so i finally dragged myself up W4C/CM-001 last weekend with my KX2 and a linked dipole i cobbled together from stuff i had laying around. took me forever to find a decent spot to set up without the feedline draped over a bush the whole time. got about 4 contacts on 20m then the clouds rolled in and i honestly got a little spooked being up there with the wind picking up. called it after maybe 45 minutes and hiked back down. didnt get the 4 contacts needed for a valid activation so i guess it doesnt count. pretty frustrating but also kind of fun? idk. wondering if anyone has tips for setting up faster once you get to the summit, feels like i waste half my time just getting the antenna sorted

yeah the antenna setup is always the slowest part when youre new to it. i switched to a vertical with a couple of radials thrown on the ground and its way faster to deploy than any dipole ive messed with. you lose a little on receive but honestly for SOTA contacts it doesnt really matter, chasers are hungry for activations and will pull you out even if your signal isnt perfect. also try calling on 14.310 or spot yourself on SOTAwatch before you even leave the trailhead if you have cell service, people will be waiting for you

i did my first activation earlier this year and had the same problem honestly. ended up just using a end fed with a 9:1 unun thrown over a branch and it took maybe 5 minutes tops. you were so close with 4 contacts too, one more and you woulda had it. dont give up on that summit