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Wainwrights On The Air, or WOTA for short, is an adventure radio programme for licensed amateur radio enthusiasts based in the Lake District which allows them to combine fell walking with operating their radios from the summits of hills and mountains. The main aims of the programme are to increase portable radio activity in the Lake District, encourage more radio amateurs within reach of the area, and to promote the natural beauty of the region.
Contents
As the name suggests, the summits incorporated into this amateur radio operating award programme are based on the 214 Alfred Wainwright summits listed in his seven volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, and 116 summits listed in his additional volume The Outlying Fells of Lakeland.
The programme awards points for operating from a summit or for working a station on a summit. Those who operate from a summit are known as activators and those who work operators on a summit are known as chasers. There are various types of award that can be achieved, based on each of the Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells and The Outlying Fells of Lakeland and these are available for both activators and chaser.
History
The programme is the brainchild of amateur radio operator Julian Moss, G4ILO.
Julian started WOTA after becoming interested in Summits On The Air, as he realised that many well-known Lakeland fells were not mentioned by SOTA.
The programme was launched in February 2009. It originally only included the 214 Wainwright Summits. On 1 January 2012, the 116 summits of The Outlying Fells of Lakeland were also included.
Other Amateur Radio Award Schemes
There are two similar UK amateur radio operating award programmes that operate on a national level. Theses are Summits On The Air (SOTA) and Summitsbase.
Summits On The Air also run their programme on an International Level.