Summits on the Air (SOTA)
Summits on the Air rewards you for making contacts from mountain tops and hilltops. Hamtrax lets you browse the summit catalog, see live activations, and track your SOTA progress -- all from the Activity tab.
[SCREENSHOT: SOTA activity mode showing summit pins on the map with elevation-based point indicators]
Activator vs. Chaser
SOTA has two participant roles:
- Activator -- You hike to a qualifying summit and operate from the activation zone (typically within 25 vertical meters of the top). You need at least 4 QSOs to earn activator points.
- Chaser -- You contact activators from any location. Each confirmed contact earns you chaser points.
Both roles have their own honor rolls, and many operators enjoy doing both.
Browsing Summits
- Open the Activity tab and select Summits on the Air from the activity mode dropdown.
- Summit locations appear as pins on the map. Zoom in to see individual summits in a region.
- Tap any summit pin to open the Summit Detail popup, which shows the SOTA reference (e.g.,
W1/HA-001), summit name, elevation, and point value.
Point Values
SOTA summits are scored by elevation. Higher summits earn more points:
| Elevation | Points |
|---|---|
| 150 m -- 499 m | 1 pt |
| 500 m -- 999 m | 2 pts |
| 1000 m -- 1499 m | 4 pts |
| 1500 m -- 1999 m | 6 pts |
| 2000 m -- 2499 m | 8 pts |
| 2500 m + | 10 pts |
Activating in winter (December through March in the Northern Hemisphere) earns a 3-point bonus on top of the base value.
Finding Live Activations
Active SOTA spots appear as highlighted pins. Each spot shows:
- Activator callsign and frequency
- Summit reference, name, and point value
- Band and mode
- Time since the spot was posted
Tap a live activation to view full details, check the activator's stats, and log a QSO.
Filtering SOTA Spots
Tap the Filter button to narrow results:
- Band -- Focus on specific bands
- Mode -- Filter by operating mode
SOTA activations tend to be short -- often 30 to 60 minutes. If you see a spot, act quickly. The activator may be packing up soon.