Wainwrights On The Air (WOTA) Launches
This is the text of a press release that was sent out to major amateur radio publications and organizations in the United Kingdom.
From: Julian Moss, G4ILO, Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK
Date: 19 March 2009
For Release: 21 March 2009
Wainwrights On The Air (WOTA) will launch on 21 March 2009. WOTA is a new adventure radio programme for radio amateurs within reach of the English Lake District. Similar to the well-known Summits On The Air programme, the basic objectives are to 'collect' as many Lake District summits as possible, either by activating them (making contacts from the top) or by chasing them (making contacts with the activators.) The summits that count for points are the 214 mountains described by A. Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, popularly known as "The Wainwrights."
WOTA is the idea of and will be managed by Julian Moss, G4ILO, who lives close to the Lake District in Cockermouth, Cumbria. Julian has developed a website to support participants in the scheme. The website allows activators to pre-announce their activations, and chasers to "spot" stations heard working from the fells to allow others to catch them. There is also a database into which both activators and chasers can enter the details of their contacts and then view statistics and league tables.
Julian is sponsoring the "Worked All Wainwrights" and "Activated All Wainwrights" awards for participants who successfully work or activate all 214 Wainwright fells. Anyone who wishes to sponsor other WOTA awards should contact Julian. Only contacts made on or after 21 March 2009 may be counted for WOTA awards or league tables.
For more information, including the rules of WOTA, see the WOTA website: http://www.wota.org.uk.