The 25-meter rule
Under SOTA rules your whole station — you, the radio and the antenna — has to be within 25 m (82 ft) of vertical height of the summit, in one connected area around the top. You need 4 contacts to qualify the summit.
KENTUCKY PORTABLE CLUB • SOTA
ACTIVATION ZONE
Are you high enough? For SOTA you must operate within 25 meters (82 ft) of the summit's height. Pick a summit, save it before you hike, and check your spot on the trail.
1 · Pick a Summit
Do this at home or in the truck — there's often no signal on top. Saved summits stay on this phone.
2 · Check Your Spot
Or tap anywhere on the map to test that spot.
Inside the 25 m zone (estimated)Below the zoneSummitYou
This summit is broad — the zone runs past the shaded area. With signal, checking your spot still works anywhere nearby.
Elevation: Copernicus DEM GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Summits: SOTA (sotadata.org.uk). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
GOOD TO KNOW
How the Zone Works
How sure is this?
The zone comes from 90-meter elevation data, so it's a good guide, not a survey. Gentle, rounded Kentucky summits are easy; on a steep or narrow ridge, stay well up the hill. GPS altitude on a phone can be off by 10–20 m.
Kentucky summits
All Kentucky SOTA summits load instantly. For other states, tap "Load all U.S. summits" once on Wi-Fi. Check access before you go — some summits are on private land.
More SOTA tools: SOTA Summit Checker · KY Park Commander (summits on the map) · Field Weather
Get Outside. Get On The Air.
4 CONTACTS FROM THE TOP
OPEN THE SOTA CHECKER →