So ive been chasing SOTA for about 8 months now and finally decided to just do it and activate something myself. picked W4T/SU-001 which isnt the hardest summit around but its a solid hike and i figured id start somewhere reasonable rather than biting off more than i can chew on my first go.

my plan is to bring the KX2 with a linked dipole, maybe cut for 40 and 20, and just operate SSB since thats what im most comfortable with. i know some folks say start on CW but im not there yet and i dont want to stress myself out more than i already am. gonna try to get spotted on SOTAwatch before i head up so the chasers know im coming.

anyone got advice for a first timer? mostly worried about the antenna situation honestly - ive never set one up on a random summit and im not sure how forgiving the KX2 is if the SWR isnt perfect. also not totally sure how long to plan for once im up there, like how long do you usually operate before packing it up?

dont sweat the SWR thing too much - the KX2 has a built in tuner and it'll handle a pretty wide range without complaint. linked dipoles can be a bit finicky to get in the air depending on whats around you for trees but once you find a decent branch to throw a line over it comes together fast. i usually bring about 50 feet of paracord for that.

for time, honestly my first few activations i stayed way longer than i needed to because i was having fun, but if conditions are decent you can qualify with 4 contacts pretty quickly and then its up to you whether you want to keep going. i usually plan for an hour of operating and that feels about right for a casual activation. just make sure you post your alert on SOTAwatch the night before or early that morning, the chasers are super active and theyll find you. good luck man, the first one is the best one

oh man i remember my first activation, i was so nervous i forgot to log half my contacts lol. bring a paper log as backup seriously. and yeah SSB is totally fine, dont let anyone pressure you into CW before youre ready. the community is really welcoming. just have fun with it and report back here after