WELCOME

Welcome to my amateur radio BLOG. Here at N1CLC.com (aka HamNinja.com), I hope to cover my exploration of ham radio, summits on the air (SOTA) and general RF geek stuff.  My other BLOGS focus on technology (cloudrant.com), photography (cameraninja.com/blog), and life (thethroboflife.com). QSL via QRZ, LOTW, cards.

* Reference Links Page    * SOTA Specific Links  
* My Equipment Loadout    * DMR Tips    * My Youtube Channel

I monitor 146.520 and DMR SOTA (973), track me on the trail HERE.  Donate HERE, Mastodon

Check out the latest videos by the Ham Ninja

<<<Latest SAFETY TIPS can be found HERE.>>>

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My SOTA Expedition Loadout

My SOTA Loadout options: (UPDATED)

Updated: 8/31/2026

 

A lot of people ask me what I am using for SOTA (Summits On The Air), so I thought I would describe my setup here.  Take a look and comment on your SOTA setup.

What follows is a rewrite in-place to take into account how my skills, knowledge, and equipment have evolving from 2017 when this was first published.  When it comes to radio gear for SOTA,  there are a zillion combinations that I and others have used from hauling an IC-7300 to a summit by N3XUL, to the heavy FT-891 by myself, a K3, or a postage stamp sized radio by K6ARK.  When it comes to antennas, choices are endless, something that I will barely scratch the surface.  Oh, and don't forget the possible paddle choices for CW.

One aspect SOTA is that it presents is a number of challenges associated with man portability.  Many times, it requires hiking up a mountain, sometimes a long ways, so weight and size really matter.  This is why so many SOTA operators learn CW so early in their radio adventure, it allows them to have great success with smaller and lighter equipment.  Sure, there are drive-ups, and I can tell you, it's a blast running 100w from a summit.  Given all of this, it's a never ending quest to try different setups to achieve your goals.  What follows is a non-exhaustive list of what I mostly use for SOTA.

30Ah Battery Box FS

 I'm selling one of my battery boxes that I've used the least.

Margaret - A New SOTA Machine

I recently purchased a new vehicle, a SOTA vehicle, a 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness.  This is the first new car I've purchased after I started doing SOTA (Summits On The Air) hobby (hiking to summits with a radio). My previous 2017 Highlander AWD (let’s call her Brenda in retrospect) did a nice job at getting me to a trailhead or the top of a mountain but she was limited by her clearance and AWD system meant for a little less adventure.  Her personality was more soccer mom goes to the ski run with the kids than an adventure car.  Brenda didn’t have that vibe of “take me out and have fun off-road”. So the new vehicle is more capable. And she has a name and some mods, and she definately has the vibe of "lets go play).  Let’s go!

(click on any image for larger)

A Look Back At 2025

 2025 Was a busy year for me

The stats from my Summits on The Air activities, although not record breaking, were edging closer to my personal best.

Year	Summits	Total Points	Hiked Miles	MTB Miles	Elevation Gain *	Uniques	First Activations
2017	13	17	42	4	10,375	9	1
2018	59	303	244	0	57,859	47	2
2019	62	367	207	0	50,273	21	2
2020	104	543	338	4	83,390	33	3
2021	85	537	294	32	74,394	23	3
2022	108	552	317	16	80,102	16	2
2023	161	792	489	25	119,586	34	0
2024	153	720	422	14	108,992	24	1
2025	161	747	431	0	108,053	20	1
Grand Total	906	4578	2784.25	95.03	693,024	227	15
* Elevation gained is only counted when hiking or MTB

<Click on photos for larger>

The Ham Ninja’s Top 10 Safety Tips

After surviving  880+ SOTA summit activations, I wanted to share what I’ve learned from my experience and from others about how to lower the risk of injury and death while doing this outdoor hobby.  In 2025, I published my “Top 10 safety Tips” in a weekly email series for SOTA (Summits On the AIR) operators. Later, I was asked to present my “Top 10 Safety Tips” to various Ham Clubs.  This article puts all if together in one place with a little more detail.  I hope you find some value here for you and your family.

