Project provides extensive information about SOTA summits.

What is POTA?

In 2016, hams from across the country activated from various National Parks Service units during the ARRL sponsored National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event, to help celebrate the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, while showcasing Amateur Radio to the public. NPOTA was a huge success, and shortly thereafter, Parks on the Air (POTA) emerged as a way to continue to promote communications from national/federal and state/provincial level parks.

Parks on the Air (POTA) has expanded to include 133 DX Entities so far, and also includes state and provincial parks, in addition to national and international level parks. The POTA Map helps hams almost anywhere in the world to find a park to operate from, and POTA Spots help chasers find current activations.

WS1SM Mountain Topping, Summits on the Air (SOTA), and Parks on the Air (POTA) Activations

2011 Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal, ME

Bradbury Mountain was our first hilltopping expedition, and although it didn't qualify as a Summits on the Air hill, we had a great time. The first snowfall of the year came in mid November, but a few days later, the weather improved, and we decided to take advantage of it by going to Bradbury Mountain State Park, in Pownal, ME. 

Many club members turned out, including Frank Allen (then WA1PLD), Steve Freeman K1MV, Charlie Shepard W1CPS, Dave Wood KB1FGF, Thom Watson W1WMG, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, and Rory McEwen KB1PLY. The expedition is best remembered for an impromptu 'Ham Radio 101' course that we taught for a group of Cub Scouts that hiked to the summit. A few of them even got on te air! The moment was highligted in a future edition of QST.  

Thom W1WMG, Charlie W1CPS, and Dave KB1FGF On the summit Thom W1WMG, Rory KB1PLY, Frank WA1PLD, and Steve K1MV Thom W1WMG, Dave KB1FGF, and Charlie W1CPS

Thom W1WMG on the air Steve K1MV, Rory KB1PLY, and Thom W1WMG Some of the Cub Scouts that stopped by One of the Cub Scouts takes the mic

2012 Ossipee Hill, Waterboro, ME  - W1/AM-253
SOTA

Ossipee Hill was our first true SOTA expedition as a group. We set out on the chilly morning of April 29, 2012 and hiked to the summit along a steep dirt road. Once there, we setup HF and VHF stations, using a BuddiPole, Icom IC706 MKIIG, a wire dipole for 40 meters, and a portable J-pole for 2 meters. 

A few brave souls even climbed to the top of the fire tower to take pictures and embrace the spectacular 360 degree view, which included the White Mountains to the West, the Atlantic Ocean in the East, and Little Ossipee Pond nearby. Club members who participated include Sam Webber N1WIG, Frank Allen (then WA1PLD), Thom Watson W1WMG, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Dave Wood KB1FGF, and Rory McEwen KB1PLY. 

The hike to the summit The Fire Tower Thom tosses out some rope Frank makes a friend Thom W1WMG climbs the tower Looking down at the operating position An Osborne Fire Finder, used in the tower

Overlooking Little Ossipee Pond Finding a place to setup antennas Sam N1WIG points at something Rory KB1PLY operates 20m The view from above Inside the Fire Tower Tim KB1HNZ takes a turn at the mic

2012 Mt. Washington, Gorham, NH - W1/HA-001
SOTA

On July 8th, 2012, club members Thom Watson W1WMG and Tim Watson KB1HNZ ventured to the summit of New England's highest peak, Mt. Washington, for a Summits on the Air activation. Using call sign WS1SM, the team operated primarily 2 meters, making over 50 QSOs in just a couple hours time. Equipment included an Icom IC706 MKIIG, a VHF/UHF log periodic antenna, and a Kenwood TH22AT HT with an extended whip.

Tim KB1HNZ with the radio, battery, and BuddiPole Setting up Thom W1WMG adjusts the antenna Tim KB1HNZ stands on a rock pile and works someone with his HT Tim KB1HNZ

The summit is buried somewhere in those clouds Extremely windy and cloudy Thom W1WMG The VHF/UHF log periodic Thom W1WMG operates 2m SSB

2012 Mt. Megunticook, Camden, ME  - W1/EM-001
SOTA & CQWW VHF

A few weeks later, on July 22nd, 2012, Thom Watson W1WMG and brother Tim KB1HNZ teamed up again to activate Mt. Megunticook, in the Camden Hills, for Summits on the Air, and the CQWW VHF Contest. Operating QRP, this time with a Yaesu FT857d, and a BuddiPole antenna, the team focused on 2 meters and 6 meters, making contacts as far away as Nova Scotia on 2 meter SSB, and a contest station in Namibia on 6 meters.

