Welcome to KCOTA…working the world from the kitchen or couch one station at a time...

The KCOTA  programme was founded in August 2023 by radio amateurs in Saskatoon, Canada. Sometimes circumstances are such that amateurs are not able to participate in POTA, IOTA and other portable operations.  This enables them a venue to prepare a portable station and operation as if they were going to POTA, IOTA, etc. "Couch on the Air" loosely translated means "working the world sitting on a couch or cooking in the kitchen” on HF and above and aims as a kind of radio sport at radioing from couches or kitchens, operating portable transmitting and receiving equipment, antennas and power supplies. If possible, a more or less athletic workload, ranging from leisurely cutting the lawn to cleaning the house is required before successful radio communications from lounging on the couch. Preparing a great meal in the kitchen also qualifies.  Nevertheless, KCOTA is not primarily intended for high-performance athletes and summit strikers, as the following examples of KCOTA destinations with different levels show: For starters, even a walk up a hill of 150 m satisfies the minimum requirements of the KCOTA rules. Advanced participants will set themselves the goal of a mountain hike in the low mountain ranges. Anything beyond that should be reserved for radio amateurs with some mountaineering experience.

Activators are those who are QRV from a kitchen or couch. All other participants who attempt to contact the station on the couch or kitchen from any other location are called chasers. To recognise the achievement of both, there are separate diplomas for activators and for chasers. A prerequisite for the recognition and registration of a couch or kitchen in the KCOTA  list is a minimum.  As of August 2023 there is 2 registered in the KCOTA programme worldwide. For an activator's participation to be recognised as a valid radio activity, further requirements must be met. Very important: The power supply for the radio equipment may only be self-sufficient from rechargeable batteries, batteries or solar panels, but not from grid-dependent sources or generators.

Separate points will be awarded for couch-to-couch-kitchen-kitchen-couch-kitchen radio communications, i.e. between the stations of two activators. Furthermore, in some regions: There is no differentiation and classification according to amateur radio bands and operating modes. In additional special contests, such as the 6 m/10 m challenge for couch-to-couch connections between two activators, both participants act as activators and hunters at the same time and are scored separately as Couch-to-Couch -in addition to the hunter and activator scores. Further details on the rules can not be found on the KCOTA website. because there is none, yet.

There are now (as of August 2023) KCOTA Associations worldwide, including in the following countries or regions, which allow radio amateurs to participate in the KCOTA programme: Australia, Azores, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Denmark, Germany (two associations German Central Mountains and German Alps). Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Canada, Canary Islands, Corsica, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sardinia, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary, USA and the United Kingdom.