A joint report by Harald (OE8DSQ) and Gerlinde (OE8GSY).
Some summits you can „bag“ several times over – and that is exactly what we did. On 13 April 2026 we climbed the Pyramidenkogel and combined three outdoor radio programs in a single activation: SOTA, POTA/WWFF and TOTA. The term that has caught on for such a combination is xOTA – several „…-On-The-Air“ programs at the same location.
Three programs, one location
The Pyramidenkogel is a lucky find: it qualifies for three programs at once.
- SOTA/GMA – OE/KT-211: the summit at 850 m (8 points)
- TOTA – OER-8001: the striking wooden lookout tower
- WWFF/POTA – OEFF-0554: the surrounding protected area
One activation, three logs. The quickest way to see which programs overlap where is the xOTA map on oeradio.at – all 34 outdoor programs on a single map, including the references for the Pyramidenkogel.
The Pyramidenkogel
The Pyramidenkogel above Lake Wörthersee, with its sweeping wooden tower, is a real landmark – and for TOTA it is exactly this tower that counts. The climb is comfortable, which makes the spot ideal for setting up a portable station in peace. If you are interested in the engineering behind such towers and antenna supports, our article Towers and Masts has more. And our guide Spotting TOTA shows how to make your tower activation visible to the chasers.
Setup and operation
In pleasant conditions and with a solar flux of 99 we set up our portable gear and chose the bands to suit the conditions – at SFI 99 things ran solidly. Two things matter most for reliable portable operation: a good, quickly deployed antenna and a clean power supply. For ideas, see our articles on vertical antennas for HF and on a power source for portable operation.
Why xOTA is fun
One way up, several programs, more QSOs – and for the chasers, several references at once. That makes an activation efficient and sociable at the same time. For us it was a thoroughly enjoyable day on the mountain. If you want to head out yourself, our overview POTA in Austria is a good place to start.
We would love to have you in our log next time – maybe even as an xOTA contact.
73, Harald (OE8DSQ) & Gerlinde (OE8GSY)
Image credits
Photos: © Harald (OE8DSQ) and Gerlinde (OE8GSY). Map excerpt: xOTA map, oeradio.at.
Transparency notice
This article is an adaptation for oeradio.at of an activation report from kaernten-funkt.at and was edited with the help of AI (Claude, Anthropic). Content, photos and experience are by Harald (OE8DSQ) and Gerlinde (OE8GSY). Questions or corrections? Write to us at [email protected].
