SOTA Equipment
I choose my equipment based on size, weight and functionality. Some activators choose small low power cw only rigs due to the weight of larger equipment. I don’t mind carrying more weight (especially with the pack I have) so I’ll carry equipment that makes my life easier.
Radio
My radio is a Yaesu FT-857D. I chose this radio because of its small size, comparatively light weight, and the ability to run up to 100 watts. I am able to run a pile-up on a summit for up to an hour on 50 watts using a 9 AH SLAB. This radio also has a few menu settings that allow the UP and DOWN buttons on the microphone to act as a cw keyer.
Antenna Tuner
The antenna tuner I use is an LDG Z-11 Pro2. I bought it used along with the radio. It is about the size of the radio, and is also very light.
Battery
I use a 9 AH Werker Sealed Lead Acid Battery from Batteries Plus. This battery is quite heavy (6.5 lbs.) and will likely be replaced with some Lithium Polymer cells in the next couple of years. I use a Nomad 7 solar panel from Goal Zero to charge the battery while hiking. (I bought it from my wife’s online store.)
Antenna
I have two antennas that I take on SOTA activations. My first SOTA antenna is a homebrew Pac-12 loaded vertical. It allows me to set up in nearly any location on any band I decide to work. The Pac-12 antenna, including feedline and 20 meter coil, weighs about 3 lbs. See how I built it on my Pac-12 Homebrew page. The other antenna is a simple 40m dipole made of some 14ga wire and some RG-58 coax. The wire is soldered directly to the center conductor and shield and strain relief is provided by a pvc tee with some end caps. Some summits don’t have trees to hang an antenna from so I bring along a crappie fishing pole to support the dipole. The dipole allows me to work several bands and seems to get stronger signal reports than the Pac-12.
Pack
I carry all of my radio equipment, as well as water, camping supplies, and safety gear in an REI Mars 85 backpack. This pack has plenty of room on the inside, as well as several places on the outside to attach a tent, poles, or other items. It also has a hydration bladder pocket along with hose ports over both shoulders.
The most important aspects of this backpack are how well it carries the load, as well as access to the contents of the pack. I was able to carry this pack around the REI store with some weight in it before I bought it, which I highly recommend. It also has front panel access so I can get to stuff inside without emptying everything from the top.
Navigation
I carry a Garmin Etrex 20 GPS unit. It is small, light, runs for days on 2 AA batteries, and is very helpful for finding the summit on a mountain. I also carry a Silva Polaris compass as a backup to the GPS unit.
© 2012, Stephen Denison
Last Updated: September 22, 2013