so i finally did my first SOTA activation last weekend, been putting it off for like two years because i kept convincing myself i didnt have the right gear or wasnt ready or whatever. ended up just throwing my elecraft kx2 in a pack with a 20m end fed halfwave and a small lipo, hiked up a local summit thats only like a 2 mile approach, nothing crazy. set up the antenna with a 31 foot wire just kind of draped over some bushes and got 4 contacts in maybe 15 minutes which is all you need for a valid activation. the signal reports were actually decent, one guy said i was 57 which i was not expecting running 10 watts. anyway im hooked now, already looking at harder summits for next month

yeah the first one always gets you. i remember mine i was so nervous about the whole thing i triple checked my log sheet before i even started calling CQ. once the first contact came back i just relaxed. the kx2 is a solid choice for that stuff, i use an x5105 myself mostly because i got a deal on one but honestly either works fine at those power levels. you will want to start thinking about a proper linked dipole or something if you want to do multiple bands though, makes a huge difference for getting those 4 contacts when conditions are being annoying

nice, which summit was it? im always looking for new ones in my area that arent too brutal on the legs lol