06/28/2008 | KK6MC/R This was my best rove ever! 6M was open for nearly all of the contest. There will be some big scores. I made 161 QSOs in 116 grids, doubling my previous best score.

We drove to Tucumcari and spent Friday night so I could get to the first site without a long drive. Tucumcari is on historic Route 66, you may remember the Tucumcari Tonight! billboards on the highway. There was a motorcycle rally there on Saturday. All the restaurants that serve alcohol had laid in extra security. I guess they heard that us rovers can be pretty wild.

The first stop was in DM84. I operated from Caprock Park south of San Jon and 6M was open the entire time. I had improved the rover with a 2 meter linear which paid off with long haul contacts into Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. We tried 432 on the same paths, but the 10 Watts did not cut it. Six was so busy that I nearly forgot about two. That is a bad habit to get into. We left while the band was still open. I hate to do that but when you rove you need to keep moving or you won't make your grids.

I had problems finding a site with good access in DM85. This points out the importance of scouting out sites before the contest. I operated from two places, but both had QRN problems. I did manage a couple of QSOs on 2M up to Colorado from DM85 though, so that 2M linear was looking like a better and better investment at every grid. 6M was not open Saturday afternoon from those spots, at least at the signal levels I could copy through the QRN.

We stopped for the night in Clayton (DM86) and got the 2nd to last motel room in town. I am ashamed to tell you how much I paid for a Motel 8 room. Apparently two weddings, a family reunion, and the county 4H rodeo pretty much saturated the town's accommodations. The first restaurant we tried was taxed beyond its limitations, the second told us they were nearly out of food when we left after eating.

But I put up the 6M antenna and operated from the back parking lot of the motel. Six was good, but the rig overheated after about a half hour of operation. So I operated for a half hour, took a half hour break and operated again. I finally pulled the plug after 3 stints of this and 6M was still open when I went to the room at 1045 to get some sleep.

Sunday I set up on the slopes of Mt. Dora in DM86 and six was wide open. I ran stations for a half hour, the rig overheated, and then I went to 2M. I worked several guys in CO on 2M at distances near 300 miles. It pays to be loud on two. Then back to 6M. I worked my first 2M Sporadic E contact here. I was so shocked at this that I did not look for more.I pulled the plug with the band still open after 2 hours and moved on to Raton (DM76).

Raton is in DM76 and we operated on the mountain to the west above Raton. Six was still open so I could and did run stations. The big surprise was when I went to two; I worked a station in Idaho! This time I looked for more stations on 2M Sporadic E, but none were to be heard.

We then drove to Truchas by way of Cimarron through Taos, a beautiful drive, and I set up at a roadside rest stop just outside of Truchas (DM76 again). I finally worked the guys in DM65 from here as well as a station in DM54. This was good as I had not worked any of them during the other stops and I was composing the e-mail apologizing for this in my head as we drove. I worked nearly everybody that showed up from NM on 6,
2, and 432, and the extra multipliers help. I made a few contacts on 6M and then pulled the plug.

We drove to Santa Fe and had dinner with my daughter to finish off the weekend. I didn't get to operate from my driveway in DM65, but that is a throw away grid to operate from if there is any time left over when I get home, so I don't feel bad about that.

I was very satisfied with the contest. I accomplished most of my goals. I worked from 4 grids that I had not operated from before, so that leaves only 2 grids in NM for me to operate from to get them all. I got the 2M linear up and running and that paid off in some long haul 2M contacts. I easily surpassed the 100 contacts goal I had set when I
first started roving last June. I pretty much hit my schedules when I predicted, something that was a problem in January. The only gear failure I had was the 432 MHz preamp, not counting the 6M overheating problem. I still need to get a 6M omni antenna up so I can work while in motion; that could easily have added another 75 to 100 contacts I suspect. I can charge the battery now from the car while in motion, so all I need is the antenna.

I can only hope that the July, August and September contests are half as good! -- KK6MC