Chasing the Airwaves: An Introduction into SOTA, POTA, IOTA & BOTA

Ham radio isn’t just a desk-and-shack hobby. It can be wild, rugged, peaceful, remote, and sometimes even sandy. Around the world, amateur operators are packing up their radios and heading outdoors, chasing contacts from the summits of mountains, the shores of islands, and the silence of national parks.

Welcome to the world of SOTA, POTA, IOTA, and BOTA — portable ham radio programs that reward you for going off-grid, connecting with nature, and making QSOs from beautiful, often remote locations.

But not just any hill, park, or beach counts. Each program has specific criteria for what makes a location valid. This guide will walk you through:

✅ What each program is
✅ How activation locations are selected
✅ How to perform a valid activation
✅ Tools and tips to get started

📡 What Are These Programs?

🏔️ SOTA – Summits on the Air

🎯 What It Is

SOTA rewards operators for hiking to the top of mountains or hills and operating portable. It’s perfect for outdoor lovers and QRP enthusiasts who enjoy the challenge of hiking and minimal gear operation.

📍 How Summits Are Selected

SOTA summits aren’t just any hill — they must meet strict topographic criteria:

• Prominence ≥ 150 meters from surrounding terrain (not just elevation).
• Must be a natural summit, clearly marked on topographical maps.
• Must be part of an officially approved list by the SOTA Association for that region.

🗺️ Example: SOTA summits are managed under the regional SOTA Association. See sotadata.org.uk.

✅ Activation Rules

• Final ascent must be on foot — no drive-up activations.
• Must make at least 4 QSOs to earn points.
• Must activate within the defined activation zone (usually the upper 25m of the summit).

🧭 How to Activate

1. Pick a valid summit from the database.
2. Pack lightweight gear (QRP rig, battery, portable antenna).
3. Hike to the summit.
4. Operate and make contacts.
5. Submit logs to the SOTA website for points and awards.

🌳 POTA – Parks on the Air

🎯 What It Is

POTA promotes operating from national parks, forests, reserves, and historic sites. It’s less physically demanding than SOTA and more accessible — you can often activate from your car, picnic table, or trail.

📍 How Parks Are Selected

Parks must meet these criteria:

• Officially designated by a government body (national, state, provincial, etc.).
• Must be publicly accessible and permanently protected.
• Must have defined boundaries via official maps or GIS data.

🗺️ You can search eligible parks at pota.app.

✅ Activation Rules

• You must operate within the park boundary.
• Must make at least 10 QSOs to count.
• You can activate as long as you’re physically in the park.
• Log must be uploaded in ADIF format.

🧭 How to Activate

1. Look up nearby parks at pota.app.
2. Pack your station (rig, battery, antenna).
3. Go to the park and set up.
4. Operate and make at least 10 contacts.
5. Upload your log via the POTA website.

🏝️ IOTA – Islands on the Air

🎯 What It Is

IOTA, organized by RSGB, celebrates operating from islands around the world. Activating an island is often more difficult, but it’s a badge of honor and popular among DX chasers.

📍 How Islands Are Selected

Islands must follow strict IOTA criteria:

• Must be physically separated from the mainland by sea (or qualifying river).
• Must be a natural island, above water at all times.
• Must be at least 1 square kilometer
• Must be named on an official map.

🗺️ Example: Pulau Langkawi is part of IOTA group AS-097.

See the full island list at iota-world.org.

✅ Activation Rules

• Must operate within 100 meters of the island’s shoreline.
• No set QSO minimum, but meaningful activity is expected.
• Submit logs and proof to IOTA Ltd.

🧭 How to Activate

1. Confirm your island is on the IOTA list.
2. Travel to the island and set up.
3. Operate and log contacts (SSB, CW, digital).
4. Submit logs for validation.

🏖️ BOTA – Beaches on the Air

🎯 What It Is

BOTA (Beaches on the Air) is a casual, operator-driven program focused on making contacts from public beach locations. It’s informal, relaxing, and a great way to combine ham radio with ocean views.

📍 How Beaches Are Selected

Valid beach locations typically follow these rules:

• Must be a public, accessible beach near a body of water (sea, ocean, large lake).
• You must set up within visible proximity to the shoreline, often within 100 meters.
• Should be safe, clean, and respectful of public use.

🗺️ Most activators log their BOTA ops via logging apps.

✅ Activation Rules

• Operate from a real beach (not a parking lot 2 km away).
• Make at least a few contacts (no strict minimum).
• Respect public space.
• Take photos and document your activation if you want to share it.

