Colorado 14er Event Operating Guidelines
last updated 30 April 2013

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Colorado 14er Event is to promote the use and understanding of amateur radio by combining it with backcountry hiking/climbing and mountaintop operating.

During the event, radio amateurs at the summits of 14,000 foot mountains and Colorado Summits On The Air (SOTA) peaks contact other mountaintop stations along with stations not on summits. The goal is to see how far your signal will go and who you can contact. This is not a contest, so there are no points, scoring, multipliers or other competition.

Guide For Non-Mountain Operators

So what do you do if you are not operating from the top of a Colorado summit? There are several other ways to participate in this event. 

Operate from home You can use your VHF and/or HF station at your home location to work as many of the mountaintop stations as possible. On VHF, you will probably need to be line-of-sight to the summits (or at least close to line of site) to work them. Several of the 14ers can be worked from the major Colorado front range cities (Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) On HF, you can be almost anywhere on the planet, depending on propagation.

Operate portable from a highspot To get a better shot at the mountaintop stations on VHF, you can operate portable or mobile from a suitable high spot. Pick your location strategically, with an eye towards having line of sight to the various mountains. Some radio operators hike up to their favorite non-14er peak and spend the morning working the other high country stations. Other people choose to just drive to a good spot and operate mobile from there. If you are experienced with 4WD, you might want to pick out your favorite backcountry road and operate from a high pass or peak. 

Wherever you are operating from, give your callsign and location frequently. This allows other operators to quickly determine if they have already worked you or your location. The hike-in 14er operators are often very pressed for time on the summit, so they try to work other stations as quickly as possible. Your location should be indicated as nearby city or town, a well-known landmark (e.g., Monarch Pass) or summit name (whether it is a 14er or not). 

Frequencies to Use Check out the band plan on the Frequencies page to see what frequencies are used. On 2M FM, start on 147.42 MHz and work your way up in 15 kHz steps. Please don't just hang out on 147.42 MHz, as that frequency will get overloaded very quickly. There will be activity on the other bands, so check out the complete list of frequencies. Remember that most 14er stations will be running less than 5W, so always run the minimum power necessary to complete the contact, otherwise you will interfere with stations that you cannot even hear. 

*Feel free to expand your operation into other bands and modes.

Can I Only Work 14er Stations? The central theme of the event is the 14,000 foot mountains of Colorado but SOTA peaks are also part of this event. This event is also a general operating event, so feel free to contact other stations that are participating, whether they are on a mountaintop or not. Our expanded band plan on 2M and up provides plenty of room to spread out and ragchew with other stations. Please be sure to move off of 147.42 MHz for any extended contacts..  

Now What? The next step is up to you. Get out your map of Colorado and check out the 14er locations and pick a good spot to set up your station. Spend some time with your equipment and figure out how to operate mobile or portable successfully. The basic idea is get on the air and have some fun. 

Guide For Mountain Operators

PURPOSE: The purpose of this event is to promote the use and understanding of VHF amateur radio by combining it with backcountry hiking/climbing and mountaintop operating.

During the event, radio amateurs at the summits of 14000 foot mountains and SOTA peaks contact other mountaintop activators along with stations not on mountain tops. The goal is to see how far your signal will go and who you can contact. This is not a contest, so there are no points, scoring, multipliers or other competition.

It is suggested that you try and work both mountain top and flatland stations. However, each mountain top station decides how much time and effort is placed on contacting the other summits versus working the stations down in the flatlands.

SAFETY: Every year people get themselves into trouble in the Colorado high country. Sudden changes in weather, lightning or a wrong turn on a trail can get you into trouble and can result in your death. This event is NOT intended to lure the unsuspecting into danger. You are responsible for your own safety and you MUST consider the dangers and your personal limitations.

