N2SLN -- computer logging, 144 op,
partial equipment supplier
ROVER VEHICLE
side view | back view
driver's side view of the operating positions
the rotor control box accessible from both operating positions
ANTENNA SYSTEM
6 meter 3-element yagi
2 meter 7-element yagi
432 16-element yagi
mast tilted over for mounting the antennas
telescopic mast anchored and ready to raise antennas skyward
view of the 3 fully raised yagis from below
RADIO EQUIPMENT
6 meters:
Icom IC-706mkIIG
100 watts
2 meters:
Icom IC-706 original
10 watts
Mirage B1016G 160 watt amplifier
432:
Icom IC-706mkIIG
20 watts
RF Concepts 100 watt amplifier
2 radios, 2 amps, and an emergency battery in a wx-proof box
terminal block to distribute all necessary DC power from vehicle battery
DESCRIPTION
The annual ARRL January VHF Contest starts 2 pm eastern
time each year, and runs through 11 pm the next day. We
decided to enter the contest in the rover category, and
the poor weather that was predicted for our area helped
us decide to operate from two nearby gridsquares--FN22
(our own) and FN12. We made a last-minute decision to
try a new FN22 rover site & make that our first stop.
It was nice working the contest from a site that's
nearby since there was a winter storm bearing down on
us. We noticed a high SWR on our 3-el
6m yagi and lots of noise generated by snow on all
bands, but we were able to pick out 11 stations on all
bands in an hour and 43 minutes, and then we went home
for the day to let the storm wind itself out. Around the
time we got home, NWS issued a winter storm warning
for our home county. Then Sunday we were back at it;
ready to hit a new grid, and with a much improved
wx forecast. As it turned out, our FN12 rover stop was a
great one but we never would have made it to the peak of
the hill without the help of the tire chains!
Unfortunately, there were no band enhancements of any
kind on any of the bands, but from extreme eastern FN12
we were able to reach as far west as EN92 (VE3TFU) on
2m and as far south as Virginia on all 3 bands (K8GP in
FM18gp). We were glad to have the 432 band working
properly because even though it only accounted for 15.2
percent of our QSOs, it accounted for 36.6 percent of
our contest points! In addition, without entering the
contest as a rover, our final score, at best, would have
been only 60 percent of what it was! In our two main
blocks of operating time, we made 43 QSOs in 4 hours and
27 minutes of contesting, which works out to a rate of
about one QSO every 6 minutes for 4 1/2 hours straight.
POINTS SUMMARY
Band QSOs QSO pts. Mults. -------------------------------------------- 50 13 13 10 144 26 26 13 432 7 14 4 -------------------------------------------- TOTALS 46 53 27 +2 grids visited -- 29 --- Claimed score = 1,537 ---
Professionals are predictable, it is the amateurs who are dangerous. |