Presented Safety Tips to LICW

I had fun presenting the Ham Ninja's Top 10 Safety Tips to the Long Island CW Club. 

You can find the presentation materials HERE.

TIP #11 - Site Safety & Respect

What

Ensure that your SOTA site is safe for you and others.  Don’t setup on unstable cliffs, or anywhere near powerlines.   In addition we share mountaintops with others so we should make the least amount of impact possible so others can enjoy the summit as well.

Why

Recently, a POTA operator died in a tragic accident when part of his station contacted high voltage power lines.  Failing to notice high voltage power lines near your operating position can result in severe injury or death.  The danger is NOT limited to direct contact.  Setting up an antenna too close to high power transmission lines can still result in a shock.

We also want to ensure that others can enjoy the summit and be safe as well, leaving a favorable impression with the public.

What I And Others Do

Survey the operating position for your safety and its impact to others who are also trying to enjoy the mountain.  Look at where you are setting up to avoid accidents with power lines as well as unstable cliffs and falling rock hazards.

Also, if you are setting up a mast, survey the area where it might fall and ensure that others will be outside the “mast fall zone”, and can’t trip over guy lines.

Don’t put up your antenna directly under or near high power transmission lines.  Transmission lines may be too high for your antenna to come into direct contact with, but the high electromagnetic fields of transmission lines can induce a voltage and current in the antenna. 

Setup in an area away from where others might want to visit.  Not only is this safer for everyone, people are there to enjoy the outdoor views.

Look for snakes in rocky areas. 

Use earbuds/headphones to listen to your radio.  People usually venture out of the city to get away from all the noise, and although we think our radio is cool, they may not.

Consider setting up below the summit.  If the area at the top is small, setup below the summit so that others can enjoy the summit, and / or use a small loaded antenna (I’m thinking about the Elecraft line of AX antennas here).

Pickup trash, even if it isn’t yours.  

My condolences to the family and friends of Tripp Owens (N4NTO).

If you’ve read this far, thank you.  I’ve enjoyed writing this series of safe tips for the SOTA community.

Visit HamNinja.com/safetytips to see all the tips as they are published. 

The Ham Ninja’s SOTA Safety Tips

SOTA Safety Tips is a weekly series of quick tips to remember to improve safety of the hobby.  This was inspired by the SoCal SOTA group’s meetings on this topic and will be sourced from my own and others' experience.  Don’t forget, you also need to support your group and others with this knowledge.  I’ll keep these as short as possible.  You probably also noticed I’m a pilot, steeped in the culture of safety, AKA try not to kill yourself.  Send feedback to safetytips@HamNinja.com.

TIP #10 - Avoid Sky Sparks

What

Don’t get injured by lightning.

Why

You’ll be shocked to know, but getting hit directly or being close to a lightning strike can be deadly.  According to NOAA.gov, each year in the United States, lightning kills 20-30 people on average and injures 100s more.

Studies have shown that most people struck by lightning are struck not at the height of a thunderstorm but before and after the storm has peaked. Most people are unaware of how far lightning can strike from its parent thunderstorm or what to do. Lightning can strike more than 10 miles away from the location of rainfall.  In addition, putting up an antenna when thunder storm activity is close can increase the risk of a lightning strike.

SOTA Safety TIP #9 - Layer for Safety and Comfort

What

Use the layering method when packing for an expedition to ensure you can survive unexpected cold conditions.

Why

Hypothermia can be life-threatening and it doesn’t have to be super cold to start cooling your body below 95 degrees f. Even in the summer, summits can be much colder than you think, especially when it’s windy.

The temperature drops 3.5 to 5 degrees f  per thousand feet of elevation gain.  Our hobby means you’ll most likely be climbing up in elevation and it will probably be cooler than the trailhead.  The weather can change unexpectedly; arriving on a windy summit while covered in sweat will cause you to chill fast. Additionally, you could be stuck on the mountain longer than expected if you or someone else gets hurt, you become lost, or other unforeseen events cause a delay. 

SOTA Safety TIP #8 - Reduce Your Navigation Risk

What

Build redundancy into your navigation capabilities and execution.

