Beaches On The Air vs SOTA

The differences that make BOTA unique
Last modified: 
16 August, 2023 - 17:14
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Summits On The Air is a great amateur radio award scheme whose success has inspired the offspring of a whole new generation of programmes, each of them with their own particularities. In this short tutorial I will try to outine the main differences that make our Beaches On The Air unique.

  1. Beaches On The Air is made for Radio Amateurs. Whereas SOTA is fun for mountaineers and hikers that get points for touring and activating summits (radio activity being only a minimum requirement), Beaches On The Air gives you points for making QSOs and getting them confirmed by chasers. Rather than collect summits, you fish other fellow radio amateurs.
  2. Beaches On The Air is made for DX. Whereas mountain tops can be great for reaching hundreds of miles with a VHF walkie talkie, beaches are far superior when it comes to DX, allowing for QSOs around the globe, literally, as shown repeatedly by those who operate from sea shores.
  3. Beaches On The Air is made for Vets. SOTA is a great training ground for those who want to play war games and test their physical prowess and preparedness by climbing to mountain tops, hiking with a radio in their backpack, or operating under the harsh conditions of winter snow and winds to earn extra points. Conversely, Beaches On The Air is more suitable for vets who have already been to hell and back, and have nothing to prove in this respect.
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