I try to make a lot of noise about where I'll be. I'm not active in the
local clubs, and not generally in the area anyway, but I try and get the
news out to the regional weak signal and contesting groups. I also try and
scoop up phone numbers, it got us a couple of mults this past contest when
we were able to just make a quick phone call and get the beams aimed at us.
I didn't think about the ARRL sites, may have to look at that. Thanks.
73,
Sean WA1TE
On Wed, Nov 29, 2017 at 10:03 PM N6Ze <n6ze@aol.com> wrote:
> One thing i do when i rove in SoCal is to post ahead of time on various
> chat sites: radio club sites, wswss, vhf-contesting, arrl sb section site,
> etc to alert occasional users of 50mhz & up and typical motivated vhf
> operators that i’ll be out roving.
> (I local ham radio club member always telephones me on sunday afternoon to
> make skds!)
>
> N6ZE
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Nov 29, 2017, at 13:31, Sean Waite <waisean@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Mark,
> >
> > That's basically how we operate (or are planning to, depending). FM
> mobiles
> > on 2/1.25/70 with whips. We haven't been too good about leaving them on
> > listening for contacts, but are going to try more in the future. Every
> once
> > in a while we'll toss out a call seeing if anyone is listening. It's
> > productive enough to warrant it. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if
> > while stopped it'd be more productive to have more gain/directivity on
> FM.
> > We actually got a whole pile of FM contacts in September, but we had
> > stopped by Boxboro for the ARRL convention and cleaned up a bunch there.
> >
> > There's a few things with FM contacts. They are out there, and might even
> > be that mult you're looking for, or at least a 70cm contact worth a
> couple
> > points. However, most will be using mobile whips or HTs so their range is
> > limited, and they are sparsely spread out. More gain will help you reach
> > out and grab them, but it may also mean when they pop up they'll be off
> the
> > side of the beam and you'll miss them, where a vertical would hear them
> (if
> > they were close enough). I'm a little confused as to whether FM beams
> will
> > be a benefit or a loss...
> >
> > Sean WA1TE
> >
> > On Wed, Nov 29, 2017 at 2:57 PM Mark Spencer <mark@alignedsolutions.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> My $.02 worth...
> >>
> >> I focus most of my contesting on modes other than FM. That being said
> I
> >> try to have a reasonable FM setup for 2M and 1.25M running all the time.
> >> I usually just run mag mount whips on top of the cab of my pickup truck
> >> while roving.
> >>
> >> 6M, 70 cm, 33 cm and 23cm FM is possible for me but only by prior
> >> arrangement. I don't recall ever making a 6M contest qso.
> >>
> >> I believe I have made enough random FM qso's on 2M and 1.25M to make the
> >> effort worthwhile.
> >>
> >> Last contest I made a conscious effort to cut down on clutter in the
> >> truck and left the 1.25M whip at home, I ended up picking it up at the
> tail
> >> end of the contest to gain a final multiplier and had to enter as an
> >> unlimited rover as a result. I won't make that mistake again.
> >>
> >> 73
> >>
> >> Mark S
> >> VE7AFZ
> >>
> >> mark@alignedsolutions.com
> >> 604 762 4099 <(604)%20762-4099> <(604)%20762-4099>
> >>
> >>> On Nov 29, 2017, at 10:49 AM, Sean Waite <waisean@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Since we're always thinking of the next station improvement, I've been
> >>> thinking about the best way to implement FM in the rover.
> >>>
> >>> We've found that it's worth carrying the gear. We don't get many
> >> contacts,
> >>> but they are out there and having the ability to make them on demand
> does
> >>> get us points. Right now, I have a 2/70 vertical that is used for FM,
> >> just
> >>> a mobile whip. In January for our run 'n gun I'll probably move to a
> >>> triband whip.
> >>>
> >>> For the stop and shoots, though, we'll be better set up to run beams.
> We
> >>> have a couple of the small Arrow yagis available that wouldn't be too
> >>> difficult to strap onto a mast and have a v-pol beam available for the
> FM
> >>> radios. Small LPDAs like the Elk satellite antenna are also another
> >> option.
> >>>
> >>> This would give us positive gain on FM...but i'm not sure it's worth
> it.
> >> FM
> >>> contacts are mostly opportunistic, either a periodic call on 146.52 or
> >> just
> >>> hearing someone and grabbing the mic real quick. The directivity a yagi
> >>> would give us might blind us to some of the nearby stations calling
> >> (though
> >>> the arrows aren't particularly narrow) if they are off the side of the
> >>> beam. The other drawback is that it'll take a little longer to set up
> if
> >>> we've got another beam or three to attach to the mast and cable up.
> >>>
> >>> What do other people do? Maybe better to have some always-connected,
> more
> >>> efficient verticals on the roof the car and sacrifice a bit of gain?
> >>>
> >>> Looking forward to your thoughts.
> >>>
> >>> 73,
> >>> Sean WA1TE
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> VHFcontesting mailing list
> >>> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >>>
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > VHFcontesting mailing list
> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
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>
>
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