"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more"

Team NC5AX/R (AF5WN/KK5WA) constructed a new antenna setup for the June contest using a telescoping fiberglass mast, picked up a DS 432 rover yagi (to go with our 144 and 222 rover yagis), a Par SM50 stressed Moxon, and a pair of phased 2m horizontal loops.  We got the idea looking at other rover setups.
 

Intentions were (since the weather shut us down in the January contest) to grind out our entire 11-grid, 1000 mile route, but, of course, real-world requirements the week prior kept us to essentially a 2 day ops check of our new setup. We weren't going to get the recovery time we normally get after the 30 hr grind of the VHF contest rove. So, we re-planned and decided we would occupy the high ground of Arkansas in the daylight. 

For the most part, the equipment performed as expected. 6m opened for us both Saturday and Sunday, and we managed to be in the right position to utilize it. FT8 worked both mobile and static, and we learned that there is a signal strength threshhold when the band opens up where the software will not decode. The best contact was an SSB contact with a rover in North Dakota while we were in motion. The excitement in his voice made the whole contest for us. 

The weather was good. 6m was good. We had a great time. 

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