Tim KB1HNZ, operates 6m from near the summit

Tuning through the band

2013 Mt. Agamenticus, York, ME - W1/AM-381
SOTA

At the first sign of good weather, on April 28th, 2013, the WS1SM team of Charile Shepard W1CPS, Cindy Shepard W1CJS, Ryan Michaelson KB1YTR, Sam Webber N1WIG, Thom Watson W1WMG, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Dakota Dumont KB1YYC, and Annette Dumont KC1AMQ, ventured to the summit of Mt. Agamenticus, in York, ME, to activate it for Summits on the Air (SOTA).

Being a former ski area "The Big A," Mt. Aggie is more developed than most of the mountains we hike to. There is a summit house, that was once a ski lodge, well groomed hiking trails, a parking area, and remnants of an old T-bar chair lift, among other relics. We set up our stations in a large field area, across the parking lot from the summit building. Charlie & Cindy operated mostly 15 and 17 meters, using a fan dipole and an Icom IC7000, while Ryan operated 20 meters QRP using his newly acquired Elecraft KX3 and random wire. Thom and Tim operated mostly 40 meters using a SOTA Beams dipole strung in the trees, and Dakota manned a VHF station, making contacts as far away as Rhode Island on 220 MHz!

Dakota KB1YYC operates HF Yaesu FT857d Ryan KB1YTR operates 20m QRP Dakota KB1YYC at the mic while Ryan and Thom look on Tim KB1HNZ, works 20m while Sam N1WIG looks on Dave KB1FGF and Tim KB1HNZ at the VHF station Dakota KB1YYC and Sam N1WIG operate the HF station

Charlie shows off his walking stick 40m dipole strung in the trees Ryan and Thom setup the BuddiPole Closeup of Ryan KB1YTR operating QRP with his new KX3 Charlie W1CPS and Cindy W1CJS operate 17 meters Thom W1WMG works HF while Dakota KB1YYC helps with the logging VHF station with Ryan KB1YTR in the background

2013 Mt. Washington, Gorham, NH - W1/HA-001
SOTA & CQWW VHF

On July 21st, 2013, the WS1SM team of Frank Krizan KR1ZAN, the Dumonts (Dakota KB1YYC, Bert KB1ZLV, and Annette KC1AMQ), Thom Watson W1WMG, and Tim Watson KB1HNZ, operated from the summit of Mt. Washington for Summits on the Air (SOTA) and the CQWW VHF Contest. Equipment included a Yaesu FT2900 and portable J-Pole antenna, for 2 meter FM, and a Yaesu FT857d and BuddiPole for 2 meter SSB and 6 meters. The day started out extremely foggy and cold, but by mid afternoon, the sun finally broke through, and the view turned out to be spectacular.

Visitors on the summit The BuddiPole in 6 meter yagi configuration VHF/UHF J-Pole Closeup of the 2-element 6 meter yagi Closeup of the 144 and 220 MHz radios Train tracks for the Cog Railway The antennas setup just outside of the Tip Top House Tim KB1HNZ, works 6m  SSB The Cog Railway A visitor stops by and operates the radio

Thom W1WMG, Dakota KB1YYC, and Bert KB1ZLV L-R: Bert KB1ZLV, Dakota KB1YYC, Thom W1WMG, Frank KR1ZAN, and Annette KC1AMQ Frank, Tim, and Dakota operate Dakota operates 2 meter FM Thom, Bert, Annette, and Dakota Hikers stop to take in the view as the clouds begin to break Bert and Dakota Tim KB1HNZ, takes a break from operating L-R: Bert KB1ZLV, Dakota KB1YYC, Frank KR1ZAN, and Tim KB1HNZ ...and he makes a contact!

2013 Douglas Mountain, Sebago, ME - W1/AM-140
SOTA

Douglas Mountain is probably best remembered for Dave Wood KB1FGF getting lost on his way to the summit. Club members, including Charlie Shepard W1CPS, Cindy Shepard W1CJS, Thom Watson W1WMG, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Dakota Dumont KB1YYC, and Annette Dumont KC1AMQ, for some reason, chose to hike the "Eagle Scout Trail," which turned out to be several miles long and quite steep in some spots. When they arrived, exhausted from the hike, they met Rick Fickett K1OT, waiting for them on the summit. He didn't look at all tired, and the first thing he said was "what took you so long?" As it turned out, Rick took a much easier, and shorter trail to the summit, from an entirely different starting point. 

