Chase an op

Chasing an op is when you seek to make a QSO with the host of an op.

Finding who is on the air

Before you can chase an op, you have to find one to chase. You can do that by sending a CQ command to the OTA bot. The OTA bot replies with the callsigns of the hosts who have an op on the air.

The ops closest to going off the air lead the list, so you can reach them before they finish. If nobody is on the air, the bot says so and suggests you start your own op instead.

See the CQ reference page for more information about this command.

You can also open aprsota.org/now to see all the ops that are on the air.

Exchanging messages

Once you have found an op that is on the air, you can make a contact with the host of that op.

Info about an op

Once you know the callsign of an op that is on the air, you can find out some information about that op:

The OTA bot sends back the host’s maidenhead grid square, how many QSOs the op has logged, and how long it has left. If the host described their op, you get their description in a message of its own first. See the INFO command for the details.

Talking to everyone on the op

Once your position report has landed you are part of that op, QSL or no QSL, and you can send one message to everybody else on it:

That goes to the host and to every other chaser on the op. See the BLAST command for how many you get and how to stop receiving them.

What’s Next

You now know everything a chaser needs. See who is on the air right now and chase them. And when you are ready for the other half of the game, learn how to host an op of your own.