>From a Rover perspective...
Operating in the dark is at times required based on your schedule and
number of grids you intend to activate.
Some rovers are capable of run and gun approach with little on site set up
/ tear down. While others with all the bands could have a far more intense
time. Rovers find ways to decrease there set up and tear down time. A
rover station I have worked with, we have it down to 15 min., in the dark
maybe 20m. It presents a challange and weather in jan at night can get
down right cold.
Our last grid on Satuday is usually where we will be grabing some shut eye.
Usually about 4 hours and then back on the road to be set up in the next
grid for sun rise. For us night operation is not a huge deal.
I am still trying to wrap my head around just how much of an impact on the
contest is the Game. With out some log stats to support if there is really
an issue, I am on the fence for this issue. I see positives to a friday
start in that could increase some chances for propagation in the mornings.
But this would add a second "rest factor" into the expense which is
continuing to climb with each gas price increase.
I will still continue to rove regardless of start times, closing the
contest at a more reasonable hour would be a nice change.
Dave N3XUD/R
3 Generation Memorial Rover Team
On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 5:41 PM, Tom Carney <wa4qvq@gmail.com> wrote:
> If the contest started Friday afternoon, it's unlikely I would ever go out
> on Friday. I'm a single op rover and thus have to put up/take down
> antennas without help. This is not something I can do in the dark. If the
> contest started at 0000, I would only have about 90 minutes before sunset.
> Just not worth the trouble to go out roving.
>
> On the west coast, fb games frequently start at 10AM. Add the hour it
> would take to take the antennas down and drive home and I have to stop at
> 9AM. Again probably not worth the trouble to go roving.
>
> This year the first of the two play-off games didn't start until 1PM. If
> the NFL always schedules the first play-off game at 1PM, it would just
> knock off late Sun afternoon but I don't rove then due to darkness.
>
> 73,
>
> Tom K6EU aka K6EU/r
> _______________________________________________
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> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
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>
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