We setup a VHF station on the top of the stone summit tower, and an HF station at the base, and were well into working pileups when we heard a faint distress call over 2 meters. It was Dave KB1FGF, saying "help me, I've lost my way." Knowing Dave was a joker, we laughed it off at first, but the second time he called, we realized he was serious. Thom W1WMG and Annette KC1AMQ formed a two person search part and set off to find Dave, with Thom asking Dave to keep talking on the radio while he attenuated the signal on his HT by holding it against his chest, in order to determine the right direction. Soon, they found Dave and led him to the summit, where he joined the rest of the party.

The trail map Charlie W1CPS works his way up the hill Finally at the summit Surveying for a good spot to setup antennas Not for himself, but for all From inside the tower Checking out the view Dakota works 2 meters from the stone tower Dave KB1FGF finally made it!

Sign pointing the way to the "Eagle Scout Trail" Thom W1WMG points the way Cindy W1CJS struggles for grip Closeup of the stone tower View of Sebago Lake Thom W1WMG operates 2m FM from the stone tower Vistors at the top of the stone tower Looking down from the stone tower at the WS1SM team The trusty Yaesu FT857d

2014 Pleasant Mountain, Bridgton, ME  - W1/AM-038
SOTA

As you can see from the pictures below, there was still plenty of unmelted snow around when the WS1SM team of Charlie Shepard W1CPS, Thom Watson W1WMG, and Tim Watson KB1HNZ, made the trek up the slopes of Shawnee Peak Ski Area, to reach the summit of Pleasant Mountain. The trails were muddy and steep in spots, and it took well over an hour to reach the peak. Once there, we setup an HF station, using a Yaesu FT857d and BuddiPole antenna on battery power, and a 2 meter station, using a Yaesu FT2900 and a portable J-Pole antenna, also on battery power. 

After a few hours of operating, a storm blew in and it started to snow and sleet. We took shelter in a chairlift-operator's station for a little while to keep the equipment dry, before heading back down the slopes, but not until after Charlie decided to climb to the top of one of the chairlift towers for "better reception." 

Charlie W1CPS  and Thom W1WMG take a break along a trail Tim KB1HNZ, takes a break Charlie W1CPS and Tim KB1HNZ take a moment to set down their bags Thom W1WMG, operating VHF The Yaesu FT857d Charlie W1CPS leans on a snow bank Yes, Cindy, that is Charlie up there! Thom W1WMG, operates HF from within a chairlift station

The Pine Quad chair lift Charlie W1CPS, and Thom W1WMG pause  along the side of a slope Tim KB1HNZ takes in the view One of the muddy trails Looking down at Moose Pond Thom W1WMG logs a contact Charlie W1CPS makes contacts on 2 meter simplex Tim KB1HNZ takes the mic

2014 Mt. Washington, Gorham, NH  - W1/HA-001
SOTA & CQWW VHF

2014 marked the second consecutive year we operated CQWW VHF from the summit of Mt. Washington. The weather was cold and windy for most of the event, so we couldn't keep the BuddiPole fully extended for very long, but we tallied well over 100 QSO's on both 6 and 2 meters. The operator team included Thom Watson W1WMG, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Dakota Dumont KB1YYC, and Emily Baizley. 

Thom W1WMG working 2m FM Thom keeps going despite the rain Tim operates 6m SSB From the roof of the Mt. Washington observatory A view of the antennas (Dakota and Emily operating) Cone of silence?

View of the BuddiPole and Thom operating An opening in the clouds Tim KB1HNZ with BuddiPole in 6m configuration Dakota KB1YYC and Emily A vintage radio setup in the museum Thom checks out the view from the lodge

2014 Mt. Blue, Weld, ME  - W1/AM-019
SOTA

We picked a beautiful fall afternoon to hike to the summit of Mt. Blue, in Weld, Maine, and we had quite a few turn out for the activation, including Bert Dumont KB1ZLV, Dave Wood KB1FGF, Sebastian Ames KC1BMY, Thom Watson W1WMG, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, and Charlie Shepard W1CPS. 

