[TenTec] Using an Argosy in the Field

[Mike Bryce]

Gang,

I like to take a rig with me camping. While the wife is zonkered out in the tent, I'll be on 40 meters trying for a contact or two.

I've used a Scout before and it works fine for me. I have an Argosy, but the Scout is lighter. I only pack a few band modules. I have a FT-897 and that's my rig to take camping with. Bigger than the Scout, smaller than the Argosy, with its internal battery packs I'll run out of steam before it does. 

A small 25 watt solar panel and a 32 amp/hr lead acid battery runs the netbook for PSK31 as well as the rigs if need be.

I've tried the buddy pole and dipole antennas consisting of two mobile antennas connected back to back. Wasn't too impressed with either system. I've tried the Par end feed antenna but I can't get the warm and fuzzies out of it.

Because we normally camp in state camp grounds, keeping a low profile if necessary. I don't believe they'd take too kindly to someone raising up a 30 foot tall pole. So for me, the best antenna is a random length wire tossed up into a tree. Fifty pound nylon fishing line is used to hold the wire up. A simple wire tuner from MFJ used to match the wire to the rig. I've tried autotuners, but find good 'ol manual about as easy to use.

I don't normally use a counterpoise as I've had other campers get caught in the wire laying on the ground.

I use black plastic covered wire I purchased from the 'wire man' at dayton. Strong stuff and once up in the air, it's invisible, a good thing when you don't want additional attention brought your way.

40, 20 and 30 meters are the ones that work the best for me. Unless I wind out a lot of wire, I can't work 80-75 meters with much success.

A few years back, while staying at a Holiday Inn in Port Clinton Ohio, I managed to drop my wire down the side of the building (we were up on the 7th floor) and made quite a few contacts. However most hotels now have sealed windows and you can't get a wire out.

For the past ten years or so, I've tried ever antenna I could think of while at the Dayton Hamvention---and without much success---inside our hotel room. One problem I can't solve is the noise from the hotel itself. So, three years ago I stopped bringing down HF radios to try out in the hotel. 

Ooh, I still work HF from Dayton in my hotel room-----I use the hotel's wifi and my netbook to talk to my Omni VII at home. 


Mike, WB8VGE



 
On Mar 28, 2012, at 9:50 AM, John wrote:

> Steve,
> As much as I would like to be the source of those ideas.  Bob, WB2VUF, 
> was the one that made the suggestion of using chalk line or clothes line 
> reels as storage devices, as well as information on battery capacity and 
> use.  Rick, DJ0ip / NJ0IP also had some suggestions on working 
> portable.   This really is an amazing list and is a source of great 
> ideas and suggestions.
> 
> John / WA1JG
> 
>