🧭 How to Activate

1. Choose a public beach with enough space for setup.
2. Bring portable gear (rig, antenna, power).
3. Set up near the water — wet sand = great ground plane.
4. Call CQ (“CQ BOTA” or “CQ Beach on the Air”).
5. Log contacts.

🎒 Common Gear Setup for All Programs

📋 Best Logging Software & Apps

Stay organized, on-the-air, and ready for uploads — even in the wild

🧭 Polo by ham2k

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Mobile based (works great on mobile)
• 📴 Works offline

🎯 Best For:

• Real-time portable logging, spotting, and QSO tracking
• Supports POTA, SOTA, BOTA, and field ops

✅ Features:

• Log QSOs live from your mobile
• Built-in callsign lookup, POTA/SOTA park and summit references, and logging templates
• Exports in ADIF for upload to POTA, SOTA, and your main logbook
• Integrated spotting tool to spot yourself on POTA/SOTAwatch
• Very fast, clean UI

🔗 Website: https://polo.ham2k.com

🥇 HAMRS

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
• 📴 Works offline

🎯 Best For:

• POTA, SOTA, BOTA, and casual portable ops

✅ Features:

• Templates for POTA, SOTA, WWFF, and generic portable ops
• Supports ADIF export
• Automatically inserts GPS coordinates
• Local park/summit lookup (works offline with cache)
• Clean, mobile-friendly interface
• Upload to pota.app and sotadata.org.uk with exported logs

🔗 Website: https://www.hamrs.app

🥈 VK Portalog

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Android only

🎯 Best For:

• SOTA, POTA, BOTA

✅ Features:

• Auto-fills UTC time, grid square, and band
• Includes summit/park reference validation
• Can spot to SOTAwatch, POTA, or send APRS beacons
• Exports to ADIF, CSV, and SOTA CSV formats
• Works well offline in the field

🔗 Website: https://vk3zpf.com/vk-port-a-log

🥉 Fast Log Entry (FLE)

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Windows, Linux (via Wine)

🎯 Best For:

• Quick logging after field ops (desktop use)
• Compatible with IOTA, SOTA, POTA

✅ Features:

• Minimalist, fast input format (like a text editor)
• Export to ADIF and SOTA CSV
• Ideal for logging after activation if you used paper in the field
• Supports IOTA references and other award fields

🔗 Website: https://df3cb.com/fle/

🌐 Log4OM v2

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Windows

🎯 Best For:

• Home shack log integration with SOTA, POTA, IOTA

✅ Features:

• Full-featured ham logbook with cluster support
• Award tracking for SOTA, IOTA, POTA, DXCC, etc.
• Supports ADIF, LoTW, eQSL, Club Log, and QRZ uploads
• Great for syncing portable logs later from the field

🔗 Website: https://www.log4om.com

🌍 N1MM Logger+ (HF Contesting Focused)

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Windows

🎯 Best For:

• High-rate SOTA/POTA/IOTA activations (especially contests like IOTA Contest)

✅ Features:

• Full contest logging support
• Integration with rigs, CW keyers, and band mapping
• Less mobile-friendly — best used in vehicle-based or island-base ops

🔗 Website: https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com

🏖️ QLog

🔧 Platform:

• ✅ Windows, Linux, MacOS

🎯 Best For:

• Casual logging

✅ Features:

• Simple QSO entry
• Useful for informal activators
• Can manually export logs

🔗 Website: https://github.com/foldynl/QLog

💡 Final Tips

• For mobile field ops, use Ham2k portable logger, HAMRS or VK Portalog.
• For post-activation or serious logging, use Log4OM or Fast Log Entry.
• Always log UTC time, grid square, and references.
• Remember to upload logs promptly to sotadata, pota.app, iota-world, or Club Log depending on the program.

🏆 Why Do These Activations?

• Points, awards, certificates — lots of them!
• Adventure and fresh air
• Field-testing your gear
• Teaching opportunities — great for club demos
• Building friendships with chasers all over the world

🌐 Useful Links

• 🏔️ SOTA: https://sota.org.uk
• 🌳 POTA: https://pota.app
• 🏝️ IOTA: https://www.iota-world.org
• 🏖️ BOTA: https://www.beachesontheair.com

🎯 Final Thoughts

SOTA, POTA, IOTA, and BOTA give radio amateurs a chance to go portable with a purpose. Whether you’re chasing awards, looking for adventure, or just want a new way to experience radio, these programs offer an open invitation to explore.