[VHFcontesting] January ARRL SS and rovers

Tue Jan 22 19:39:08 EST 2002

  Hi Dave, you had me confused for a moment there, with the left and right
coast comments, you see, I was looking at if from an up north
perspective...looking south!

Kevin VA3OR/VE3RCN....FN14

----- Original Message -----
From: Dave N6NZ <n6nz at n6nz.net>
To: Eugene Zimmerman <ezimmerm at erols.com>; Vhfcontesting at Contesting. Com
<vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] January ARRL SS and rovers

> Just to add to Gene's comments:
>
> It's been a couple of years since I rovered much (gee... since the baby...
> how about that... :-)
>
> And of course, my experience is left-coast mountain-hopping, so it may not
> apply.  But, speaking as a rover:
>
> After a haul on the road to get up the hill, catching only what I can on
FM
> while trying not to drive off a 1500 foot drop-off, I would set up for a
> few hours of operations.  I follow the "porcupine theory" of
> rovering.  That is, zero-time antenna set up because they are bolted to
the
> roof rack.  Rotator built by Ford.  So, using a turn-out or a parking pad
> or whatever, I point at a direction and try to work it out, then turn the
> vehicle.  6M is non-directional (horiz pol) in my typical set-up, with
> modest yagi's for V/Uhf. 1.2G being my only long yagi (and highest
> band).  So, what does that mean to the fixed stations?  My signal strength
> comes from being high up, not from big amps and beams.  I do CQ's when
it's
> working, but fixed stations are going to be louder than me. So call CQ.
If
> I don't hear you when I'm pointing in your direction, it might be a while
> or never before I get back to that direction from that location.  Also, my
> sleep schedule is probably different from yours, *and* remember that when
> things seem slow to you might be just when a rover crosses a grid boundary
> and can work the whole world over again.  Butt-in-seat counts for a lot.
>
> These comments certainly reflect some of the differences between left and
> right coasts VHF contesting.  Back East, you have higher population
> densities and more microwave activity and that all interacts with how a
> rover thinks, too.  I'm sure the rate for a rover out there is way
> better.  The best I've done nation-wide is 13th place in June, and I was
> pretty proud of that as a left-coast rover score, although it looks kinda
> wimpy next to an east coast score.
>
> 73, Dave N6NZ  CM87
>
> At 03:40 PM 1/22/02 -0500, Eugene Zimmerman wrote:
> >Ed
> >
> >Good score!
> >
> >Many rovers list in their itinerary the 2 meter frequency they go back to
> >after they're finished running the bands with whoever.  For instance Bill
> >W3IY/R was supposed to be on 144.233 I think.  That's the only way I
know.
> >That said, I did not operate much except for Sunday morning on 6 so I too
> >had real trouble finding either IY or ND3F/R.  Normally I try to check
their
> >listed 2 meter frequency with the second VFO every once in a while.  This
> >time that did not work well.
> >
> >One other problem is that the rovers may be and you hope they will be in
odd
> >directions from you so it can be hard to hear them when you are pointed
at
> >the areas of dense population.  The only quick fix for that is another 2
> >meter antenna something not so many of us have.
> >
> > >From the other side it is important for rovers to find stations that
can run
> >the bands rapidly with them.   So most of them will look for us when we
are
> >calling CQ.  Which reminds me of what an old friend of mine, K4YF,  used
to
> >say about our operation from a big HF multi/multi "You are one of the
> >loudest signals on the band - but only if you are transmitting."  So it
is
> >incumbent on the home stations, if you have a decent signal, to call lots
of
> >CQs.  Of course if you don't have a good signal, calling CQ may not be
very
> >effective.
> >
> >73  Gene  W3ZZ
> >Director, CQWW VHF Contest
> >FM19jd  MD
> >50 => 10 GHz
> >Grid Pirates VHF Group K8GP
> >Member, CQWW Contest Advisory Group
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Ed Kucharski" <k3dne at adelphia.net>
> >To: "W4XP" <w4xp at erols.com>; "Vhfcontesting at Contesting. Com"
> ><vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
> >Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 11:21 PM
> >Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] January ARRL SS and rovers
> >
> >
> > > At 02:41 PM 1/21/02 +0000, W4XP wrote:
> > > >Reflector Mates:
> > > >
> > > >The Delmarva VHF and Microwave Society's Grid Pirates Contest Group,
> > > >K8GP had a good time operating from the Prince William County
> > > >(Virginia) Landfill, FM18gp.  As usual, the Rovers really added
> > > >significantly to the contest fun; GREAT JOB, and THANK YOU to all
> > > >those hearty souls!
> > >
> > > Chuck,
> > > Congrats on another great K8GP score!  I agree that the rovers add
> > > to the contest fun and to all of our scores but...
> > >
> > > Unfortunately,  I didn't have the success with the rovers that K8GP
did.
> > > I had printed out the itineraries of many of the rovers and had them
handy
> > > at my operating table but had a devil of a time finding them (or them
> >finding
> > > me).  Usually my log is filled with ND3F/R and W3IY/R but this contest
I
> >only
> > > worked ND3F from one grid (4 qso's) and W3IY from 3 grids (8 qso's).
> > > Part of the problem for us single-ops is that the rovers don't know
where
> > > to find us.
> > > Most multi's have run freqs on at least 6 and 2 meters where the
rovers
> >know
> > > that they can find you - I heard one rover call in on your 2 meter run
> >freq
> > > twice and
> > > get qsy'd to run the bands.  As a single-op I do try to establish a 6
and
> >2
> > > meter run
> > > frequency (and a qsy to freq on the higher bands - in my case I used
.140)
> > > but as
> > > I leave my  6 or 2 meter run freq to "run the bands" with another
station
> >I
> > > often come back to that freq to find it occupied by another station.
Then
> > > after a little
> > > S & P I will find a quiet spot to squeeze into to call CQ again.  If a
> > > rover had
> > > found me on the first run freq and went back to that freq when in a
new
> > > grid they often
> > > find a different station there.  The second problem is that we often
don't
> > > know where
> > > to find the rovers - even if there is a liaison freq the rovers are
seldom
> > > there
> > > because they are busy running the bands with other stations.
> > >
> > > I'd be interested in what the readers of this reflector do (especially
> > > single-ops)
> > > to find rovers and be found by rovers.  I attribute much of the
increase
> >in
> > > my scores
> > > thru the years to rover activity but have noted that my scores have
hit a
> > > plateau in the
> > > past couple of years as I have had more trouble finding and being
found by
> > > rovers.
> > >
> > > BTW; 624 qso's, 165 grids, 148170 points - single-op, high power, from
> >FM19.
> > >
> > > 73,
> > > Ed K3DNE
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
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