The trail was about 4 miles long, and extremely steep in spots. In a few places, we had to form a human chain to pass some of the equipment up, but once at the summit, the view was worth it. Thom W1WMG setup a Yaesu FT2900 and portable J-Pole on one of the upper platforms of the fire tower, while the others setup antennas for the HF stations in a clearing just below. One consited of a 40m SOTA Beams dipole, and a Yaesu FT857d, while the other consisted of a fan dipole for the upper bands, and an Icom IC7000. 

Thom, Sebastian, and Bert, take in the view Dave KB1FGF Getting steeper Destination in sight Rocky trail View from the top Bert KB1ZLV on the upper platform of the fire tower Dave KB1FGF made it to the summit! Looking down at the HF setup The SOTA Beams dipole VHF/UHF portable  J-Pole Closeup of the VHF station

L-R: Bert KB1ZLV, Sebatian KC1BMY, Thom W1WMG, and Dave KB1FGF Thom W1WMG and Bert KB1ZLV take a break Dave, Charlie, and Thom stop for a break King of the Mountain Charlie W1CPS at the summit Foliage across the hills Radar tower disguised as a traditional fire tower Thom W1WMG opeartes VHF from the upper platform Solar panels Tim KB1HNZ operates 40m Storms moving in Charlie W1CPS with his multiband fan dipole

2016 Cadillac Mountain, Mt. Desert Island, ME  - W1/DI-001
SOTA & NPOTA

As part of their NPOTA expedition to Acadia National Park, in September of 2016, Stefania Watson K1GJY, and husband Tim KB1HNZ, activated Cadillac Mountain for Summits on the Air. After spending much of the day on HF from Bass Harbor Head Light and the Natural Seawall portions of the park, the SOTA activation was only 2 meter FM Simplex, using a Kenwood D710 on battery power.

View from the summit,

View from the summit, overlooking the islands

2017 Mt. Equinox, Arlington, VT  - W1/GM-003
SOTA

In May of 2017, Stefania Watson K1GJY, and her husband Tim KB1HNZ, activated Mt. Equinox, in Manchester, Vermont, for Summits on the Air. The views from the summit were spectacular, and the 2 meter band was equally as good, as we had QSOs as far away as Connecticut, Central Massachusetts, and the Adirondacks of New York. The station used was a Kenwood D710, on battery power. 

Looking South towards the Berkshires and Mt. Greylock Chapel in the summit house

View from the summit house Looking North from the summit

DMR Simplex Sunday

2018 Mt. Equinox, Arlington, VT  - W1/GM-003
SOTA, DMR Simplex Sunday

2018 Mt. Greylock, Adams, MA  - W1/MB-001
SOTA, DMR Simplex Sunday

2018 Mt. Washington, Gorham, NH - W1/HA-001
SOTA, DMR Simplex Sunday

In June 2018, Stefania Watson K1GJY, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Peter Hatem KC1HBM, and Peter Donovan KC1XT travelled to various mountaintops in New England with the goal of testing the limits of DMR Simplex. The teams split in two groups, with KC1HBM and KC1XT heading to Mt. Washington, in New Hampshire, and K1GJY and KB1HNZ travelling to both Mt. Equinox, in Vermont, and Mt. Greylock, in Western Massachusetts. 

Successful QSOs were made between Mt. Washington and Mt. Equinox (118.46 miles) on both VHF and UHF DMR Simplex, as well as Mt. Washington and Mt. Greylock (145.56 miles), on both VHF and UHF DMR Simplex. Other noteable contacts during the day included a 151.13 mile QSO betweenMt. Equinox and Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC, and a 109.42 mile QSO between Mt. Greylock and Gunstock Mountain. 

A view South from the Summit of Mt. Equinox Veterans War Memorial Tower, on Mt. Greylock

View of the summit house on Mt. Equinox Bascom Lodge, on the summit of Mt. Greylock

Closeup of the VHF/UHF antenna and tripod

KC1HBM and KC1XT's VHF/UHF setup on the summit of Mt. Washington, NH

2019 Mt. Agamenticus, York, ME - W1/AM-381
SOTA

The WS1SM team ventured to the summit of Mt. Agamenticus on May 19th, meeting for breakfast at Maine Diner, in Wells, before making their way up the mountain. Among those who participated were Greg Dean K1ME, CJ Carlsson W1CJC, Brad Brown KC1JMH, Eric Emery KC1HJK, and myself. It was my second activation from the summit, having been part of the 2013 team, but for the others, it was their first SOTA activation from Mt. Agamenticus.

