Getting started in SOTA.

Any licensed amateur radio operator may activate or chase summits, but in order to claim the official SOTA points and earn SOTA awards as an activator or chaser, you first need to register at the SOTA web site.  Registration is free and painless. 

Go to http://www.sotawatch.org/.  In the upper right corner of the page, click on REGISTER.  The only information requested is call sign, first and last name, E-mail address, and a password.  Optionally you may add your Maidenhead grid locator (ex DM61rt).  When this is done, click CREATE ACCOUNT.  This will log you in and advance you to a page where you can edit your account details.  This page will give you the opportunity to add you Latitude and Longitude, and to select if you would like to subscribe to the SOTA e-mail reflector.  It is really that easy.

From this page you can select from the menu at the top of the page.  HOME takes you to the SOTAwatch page.  This is an overview of the latest activity “SPOTS”, the upcoming “PLANNED” activations, and the latest e-mails on the reflector.  SPOTS takes you to the current spots page.  Alerts takes you to the upcoming planned activations page.  SUMMITS allows you to browse summits as listed by association and region.  REFLECTOR allows you to view all recent messages on the SOTAwatch reflector.  SOTA Website takes you to the main SOTA page.  DATABASE takes you to the SOTA Results and Summits page  This is where you enter your log after an activation.  VIDEO takes you to some U-tube videos of summit activations.  PHOTOS takes you to the SOTA Flickr photo page.  RECENT SUMMIT INFO takes you to the 50 most recent activations page.