[CQ-Contest] Mobile operation in the Oregon QSO Party. long

[Dick Frey]

This was my first mobile operation since the days when we ran mobile cw from
the Ten-Tec company van while driving up I75 to Dayton. I had decided four
weeks before the event that a trunk lip mount was not good enough for the
borrowed Hustler and 3 resonators so I ordered a "Gorilla" triple magnet
mount from MFJ. I reworked the crappy coax connection and added a 47pF mica
cap across the base to improve the match on 15m. That required drilling a
#10 hole in the base plate for a sturdy ground lug. The antenna was mounted
behind the sunroof on top of my 95 Acura Legend.

I did a test drive up to Crook County on the weekend of the NEQP and was
surprised at how well it got out. The car noise was a low S-3 and the
antenna stuck like glue even when I hit small branches coming back up my
driveway. I did note that for any kind of contest operation, a designated
driver would be essential. Back at home I constructed a plywood operating
desk for the passenger side of my vehicle with a tilted base for the TS-50
so the Bencher paddle would fit underneath it on the table surface, thus
leaving plenty of room for the laptop.

At 6:45 AM Saturday morning designated driver, Charlie KI6Y, arrives on
schedule. We load the gear and head up US 97 north at the opening bell at
1400z (7 AM PDT).

"CQ OQP de K4XU/Deschutes". I work W9RE, K4LTA, and WO4O in quick succession
...this is going to be great! After 13 QSOs the rate dried up until we hit
Jefferson County at 1447z. Another spurt, work the same guys again, then
endure another lull. Conditions are not good.

At 1528z we enter Wasco County, worked the gang again. Crossing into Sherman
County at 1610z, we stopped at Kent (ghost town, population 20) to visit
CODXC members K7SQ and K9QAM who were camped in a trailer beside an old
grain silo 100 yards off the road. Why I didn't get a ssb contact with him
alludes me. I fixed his .dom file (FL was missing) and we went on our way. 

About 10 miles up the road the antenna suddenly left the car while we were
doing 60 mph. The coax parted at the base connection and it tumbled into the
road behind us. Fortunately there was no traffic. We were able to back up
and retrieve it. 1647z. Charlie pulled off the highway at Wasco, population
320, and we found a small garage where we could plug in our soldering iron
and reattach the coax. 

The reason the antenna came off was one magnet had come unglued from its cup
and was still stuck on the roof. No amount of finger power could remove it.
Finally the garage guy located a piece of stair handrail that we whittled
down to the diameter of the center hole in the magnet. With it I could lever
the magnet off the roof without removing paint. The magnet was re-glued into
its cup with epoxy and the antenna re-attached to the car with its base
rotated so the two undamaged magnets pointed forward. Off we went again at
1725z. 

We joined Interstate 84 at the John Day Dam on the Columbia river and turn
east. HT power lines are everywhere and lots of line noise to go with them.
1812z, Morrow County. Worked the gang despite the power line noise. 1821z,
while passing a semi at 75+ mph the antenna lets go again, but this time it
remains attached by the coax, the tips of the resonators dragging on the
road. We pulled over, assessed the damage, and replanted the antenna on the
roof. The right corner of the car looks like it was attacked with a claw
hammer. At the next exit truck stop, Charlie picked up the only "string"
available: 50' of 1/4" bright yellow polypropylene rope. With it we
fashioned a bridle and guyed the antenna to each front corner of the hood.
Looking now more like a circus wagon, we took off again and crossed into
Umatilla County at 1834z. Weather is sunny, temperature 78 degrees.

Here I84 turns southeast, climbs out of the Columbia River valley, and winds
up into the gold mining country of eastern Oregon. Snow-covered 7000'+
mountains on both sides of the road make our 100 watts seem even smaller.
2000z and Union County, I work the gang again as we crawl over the
Snake-Columbia divide at 4350'.

2036z. Baker County is the halfway point of our trek, just 95 QSOs in the
log. Ol' sol is not doing us any favors today. 2056z at Baker City we left
the Interstate, gassed up and headed back west. We climbed over the 5124'
Tipton Summit, the Grant County Line, at 2148z. The road has been very
curvy, I have to cinch down the seatbelt and keep my eyes focused on the
laptop screen to keep my stomach from heaving, shades of an F-4 back seat
long ago. Charlie is having fun. There's no traffic but it's very cloudy
now, looks like snow. Outside temp is 38F. 

At Dixie Pass, 5280' we pass a motor home parked at a scenic lookout. I
caught a glimpse of
a trap vertical staked in the grass along side it. We quickly turn around
and have a chat with club member W7YOW doing his expedition in Grant County.
Ron says the propagation from this place is great. I add Florida to his .dom
file then we return to our route, but not before working him on 20 ssb at
2214z.

We start dropping down into the John Day river valley. The road levels off
as it follows the river, and it starts to rain. Seventy more miles to the
next county line, QSO rate is 14/hr. We cross into Wheeler County at 2329z
and start climbing again, still in the rain. At 0012z we reach the 4720'
Ochoco summit and pull into a National Forest campground that straddles the
Crook-Wheeler line. I had used this location in the past three Oregon QSO
Parties. Charlie took a walk among the 130' tall old growth ponderosas while
I did some work on 20 and 40 ssb. Rate momentarily jumps now to 60/hr and
some new mults. At 0048 we go back on the road again, sixty miles and two
counties to go. Crook County is rare, lots of guys saying thanks for the new
one.

Back on familiar turf now, closing on home. At 0136z we cross back into
Deschutes County and pull into my driveway at 0155, five minutes left to go.
Charlie sure knows how to keep a schedule. We did 583 miles in 12 hours
thanks to his superb efforts. He kept the rubber side down and pedal to the
floor as necessary. Even with the stops we averaged 48.5 mph. We ended up
with 231 QSOs and 41 mults. Next year we will rent some better propagation.

This is really fun. 

Related subject. Does anyone have an opinion on the feasibility of combining
OR ID MT WY NV UT and AZ into one big party? Each state is larger than all
of New England yet the total gives just 217 counties. Is this enough
'critical mass' to spur the activity needed to make it a viable event? Yes
Ward, WA can join this if you want, that would make 258 counties total, four
more than Texas.

Dick Frey    k4xu


_________________________________________________ 
Richard  Frey,  P.E.  K4XU  
Applications Engineering 
Advanced Power Technology, Inc., 
405 SW Columbia St., Bend, OR 97702 
Ph: 541-318-9267 x1111  Fax: 541-330-0694 
Website: http://www.advancedpower.com 

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