James,
Great advice, and especially grateful to see some of the "human factors"
considered along with the technical ones. I've quickly learned as a small
signal from an HOA area, I have to depend on more than luck and propagation
to work new ones. A big part of it is giving people a reason to want to work
you, and thanking them after the fact is a big part of that.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
73,
Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf
Les Rayburn, director
High Noon Film
100 Centerview Drive Suite 111
Birmingham, AL 35216-3748
205.824.8930
205.824.8960 fax
205.253.4867 cell
--------------------------------------------------
From: "James Duffey" <JamesDuffey@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 8:35 PM
To: "Les Rayburn" <les@highnoonfilm.com>
Cc: "James Duffey" <JamesDuffey@comcast.net>; "VHF Contesting Reflector"
<vhfcontesting@contesting.com>; <vhf@w6yx.stanford.edu>; "SVHFSList"
<svhfslist@svhfs.org>
Subject: Re: [VHF] September Contest
> Les - I am not an experienced rover. I started roving in the June 2007
> VHF contest and have roved in 7 contests since then. So I have some
> experience with starting roving from scratch. Here is some advice that I
> hope you will find successful:
>
> 1. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Successful roving is the
> optimization of limited resources. In a rover, you have limited power,
> limited space, limited places for antennas, limited height for antennas,
> limited pointing accuracy, limited time to operate from a grid, and
> limited time to get from one grid to another. The key to a good first
> rove is to figure out how to deal with all of these limitations without
> having any individual one consume too many of your limited personal
> resources. Three bands with the FT-857, perhaps four with the 220 MHz
> transverter, is a good place to start. Enter the limited rover class.
> Leave 1296 and 10 GHz for another time, when you are more experienced. Or
> enter the upcoming 10 GHz contest.
>
> 2. Be loud on two. If 6 is dead, and it likely will be for much or all of
> the September contest, two meters is the place you will make contacts and
> identify people to move to other bands for more points. If you have a 2M
> linear to add to the 857, go ahead and do it. It will pay dividends.
>
> 3. I suggest starting out operating near a grid corner that is also
> fairly close to a large population of VHF contesters. Or between two
> large populations. You probably know where the activity is in your area
> and can look at a grid map and find a likely spot. By being on at the
> beginning of the contest, people will know to look for you the rest of
> the contest. By being near a grid corner, you can quickly go from one
> grid to another without consuming too much time traveling. By being near
> population centers, lots of people will hear you. Go to another corner on
> Sunday. This will make a nice rove. With 6 grids, 4 bands and modest
> activity, you should have a good score. It usually isn't more than an
> hour drive to the nearest grid corner and you can sleep in your own bed
> Saturday night.
>
> 4. Always sign /rover and always announce your grid when you call CQ.
> Tell people to look for you from the new grids you will be going to if
> they don't ask. Always use phonetics.
>
> 5. I don't know of any good grids near you, but I use Google Earth,
> Google Maps, and Topo to find good spots. Also, if there is a local VHF
> reflector, or contest reflector, ask there. People who VHF contest love
> to help rovers; you are more multipliers and more QSOs. You don't need to
> operate from a rare grid, just one that doesn't have much activity in a
> contest.
>
> 6. I have come to the conclusion that operating in motion is important.
> You may wish to have a digital voice recorder to help you log. Or a
> separate driver. I now think that a successful rove consists of operating
> from several good VHF high spots, and operating while in motion from one
> good site to another in perhaps another 5 or 6 grids. I find this
> optimizes the operating time and getting to a great spot, like a mountain
> top, doesn't consume all of the time you have available. You may prefer a
> different strategy, but that is a good place to start
>
> 7. I don't know how long your short Yagis are, but I suggest ones that
> are at least 5 or 6 feet long, and up to 8 or 10 ft if you have them. If
> you need Yagis in the 5 or 6 ft range, the WA5VJB ones are easy to make
> on short notice.
>
> 8. Keep the antennas at least a half wave above the vehicle. This will be
> marginal to achieve on 6M, but should be achievable on the rest of the
> bands. This will help you put more radiation at low angles. This means
> that the lower loop of you 2M stack should be at least 40 inches above
> the pickup, which will probably put it up pretty high, but not above the
> legal limit.
>
> 9. Bring CW capability. It adds 10 dB or so to the signal to noise ratio
> capability. I always make one or two contacts on CW that I otherwise
> wouldn't have made.
