Steve - FB on your set up. It sure doesn't sopund like a rookie
setup. That 746 will put a good signal out on 6 and 2, and 19 feet is
pretty high for portable antennas.
The Elk Log Periodic probably is roughly the equivalent of a 2
element beam. You can do better with band specific Yagis. WA5VJB's
"cheap and easy Yagis":
< http://www.clarc.org/ArticleRepo/uhf2.pdf >
are effective antennas that are easy to build from items in your
local hardware store/building store. You can put one together in less
than 2 hours. I use the 6 element 2M beam and will build the 11
element 432 for the January contest. At a 6 foot boom for the 2 Meter
beam and 5 feet for the 432 boom, they are not much bigger than the
log periodic.
The 6 element 2 M design will give you 5 to 6 dB gain over the log
periodic and the 11 element 432 antenna will probably give you 7 or 8
dB over the log periodic. This is a real advantage and will
significantly extend your range.
Nate's points are well taken. It is not only important to keep track
of other rovers, but also of other fixed stations. Make sure you have
worked everyone that there is to work from every grid on every band.
It is easy to miss a station because you think you have worked them
before, but it was in another grid. It is OK to ask the multi op
stations if they have heard some one that you are missing, or where
another rover is, particularly if the band is slow.
You didn't mention CW, but if you don't have it, add it. Let us know
how this all plays out. - Duffey
--
James Duffey KK6MC/5
Cedar Crest NM 87008
DM65
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