[Fourlanders] Rover Woes....

[Rick R]

I hope we have better luck next weekend..
Robin

This story has to go down in the rover reflector annals!!!  Please tell us 
it's really true and not just a wild west legend!!  Rick, K1DS/R


From: "Jesse J. Alcorta" <alcortje at pcisys.net>
To: wsvhf at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [WSVHF] UHF Contest result
Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2003 08:44:13 -0600

The last time I went roving, starting in WY, I found out my 6M radio was 
only semi-functional.  I got a flat tire.  A bird hit my antenna and 
doinked a couple of elements.  A piece of road debris (a half sheet of 
plywood) was kicked up by a semitractor and hit my car.

I figured that I would have better luck this time.  Guess again.....

I came upon a family from Michigan who decided to hunt antelope with the 
family station wagon.  I had to put the animal down myself.  The wife was 
mad, the kids were upset and the husband was pretty much in shock. Had to 
unload all my gear to take the wife and kids 25 miles into town. Left the 
husband behind to stay with my gear and their wagon.  Offered my bottled 
water and sodas to the husband.

Take the folks into town and help them arrange a tow truck for their 
vehicle.  Then provide direcctions and GPS coordinates for the tow truck 
driver. Return to the scene to recover my gear and get back in the contest. 
The husband tells me my CB don't work. I didn't know I had a CB. Turns out 
he tried to get my 440 FM radio operating to call for help. Wiped out the 
finals I think as the radio has no output now.

I pack my stuff and head for my operating spot.  Upack the truck again and 
set everything out in order for set up. I hear something like a person 
walking on tree branches.  I look arouund and see a bear.  I drop 
everything in my hands and run and get in the truck.  I watch the bear 
charge the truck smashing my new newly built HB 16 element 222 yagi.  I 
managed to build this antenna Friday afternoon. The bear stepped on the 
driven element and crushed it and tore off the balun. He/She/It stomped 
some of the loops on my 1296 antenna also so I could only run one of the 
loop yagis instead of the pair.  Thankfully he didn't stomp the 432 yagi or 
it would have been all over. I sat in the truck for about 30 minutes 
wondering if he was gone.

Once I got everything set up I worked a couple of stations and then took 
everything down.  This is a roving station mind you.  I checked my grid map 
and pickeedd out a nicee spot around 6600 feet just north of 
Cheyenne.  Most of these spots are private property and unfortunately I 
couldn't get anyone to give me permission to set up for a couple of hours. 
Someone also called the local police....

So I explained who I was, produced all the usual documents and showed all 
the things that Johnny Law wants. This was not the first time that I have 
had dealing with them but this guy was more curious than usual. He made me 
unpack the truck so he could see all the equipment.  Then he wants to 
search my truck.  Wants to know what the tools are for.....At this point a 
Camaro with no hood and no roof goes flying by with another constable in 
hot pursuit.  I'm told to wait until he gets back and then he takes off.

After 30 minutes he comes back and tells me I can go. I can tell this one 
is not the sharpest tool in the shed. I did find a nice place just
northwest of Cheyenne at about 7700 feet. I couldn't get to it because it 
was getting too dark to be fooling around.  And considering my recent spate 
of luck decided that roving in WY is bad juju......

73 de N0SWV   Jesse
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