This was my fourth rove since my first last January.

New for this rove was a new logging system, improved antennas, better DC power to the rigs/amps, and lower loss feedlines. 

I also set ambitious plans to activate a large number of grids 

All the work and preparation paid off with another personal best.

By the time of the closing bell, I had activated 27 grids from Central PA down to Houston Texas.  I covered almost 1700 road miles this rove thru 6 states, four ARRL divisions and seven ARRL sections (QSL card in keeping with my other roves will be forthcoming)

The new home brew logging system was intended to reduce logging errors and address the issues that left me feeling "logging limited" in my June and September roves.  The new system worked great and was far more error proof as I hoped it would be.  While I had some ideas for improvement as a result of this rove, at no time was feeling limited by my logging system nor longer losing QSOs because of my inability to efficiently log them.

Antenna upgrades included a second 2m and second 1.25m antenna so I now had stacked antennas on those two bands.

The 70cm antenna story I more complex.  I had discovered the loop I was using was radiating most of the energy directly up.  I replaced the single loop with two directional loops.  One loop was oriented to provide a front/rear pattern while the other provided a side to side pattern. 

My 6m antenna was the only one unchanged.

The DC power upgrades involved adding a battery inside the vehicle.  Despite having independent power runs, and double 10ga wires on each run, the voltage drop was still large enough in the old configuration to cause low voltages to the amps my 70cm rig.  This combined to cause both low power on 70cm and distorted audio.

The DC power upgrades resolved the distortion issues on my 70cm signal and increased the power from 20W to 90W.  I also saw incremental improvement with available 2m power increasing from 140W to 180W.

Between the antenna, distortion and low power issues ib 70cm, prior performance on that band was lacking.  The improvement this rove was quite noticeable.

All these things have been about learning.  The big story this rove was the unbelievable help that so many provided during the contest.  Having contacted some stations looking for possible skeds I got an outpouring of support.  Throughout the contest it seemed as I moved into a new area there were stations far beyond those who I had contacted that had heard about the little rover with this ambitious schedule. 

Not only did these stations contact me for QSOs they were out front letting others down the line know I was coming.

One of the amusing moments occurred Sunday around 7:30pm local time when I was in EM12 a bit south of Dallas, TX.  At that time I worked K5TR.  When I sent them my grid as EM12 I got a query asking to verify the grid because they had me last logged that same day in EM66.  Well I was in EM66 earlier that same day.  

Among the things I learned, I learned that rovers are a bit like pets to the fixed stations.  Nice to play and snuggle with when there is nothing going on, but when they band is open a nearby rover is as welcome as a dog trying to join in on a couple making love.   Sure an extra QSO doesn't hurt but when there are multipliers one might not get another chance at getting, those multipliers are a bit more interesting than a few extra QSO points. 

Along with the new antenna system came a new road hazard.  The gawkers who felt the need to take a picture of my vehicle using their cell phone while driving.  If I had a QSO point for every time I saw someone a car length or two behind me weaving in their lane while trying to snap a picture with their cell phone I would have ten times the score.  And tell me why that one car with two guys in the front seat it was the guy driving taking the picture.

Overall another great contest.  I don't know how I can equal this one.