2006 ARRL September VHF Contest
09/12/2006 |
K3UHF/R
Short story:
Worked from 15 grids, over 600 contacts.
Long story:
Got harassed by the national park service ranger who thought I should have a permit to operate a radio in a national park. Or several radios to several antennas on one vehicle. Well I guess it was a black vehicle amd strange looking and near the anerverery to 911. They were concerned that I might be listening in to national park radio calls. I told them I didnt download the freqs from the internet. There were two of them good ranger/ bad ranger. The good one thought i might be tracking animals on national park lands. I had to hold my tounge to not tell him he was right I was checking out where the bear did his buisness in the woods and to verify if there was a sound to it when no one was around.
For someone who might be considering roving consider this. After this time I am considering switching to a log periodic to simplify things. My coax went bad for the 222 beam and my new cubex 10 el quad wasnt working well. I used an elk log periodic on 432 as my "joke" back up and made 300 plus miles qsos on it! My stacked loops on 222 went 250 miles. Well the 2 meter beam went 400 or so, but I bet a log would of done it as well.
I ordered 2 cubex antennas for 432, but one set for 432 showed up and one for 440 showed up. And when i let them know 2 weeks before the contest i needed the right elements I still havent recieved them. So, that was a disapointment. Also my 2.3 didnt work, but that seems to be alot of set up work unless you are grid circling with a partner and a patch antenna.
Turn out seemed lower out here and not so many of the rare grids were activated. All in all I met my gaol in making more contacts even if there were less people.
New improvements is a teliscopic mast that comes down quick and your on the road again. Ruberized board to put gear on helps prevent slips od items needed to contest. the ability to switch between beams and loops in the car while driving. Also the loops made back ups for bad antennas/ coax. -- K3UHF
Worked from 15 grids, over 600 contacts.
Long story:
Got harassed by the national park service ranger who thought I should have a permit to operate a radio in a national park. Or several radios to several antennas on one vehicle. Well I guess it was a black vehicle amd strange looking and near the anerverery to 911. They were concerned that I might be listening in to national park radio calls. I told them I didnt download the freqs from the internet. There were two of them good ranger/ bad ranger. The good one thought i might be tracking animals on national park lands. I had to hold my tounge to not tell him he was right I was checking out where the bear did his buisness in the woods and to verify if there was a sound to it when no one was around.
For someone who might be considering roving consider this. After this time I am considering switching to a log periodic to simplify things. My coax went bad for the 222 beam and my new cubex 10 el quad wasnt working well. I used an elk log periodic on 432 as my "joke" back up and made 300 plus miles qsos on it! My stacked loops on 222 went 250 miles. Well the 2 meter beam went 400 or so, but I bet a log would of done it as well.
I ordered 2 cubex antennas for 432, but one set for 432 showed up and one for 440 showed up. And when i let them know 2 weeks before the contest i needed the right elements I still havent recieved them. So, that was a disapointment. Also my 2.3 didnt work, but that seems to be alot of set up work unless you are grid circling with a partner and a patch antenna.
Turn out seemed lower out here and not so many of the rare grids were activated. All in all I met my gaol in making more contacts even if there were less people.
New improvements is a teliscopic mast that comes down quick and your on the road again. Ruberized board to put gear on helps prevent slips od items needed to contest. the ability to switch between beams and loops in the car while driving. Also the loops made back ups for bad antennas/ coax. -- K3UHF
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