Why

As to the “why”, well, getting lost is no fun and could be deadly.  Our phones are super capable, and with GPS navigation, it takes the work out of figuring out where you are and how to get somewhere.  It also makes us a little too dependent on our phones.  Breaking your phone, or running out of power can put you in danger if you don’t have a backup plan. 

If your hike is on a well established trail, like the PCT, you may feel like your navigation risk is low but if a fire sparks up, or a flash flood closes off your return route, that won’t be the case.

Hikes that seem simple can look completely different on the way back under different lighting or become a real adventure if you are forced to take a different path.

SOTA Safety TIP #7 - Tell People Where You Are Going

What

Tell people where you are going before you start your hike.

Why

If you leave and don’t come back, hopefully people will start looking for you.  If you don’t tell anyone where you are going, they will have no idea where to start. You could be lost or injured and unable to ask for help.  (See my earlier tip on having backup emComms)

SOTA Safety TIP #6 - Be Able To Communicate Your Location

What

In an emergency, you need to be able to tell people where you are located.  The best way to do that is to communicate your latitude and longitude (lat/long).

Ham2K PoLo A Rock'n Logging For Portable Opps

I found a new Logging tool for SOTA & POTA, and it ROCKS!

I started using a phone to log contacts for SOTA not long after I started because I can’t read my own writing.  I used a very rudimentary app for the first two years but when I started doing multiple summits per day, I needed something different.  Outd was an excellent replacement and had some new features that were awesome,  I’ve been a bit (a lot) resistant to change when support started to wane and some features quit working and it was removed from the App Store.  I tried switching to another popular logging app a while back but it that alternative just wasn’t up to the SOTA task and not approved for my kit.  Que the new solution, Ham2K PoLo (PoLo).  I was sold after using it on the very first summit.  

SOTA Safety TIP #5 - Have Backup EmComs

What

All of us depend on our cell phones for.... well EVERYTHING, especially for emergencies which requires cell service and a working phone. Don’t depend on cell service in the back country! 

SOTA Safety Tip #4 - Check the Weather

What

Before you leave, check the weather forecast for your area of operation.

SOTA Safety TIP #3 - Have a First Aid Kit and The Training To Go With

What

Make sure your pack has a first aid kit and that you’ve had the training to use it.  Because most SOTA adventures are pretty short, I recommend just enough gear to stop the bleeding.  Anything more than that and you are probably going to need to press the SOS button anyway.

 

SOTA Safety TIP #2 - Know Your Limits

What

Knowing your limits means knowing what the limits of your skills, capabilities and gear are.  When you plan, or are on the trail, be prepared to push the ABORT Button.  Your assessment includes training, mountaineering skills, assessing your fitness, how much water you have,  layers of clothing, weather, and mission appropriate gear like micro spikes, crampons, ice axe, etc.  Don’t forget to assess the skills of your group.  Many times, SOTA operators are the ones leading the pack, so look out for your team, and don’t let them exceed their limits.

SOTA Safety Tips Index

 All The Ham Ninja’s SOTA Safety Tips Index

SOTA Safety Tips were part of a weekly series of quick tips to remember to improve safety of the hobby that was sent to a mailing list.  This was inspired by the SoCal SOTA group’s meetings on this topic and will be sourced from my own and others' experience.  Don’t forget, you also need to support your group and others with this knowledge.  I’ll keep these as short as possible.  Send feedback to safetytips@HamNinja.com.

I am not an expert mountaineer, nor a medical expert, but I've had training.  The most important thing I can say right here is to stay within your capabilities and appetite for risk.  Take advice from the experts in mountaineering and wilderness first aid. Remember, you may have to help someone else on the trail, why not enable yourself to do that. 

Nothing you do is completely "safe", but you can lower the risk.

(All of the tips below are condensed into slides for easier consumption)

SOTA Safety Tip #1 - Bring Plenty Of Water

 What

As we roll into summer, bringing enough water really is the number one safety tip.  SOTA operators are always trying to reduce the weight of their pack and a big part of that is the amount of water they carry. The Mayo Clinic recommends 3.7 L of fluids for men, 2.7 for women per day.  Temperature and exercise raises that minimum significantly.