[VHFcontesting] A Brief History of (Captive) Roving

[Zack Widup]

W2fca at cs.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 5/3/03 21:56:57 Eastern Daylight Time, w2ev at arrl.net
> writes:
> << Ok...fess up.  Who on this list has had a rover refuse to QSO them?  Then
> fess
>  up as to why -- truthfully.  My bets are that (if it HAS happened) it's
> because
>  your station on the band that you wanted to work them on was too piddly weak
> to
>  waste time with...they're on a schedule, after all).  Remember...THEY have a
>  strategy, too.  It's not all about you. >>
> 
> Actually, I've had it happen a few times, usually because they will have a
> sked coming up in 10 minutes or so.  Once the guy wouldn't even try saying I
> couldn' hear him and wouldn't hear me on 903 and 1296. I've got 4 X 33 el
> loopers on 903 and 4 X 45 el on 1296 with 65 watts on each. The dude was
> about 12 miles from me. If I can work K8GP to the west and K1WHS to the east
> I probably would have heard him and he probably would have heard me.

You probably could've worked him with a few milliwatts and a wet
noodle!  I've made QSO's on 903 and 1296 over 150 miles with 3 watts and
a single looper.  That looks like just plain refusing to work you.  I
would definitely take note if someone told me that.

73, Zack W9SZ