09/19/2009 | K1DS Only a few hours available this weekend and I wanted to cover a few grids each day. I assembled the rover on Saturday AM, checked out all the gear and headed to my first spot only to wind up with a blowout of the front left tire 1 mile into the journey on the PA Turnpike. I had never changed the tire on this van and waited for the road service to assist me in finding the gimmick that lowers the spare from under the rear on a reel device. So that's what that long rod stowed with the tire iron was for! Every lesson costs time or money. This was both. Now I remember, I do have the van manual and could have looked that up! The spare was rough, so I drove back to a local spot near home and operated for a few hrs each day from there and abandoned the rove. Was able to make contacts on all my 11 bands--highlight being a nice SSB QSO on top band 24GHz with W3SZ. 73, Rick -- K1DS