[SECC] Rover route clarification, Rover Quesions...

[Michael Condon]

Hi Scott, 
Your updated route is already on the web page...
How's that for quick fixes...

I am going to copy this note to the reflector to encourage other new rovers, or to help them.
These are very good questions and concerns for a first time outing.

#10 wire will be fine... no problem.  I think that is the size that the radio mfgrs supply.

Timing of stops:  With 8 to hit in 10 hrs, and having a driver, I would go with 1 hour in each county.
If you can prepostion early and start on time, this leaves you some flexibility as you work throught the other stops.
It also allows lunch, gas, pit, and photo stops...    Please take a photo of your setup, and pilot for the writeups.
This also allows for some flexibiliy in traffic, construction, getting lost, finding your way, and just taking a break.

Almost all of the CW is is sent automatically from the logging programs.  Very little hand keying is done.
But you will also find that they "are just that good".  
Your speed is not a problem, just work where you are comfortible.
As you do more of this fun, you will find your speed naturally will improve to the 20-24 range without any effort on your part.
Try to copy it all yourself, and ask for QRS if the caller goes too fast.  They should call at your speed, but may need a reminder.

I set up my logger to send fill in all of the required info and after I type a call into the first box, I just hit an "F" key to sent the exchange.
Then I hit another "F" key to send "TU NE4S/COBB" (or which ever county I may be in) to go to the next caller.
The $6 N3FJP logging program has wild card entries in the CW message banks that fill in the call of the station being worked, and the county you enter as you current county.
When calling CQ or QRZ, it is good to use your current county as a suffix.
Like "CQ GQP NE4S/COBB" or "QRZ NE4S/COBB"
This lets callers be sure they need to work you again in as a new contact when you move to a new county.
It also is just good practice.

If you are good with PSK, and get a setup tested, I would go ahead and work some PSK after some CW at each stop.
I think it is good to get some Digital contacts in the log.  I am not sure how the loggers handle the mode, if you cannot put in PSK, just use CW.
A separate note with your log might help me sort out which were PSK.

As you become more of an experienced rover, you will improve on these basic recommendations.
Your rover run will teach more than I can relate here.

Thanks for the excellent questions, we need a bit of "How To Do It" for the party, perhaps for general contesting too....

Mike,
NE4S

 
Please use ne4s at iham.us or mike1230 at mcnet.us as my address.
GQP 2008 is April 12/13, see gqp.contesting.com !
Be well



----- Original Message ----
From: Scott Straw <scottstraw at mindspring.com>
To: Michael Condon <ne4s at iham.us>
Sent: Monday, April 7, 2008 8:39:58 AM
Subject: Rover route clarification

Mike,

>From the Rover page:
    "KB4KBS (with Pilot-Driver)- Forsyth, Dawson, Lumpkin, Fannin, Pickens, Cherokee, and Gilmer"

FWIW, the correct order will be Forsyth, Cherokee, Dawson, Lumpkin, UNION, Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens.


Random Ramblings:
I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the eight-counties-in-ten-hours thing... From experience, how long should I plan to stay in one place realistically? some intra-"op-stop" travel times are brief (15-20 minutes) others may take as much as 45 minutes to an hour.  

I bought some 10ga wire yesterday to pull from the battery, but I worry that it won't handle the amperage draw of my radio at full power. A site on the web stated that 10ga wire could handle 100A at 12V.  My radio pulls about 20-22A during transmit according to the manual, so even if the site is wrong by double, I should still be safe; what do you think?

I did some set-up yesterday on PC#2; should I try to augment my SSB with some PSK-31? My CW is pretty rusty. I could probably send at 10-15WPM with a few errors on my BY-2, but I'd need a CW reader to make sure I got a correct copy. Do most guys use a keyboard, or are they just that good?

Thanks for your encouragement, and your patience...

Scott


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