>
> 10. Move people from one band to another. I usually make first contact on
> 2, then move to 432, then to 6. With 220, you would put that between 432
> and 6. This optimizes the points you can make. Try to work as many people
> on one band before you move, then try to move the whole pack. Try not to
> leave anyone behind as you change bands, as it can be hard to pick them
> up again. Here in NM, activity is sparse, and the calling frequencies are
> usually used for all this. If activity is higher there, pick a set of
> frequencies beforehand, and use the same ones every time. That way people
> will know where to look for you. Announce that you will be returning to
> the 2M frequency when you have finished working everyone on the other
> bands. It pays to be predictable when you are a rover. You probably won't
> be able to do this with the big gun op stations though. Check the log to
> see that you got everyone. Try to control this process rather than have
> an impatient station try to move you to another band before you have
> worked out the one you are on. This is easier in a grid that most people
> need. This whole process requires a knack, finesse, and that you be an
> efficient operator. Practice it rather than give up on it. It is tempting
> to move too soon; before you move, always ask if there is anyone else
> that needs to work you.
>
> 11. Call CQ. People can't work you if they don't know that you are there.
> Calling to a dead band is a tedious task, but it does pay off.
>
> 12. Don't stay too long at any one grid. Too long is relative, but I
> think an hour and a half is usually plenty unless band conditions are
> super, and I have left after 30 minutes or 45 minutes if activity was
> very low.
>
> 13. Set goals. They help you keep going when things get slow, help you
> measure your progress, and make the weekend worthwhile when you finally
> meet them. Set an achievable goal and one that will require you to
> stretch your capability. Making a certain number of QSOs, say 100, is a
> good goal. Having your call published in QST, which means a first place
> in the division, top 5 in the region, or top 10 nationwide is a good
> goal. I set these as goals when I first started roving, and finally met
> them. Since then I have set a goal to operate from all 22 grids in NM. I
> have 21 down and will try to get the last one in September. Trying to
> improve the rover for each contest is a good goal.
>
> 14. Take Friday afternoon off to set up the rover. Plan to be in place at
> your first stop an hour before the contest starts to ensure that
> everything is in place ready to go.
>
> 15. Roving is hard work. Be sure to take and drink plenty of water so you
> don't dehydrate. Rather than full meals, I find snacking during slow
> times best. You will be tired Sunday night. Take Monday off to recover.
>
> 16. Work everyone you hear. Try hard to work the weak ones. Occasionally
> you will be pleasantly surprised.
>
> 17. Announce your plans on a local reflector, and on national ones as
> well. I keep an e-mail list of those in the region I have worked in past
> contests and those in the region who have been active in VHF/UHF
> contests. I send a separate e-mail to them with more details of the
> planned rove. Do this a couple of times before the rove to stir up
> interest. Change the message each time so it is not like spam. After the
> contest is over, I send another e-mail to the list telling how I did and
> thanking everyone for the contact. In a slow contest, like the uHF
> contest I can send an individual thank you to each one I contacted. You
> obviously can't do this for the big contests like the June contest, but
> this individual attention builds up camardarie among contesters and I
> like to think it helps motivate people to go out of their way to work
> you.
>
> This covers more than you asked, but I didn't have the time to write
> anything shorter. :^)= - Duffey
>
>
> On Aug 14, 2008, at 12:51 PM, Les Rayburn wrote:
>
>> I'm considering portable/rover operation during the September contest.
>> This
>> would be .my first effort from outside the fixed shack. I've got a ton
>> of
>> questions, but I'll limit it to just three or four right now:
>>
>> 1.) I'm thinking of adding 10ghz which seems to be popular here. Anyone
>> have a
>> 10ghz transverter/antenna combo that they're looking to sell?
>>
>> 2.) I'd like to start off close to home. What is the best way to find
>> good
>> sites within my own grid? (EM63)
>>
>> 3.) Considering driving to another nearby grid, especially if there is
>> one
>> that is needed in Alabama by area DX'ers. Anybody looking for a grid in
>> Alabama?
>>
>> Operation would be done using my 2005 Chevy Colorado pickup which is
>> currently
>> equipped with a Yassu FT-857D and two phased KU4AB 2 Meter loops. I also
>> have
>> a 1/4 mag mount for six meters, which is fine for strong e-skip, but
>> worthless
>> for weak signal. I have a KU4AB loop for six that I could add as well.
>>
>> When stopped, I have some small Yagis for 2, 222, and 432 that I could
>> deploy
>> on a small push up mast. I could also toss the IC-910H into the
>> passenger seat
>> and get another loop yagi to add 1.2ghz to the effort. A small
>> transverter
>> will add 222 into the mix.
>>
>> As always, thanks for the advice.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Les Rayburn, N1LF
>>
>>
>>
>> Les Rayburn, director
>> High Noon Film
>> 100 Centerview Drive Suite 111
>> Birmingham, AL 35216-3748
>> 205.824.8930
>> 205.824.8960 fax
>> 205.253.4867 cell
>> ------
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>
> --
> KK6MC
> James Duffey
> Cedar Crest NM
> ------
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