GUIDE - Operating Outside Of The Shack - WWFF/VEFF, SOTA, POTA, IOTA, WLOTA, CIA

Last update: April 18, 2023.

Now is the time to get prepared for mobile and portable Ham radio operating activities.

Below is a comparison on the primary programmes for getting on the air somewhere other than at your QTH.

  WWFF
aka VEFF
aka 44		 SOTA POTA
Logo VEFF - Canada Flora Fauna
Participants Activators,
chasers,
shortwave listeners.		 Activators,
chasers,
shortwave listeners.		 Activators, hunters.
Number of QSOs to Activate 44 for an individual callsign, 200 for a club callsign, all cumulative over multiple visits. 1 to activate the summit, 4 to activate and claim the points for the summit (in a single visit).

10

This must be done within the same day in Zulu Time 00:00 – 23:59.
Activate from Mobile (car), portable locations or buildings within parks. Travel the last leg of the journey on foot, by bicycle or animal to a summit of at least 150m prominence.

You and all the equipment you use need to be within the perimeters of the park, and on federal or state/provincial owned land.

1000+ registered parks in BC, 5000+ Canadian National and Provincial Parks.
Bands All.  All.  All.
Modes All.  All.  All. Yes, even FT8!
Rig Powering All allowed, green power preferred. Only portable power allowed - no generators or mains power.  All allowed.
Satellite Allowed  ?  Yes.  Yes.
Exchange Call signs, RST, and wherever possible the VEFF reference number. Call signs, RST plus the SOTA reference number. Call signs, RST plus the park reference number.
Awards Many. Many.  Many.
Program Life 2008 to present. 2002 to present. 2010 to present.
Logging Requirements CSV or ADIF emailed to national coordinator. Use web form to enter QSOs or upload logs in TSV/CSV format. Upload ADIF formatted logs directly into the https://pota.app

If you plan to travel outside of the Okanagan valley, also consider IOTA - Islands On The Air
IOTA might be one of the oldest programmes having been created in 1964, but do note that IOTA applies to ocean islands only.

 

While you are on out and about, consider World Lighthouse On The Air 

 

For inland lake islands and ocean islands, you might be interested in Canadian Island Activators

 

VEFF/WWFF suggested frequencies:

  • Phone: 3.744, 7.144, 14.244, 18.144, 21.244, 24.944, 28.444 MHz
  • CW: 3.544, 7.024, 10.124, 14.044, 18.084, 21.044, 24.894, 28.044 MHz

SOTA suggested frequencies: this program is so popular that you'll want to check the spots to see where people are activating.

POTA suggested frequencies: this program is so popular that you'll want to check the spots to see where people are activating.

IOTA suggested frequencies: TBD

World Lighthouse On The Air suggested frequencies: TBD

Canadian Island Activators suggested frequencies: TBD

 

Suggested loggers:

  • HAMRS for IOS, Android, MacOS and Windows - a simple, portable logger tailored to activities like POTA, SOTA, Field Day, and more.
  • Fast Log Entry (FLE) (highly recommended by the WWFF Council)
  • N3FJP's logging software for Windows covers all of the events and is a NORAC club favourite.
  • RUMlogNG is pretty darn good for MacOS.
  • N1MM Logger is the world’s most popular ham radio contest logging program for Windows. For CW, phone and digital modes, its combination of contest-optimized features is unmatched.