The view north as Greg, CJ, and Brad setup a 40m dipole CJ's Icom IC706 Mark IIG

CJ W1CJC (standing) while Eric KC1HJK, and Greg K1ME operate HF Tim KB1HNZ (left) makes changes to the antenna, and CJ (right)

Being a former ski area "The Big A," Mt. Aggie is more developed than most of the mountains we hike to. There is a summit house, that was once a ski lodge, well groomed hiking trails, a parking area, and remnants of an old T-bar chair lift, among other relics. We set up our stations on a picnic table on the northern side of the clearing at the top. Among the equipment used were my Yaesu Ft-857d and BuddiPole rotatable dipole, which I used on 14 and 21 MHz, CJ's Icom IC706, which was paired with a 40m dipole strung in the trees, and various VHF radios. Greg brought a yagi for 144, which made for some interesting contacts, and we also used a TYT TH-9000D and J Pole for 220 MHz. Brad KC1JMH also took the opportunity to try his partially finished QRP kit on the air for the first time.  

The weather was cloudy and windy at times, but otherwise pretty nice compared to the several days of rain that preceded the expedition. The only rain we experienced was a little bit on the drive toward the mountain, and some during setup, but it didn't last. Conditions on the HF bands were much worse, however, and contacts were slow going with only a handful on SSB and CW. We made the majority of our QSOs on VHF, making one summit-to-summit contact, and one as far away as Boxboro, MA on 2 meter FM Simplex.

Greg (left) operates 20m CW, while Eric makes his first HF contact! Remnants of an old chair lift A hawk stops by...

CJ operates 40m SSB Brad's QRP kit on the air! and watches us for a while

Photos courtesy of Eric Emery (copyright mark), and Brad Brown

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2020 Mt. Washington, Gorham, NH  - W1/HA-001

SOTA & CQWW VHF

2020 marked the sixth time the WS1SM team ventured to the summit of New England's tallest peak, this time to activate it with special event call sign W1V.

For most of the day, it was extremely windy (and cold) on the summit, which prevented us from fully extending the BuddiPole, and in order to prevent it from getting damaged, we had to take it down shortly after we put it up. We were planning on operating 6 meters, but instead focused mostly on VHF.

Among those who participated, were Brad Brown Jr., KC1JMH, Eric Emery N1RXR, and Stefania K1GJY and Tim Watson KB1HNZ.

Eric N1RXR took some amazing photos from the summit Looking down at the Mt. Washington Auto Road A radio tower lost in the fog Wildcat Ski area

Mt. Adams and Mt. Jefferson The Cog Railway Jordan and Brad KC1JMH on the roof of the Observatory Brad KC1JMH makes a contact on 40 meters

Tim, Eric, and Stefania operated mostly VHF, making contacts as far away as New York state, while Brad operated HF, using a ham stick. One of Brad’s first contacts of the day was with a Parks on the Air (POTA) station.

The wind was constant for most of the day, but thankfully it stayed dry and we didn’t have a repeat of what we experienced in 2015, when Charlie W1CPS, Thom W1WMG, and Tim KB1HNZ found themselves in a sudden deluge and were soaked!

Despite the challenge that the wind posed, we had a good day, logging over 70 QSOs – and the view was pretty awesome too!

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2021 Mt. Blue State Park, Weld, ME - K-2397

POTA

On Sunday, August 1st, members of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine (WSSM) activated Mt. Blue State Park, in Weld, Maine, for Parks on the Air (POTA). The team met at a Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Routes 2 and 142, in Dixfield, at about 10:00 AM, to refuel on coffee before venturing to a scenic overlook just a few miles down the road.

Located in the western foothills, Mt. Blue State Park is Maine’s largest, encompassing almost 8,000 acres. The area is named for the spruce that inhabit the granite slopes of Mt. Blue. The overlook opens to an expansive view of Webb Lake, and Web River, surrounded by hills that are dominated by the 3,187 ft. tall Mt. Blue. It’s a beautiful area to visit, and the weather was nearly perfect, with only small puffy clouds making an appearance now and then throughout the day.

The WSSM team, consisting of Jason Andrews W1SFS, Brad Brown Jr. KC1JMH, Tim Watson KB1HNZ, Stefania Watson K1GJY, Rory McEwen KB1PLY, and Tim Welch KA1VPU, made use of picnic tables to setup their stations, which included a Yaesu FT857d connected to a Buddipole configured for 20 meters, and an Icom IC-7000 connected to a 40 meter vertical. Both stations ran on battery power.

