A common phrase within the amateur radio world is that of OTA.
You can hear it referred to a lot when you listen on the bands with various operators calling CQ with permutations of OTA added to the end of the call.
But what does all this mean and what is OTA in the world of ham radio?
OTA means On the Air. There are lots of OTA activities taking place within the ham radio world and there are various ways that you can take part in this competitive activity, either as someone calling OTA or someone making contact with an OTA caller.
What does OTA involve?
OTA covers a range of activities all of which typically follow a similar theme.
A radio operator or group of operators will set up station, in a portable manner, at a specific location and then broadcast CQ to seek to ‘activate’ that location.
Activation normally requires a set number of contacts to be made within a specific timeframe and, once activated the radio ham will move onto a similar style location to activate there.
What type of locations do they visit?
It could be anywhere but the most common are areas of high ground such as mountains or hills, islands and parks.
Summits on the Air
A very popular on the air activity is Summits on the Air ( SOTA www.sota.org.uk).
This is popular among ham radio enthusiasts that enjoy hiking and climbing. They will climb to the top of hill and mountains, setup low powered stations and collect as many contacts as possible before heading back down and planning their next summit.
Awards can often be achieved dependant upon summits activated.
Islands on the Air
Many amateurs seek to activate islands and there are some that will travel to the ends of the earth to setup stations from tiny islands in areas such as the South Pacific in their quest.
In a similar manner there are also amateurs that are keen to contact as many different islands as possible from their homes.
Islands on the Air iota-world.org records contacts and there are literally thousands of opportunities.
Parks on the Air
If you like to stay closer to home and don’t like the prospect of climbing hills, then you could try Parks on the Air (POTA).
You can setup your station in parks, historical trails, famous monuments, areas of natural beauty, coastal areas – the list is almost endless.
There is normally someone active most days of the week with POTA and you shouldn’t have to listen for very long before you hear a call.
Youngsters on the Air
A developing and increasingly popular global programme is that of Youngsters on the Air. (ham-yota.com)
Aimed at teenagers and those in their twenties this group arranges conferences and special events with ‘on the air’ activities and special call signs.
Scouts on the Air
The annual scouts jamboree holds it’s own version of On the Air with Jamboree on the Air which is hosted on the third weekend in October.
It’s an event which encourages scouts worldwide to sample amateur radio as they seek to connect with the jamboree stations and other ham radio operators.
Get on the Air
Many amateur radio clubs and annual societies hold field days where they set up Get on the Air stations for field day visitors to use and sample amateur radio and where they can experience making contact with ham radio operators across the globe.
Final Words
So , there you have it, the world of OTA is full of activity and opportunity to get on the air with a group or just as a lone operator.
If you are interested in trying OTA, why not contact your local amateur radio club to see what they have planned.
You might even be able to lend a hand with some of the activities that they have planned.
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