In particular, watch out for lightning since you will be above treeline and very exposed. It will take some time for you to retreat to safety (perhaps hours), so be conservative when you see thunderstorms approaching. SAFETY MUST TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. If you do not have previous mountaineering experience, don't start with this event. The added complication of this radio event is NOT the way to try your first summit attempt. NO ONE INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT GUARANTEES YOUR SAFETY IN ANY WAY. You are responsible for choosing your own route, judging the severity of approaching weather and maintaining your overall safety.

EQUIPMENT: The minimum equipment required is a 2 meter FM transceiver (probably an HT). Although a rubber duck antenna will probably be sufficient for some contacts, it is highly recommended that you bring along a better antenna such as a 1/2-wave telescoping antenna (MFJ Long Ranger or similar). Even better is bring along a small beam antenna. HT battery packs don't last all that long so bring extra batteries. Most experienced operators recommend simple, lightweight but efficient gear. (Leave the amplifiers at home.)

Some operators have used small mobile rigs with external battery packs so they can run a little more power output. Keep the transmit power on "low" when possible to conserve batteries. Also, taking a second radio allows you to monitor more than one frequency at a time. In recent years, bands/modes other than 2M FM have been more active, including 6 meters, 222 MHz, 440 MHz, 1.2 GHz. Also, some stations have been on the HF bands (mostly 20M, 15M and 10M). You can use this event to operate wherever you have interests.

During previous events, some stations have used signaling mirrors (available at outdoor shops such as REI) to signal between nearby mountain tops. You might want to give this a try.

OPERATING PHILOSOPHY: Based on past experience, we have come to expect and accept a certain amount of chaos and uncertainty during the event. Although it might be desirable to arrange for all possible radio contacts to be made, the variation in when operators arrive and depart their particular summit and the large number of operators involved usually means that not all possible radio contacts will occur that day. The operating guidelines are intended to give you a reasonable chance of success in contacting other mountain top radios stations. Don't be surprised if things are a bit crazy on the bands during the event.

FREQUENCIES:   The frequency plan on 2M FM band plan uses a "primary frequency and move up" approach. You might recognize this as a "calling frequency" approach, very similar to the accepted practice on VHF/UHF SSB operating. 

The primary 2M FM frequency is 147.42 MHz.  At the beginning of the event, operators should try calling on 147.42 MHz. As activity increases on that frequency, operators should move up in frequency using the standard 15 kHz channel spacing for Colorado.  The next standard simplex up from 147.42 MHz is 147.435 MHz, followed by 147.45 MHz, etc.  As activity increases, operators should spread out on the band. As activity decreases, operators should move back closer to the primary simplex frequency.  Some of the stronger stations (such as the stations on Mount Evans, Mount Bross and Pikes Peak) should stay put on one frequency (NOT 147.42 MHz) and occasionally make a quick announcement on 147.42 MHz that indicates where you are listening.

It is a good idea to preprogram your radio memories with these frequencies so you won't be fumbling around with them at 14,000 feet. Another approach is to set your radio to 15 kHz steps, starting with the radio on 147.42 MHz and tuning up in frequency.  It will be helpful to be able to monitor more than one 2M FM frequency, so you can always leave a receiver on 147.42 MHz.

Please review the Frequencies page before the event!

*Feel free to expand your operation into other bands and modes.

OPERATING HOURS: Primary operating hours are designated as 9 AM to Noon. However, feel free to operate before and after this time window. The end time for the event is driven by the need to get off the summits before the thunderstorms roll in, so keep an eye on the weather.

IDENTIFICATION: Please identify your station using your FCC callsign followed by the name of the mountain that you are on. This will instantly identify you as a mountaintop station along with giving your location.

LOG INFORMATION: Logging your contacts is recommended, but is optional. Please send a summary sheet to the ham14er Yahoo Group, listing:

1. Total number of QSOs.
2. Longest distance contact.
3. Longest distance contact with a 14er summit.

COORDINATION:  Please post your operating plans to the ham14er Yahoo Group in advance, so we can activate as many summits as possible.

BUT WHY? Remember that the whole reason behind this event is to have fun. So be safe, but don't forget to have fun.