Jason W1SFS operates 20 meters Tim KA1VPU and Brad KC1JMH Stefania K1GJY works 40 meters View from the parking area

View from the State Park View of the setup The Buddipole Stefania still working 40 meters

Jason W1SFS acquired a special event callsign, W1B, for the activity, and it was popular on the bands! 40 meters was busy throughout the day, and 20 meters came on strong in the afternoon.

“Being the first time using KA1VPU’s Buddipole, we experimented with using the included balun, which requires it to be configured more like a traditional dipole, and then by eliminating the balun, which sees it configured like an off-center fed dipole, with one radiating element longer than the other,” explained Brad Brown KC1JMH. “We found that it worked much better without the balun.”
Stefania K1GJY had quite a run going on 40 meters, and Brad KC1JMH and Jason W1SFS racked up many contacts on 20 meters.

“We had a great time!” says Stefania Watson K1GJY, “and finished the day with over 80 QSOs!”

During the event, operators were mostly calling CQ, but did some searching and pouncing, giving out the POTA designator K-2397, which is assigned to Mt. Blue State Park. They also made a few park-to-park contacts.

Afterwards, the team followed Jason W1SFS, to his parents’ house on Rt. 142, on the Webb River, for an afternoon cookout, before driving back to southern Maine.

This was the second time the WSSM team operated from the state park, the first being a Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation, from the summit of Mt. Blue, in 2014.

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2022 Mt. Agamenticus, York, ME - W1/AM-381, K-8448

SOTA & POTA

On Saturday, July 23rd, members of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine and New England Radio Discussion Society, participated in a joint Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation from Mt. Agamenticus, in York, ME.

Mt. Agamenticus has the designation W1/AM-381 for SOTA and the Mt. Agamenticus Wildlife Management Area, which includes the summit, is designated K-8448 for POTA.

Stefania K1GJY and son, Elliot, check out the view from the summit Stefania K1GJY works a pileup on 20 meters A look at one of the HF / VHF stations Working 220 MHz!

Stefania operates 20m SSB The Buddipole Brad KC1JMH makes contacts on 40 meters Brad KC1JMH and friends working 40 meters

The WSSM team, consisting of Stefania (K1GJY) and Tim (KB1HNZ) Watson, along with their son Elliot, and Brad Brown Jr., (KC1JMH), setup two HF radios and one for the 1.25 meter band. The first they did upon arrival was to locate some shaded areas, because it was expected to be a very hot day. Temperatures were already in the low 90’s by 10:00 AM!

Tim and Stefania setup a Buddipole and a Yaesu FT-857D on 20 meters, and also a TYT TH-900D and J-Pole for 220 MHz.

Brad KC1JMH and Rob Sylvester AA1BS took turns making contacts on 40 meters, using Brad’s Yaesu FT-991A and an end fed that was tossed in a tree. They were later joined by Jim Oliver KC1NIC and Paul Klebauer W1BIU from the New England Radio Discussion Society. Thanks to Susan Bloomfield WB2UQP for sharing our notice with their newsgroup!

Stefania K1GJY and son, Elliot, check out the view from the summit Stefania K1GJY works a pileup on 20 meters A look at one of the HF / VHF stations Working 220 MHz!

Stefania operates 20m SSB The Buddipole Brad KC1JMH makes contacts on 40 meters Brad KC1JMH and friends working 40 meters

Conditions were very good, allowing for several Park-to-Park and DX contacts, and even some long-distance simplex QSOs on 220 MHz!

At various times, Tim, Stefania, and Brad took breaks from the radios to explore the summit trails and take in the views, which are quite expansive in spots. At the summit, there’s an educational center, located in the old “Big A” ski lodge, an observation deck, and several of the trails have scenic overlooks. Some of them cross former ski trails and contain relics of an old T-bar lift.

A look at the former ski lodge, which is now a nature center Looking up at the Buddipole A man and his radio

Inside the nature center Still a bit of shade left View from the summit

Typically 2 meters is hampered by intermod on Mt. Aggie, so it wasn’t attempted until much later in the afternoon, but right before packing up, Tim and Brad made several contacts on 146.520 FM Simplex, including one with a maritime mobile station in Portsmouth Harbor.022 marked the third time the WS1SM team ventured to the summit of Mt. Agamenticus, in York, ME, but this time as a joint Summits on the Air (SOTA) and Parks on the Air (POTA) activation.