In the amateur radio world, there are a group of people who like to operate portable from places of interest and see how many contacts they can make from that location.
And when I say ‘group’ I mean thousands. It’s a very popular activity within the hobby.
I’ve not tried it myself… yet.
One of the most popular places to operate from (we call it ‘activate’) is the top of a very high hill or mountain. This is called SOTA, an acronym for Summits On The Air. SOTA activations can be very rewarding: that extra height above sea level can really aid long-distance communications. Of course, the challenge is in lugging all your equipment up a mountain. No mean feat in some cases.
But, not everyone can do SOTA, due to age or physical impairments, so other OTAs have sprung up over the years: POTA – Parks On The Air; WOTA – Windmills; and a recent one that has come to my attention BOTA – Bunkers.
This last one is aimed at operating from the 2,000 or so bunkers across the country, that were built for the Royal Observer Corps during WWII.
Looking on the website that has been set up to facilitate this activity, I noticed that there is a bunker in Luton and so I decided to go and take a look, as it was at a location that I’ve often walked with the dog and I’d never seen any bunker there.
With the aid of What3Words though, I found it quite easily, hidden in a small clump of trees and bushes that I must have walked past many times.. Or, at least I found the entrance to the bunker – how far underground it went, I don’t know. The brick entrance has been fitted with an iron gate to prevent local herberts getting in there and the exposed brickwork around it is covered in graffiti.
With my interest piqued, I then did a bit of looking around the internets and I happened across this video, which shows a large bunker in town… nothing to do with the ROC.
From watching the video, I’m pretty sure I have figured out where that manhole cover is, but I’m not sure I’d be able to get down it… not with my forearms. The main entrance (or one of the main entrances) is just a few feet away, by the looks of it, but has been paved over. Again, I have walked down that road many times, with no knowledge of what was beneath my feet.
Amazing.
I expect you know that there were at least 3 bunkers in the centre of Harpenden. The one under Leyton Green was filled in in 2018. There is a information board on the green giving a diagram of what it was like.
My son’s house in St. Albans has a underground air raid shelter in the garden.
( I am sure he would let you use it !!! )
No, I didn’t know about the ones in Harpenden, Frances. I shall have to look them up to see whether they were general ones for the public or ROC. If the latter, then maybe I’ll make a trip out there in Summertime with my radio.
Snorbans air raid shelters are probably much nicer than the ones we have in Luton.
I think that all the Harpenden shelters have been filled in!
Alright, Popeye!
Wow. There’s a whole new world under there! I think you should break in.
I’m tempted, Jules, but now that I am a law-abiding citizen…
SOTA intrigues me. The house in Spain is 2.3Km ASL and, on a clear day, you can see North África. I should imagine you’d get a good dx from up there. But would you be allowed to operate in a foreign country?
Yes. Amateur Radio is the only hobby in the world that has an international treaty, allowing us to operate in each others’ countries – those that are signed up to the treaty, which is most, I think. You sometimes have to apply to that country’s equivalent of Ofcom, but it’s usually a formality.
SOTA started in the UK, I believe, but quickly went worldwide. It’s very popular. Qualifying SOTA summits are all listed and given a unique designation, so your house in Spain wouldn’t be allowed. You can – of course – operate from there in the normal fashion… that sort of ASL is something we all dream of! In the UK, I believe Wales is a popular destination for SOTA activators.
A quick look here https://www.sota.org.uk/ shows that Wales has 159 designated summits to work from.
Spain has thousands!
Ah. Mulhacén, the mountain I was on about, is listed. 3.4Km ASL. Interesting website, ta
I have me pictured in one of the bunkers near Pangbourne on the banks of River Thames.. very well built no sign of wear and tear.. apart from the graffiti
Things were built to last, back then!