[VHFcontesting] Choice of Rover Vehicles

[Dave Wendling]

Hey Dan,
You can check out my Rover Van on my web site. I also put up my Idita-Rover video of our January contest. I have a GMC Safari all wheel drive. It has air (grin). I have roved in a pickup, a jeep and this van. The Van beat all the others hands down. It will go anywhere with the all wheel drive. Lot's of room for a nap. And most importantly we can use our porta poti! I only use one beam, with all the other bands on stacked HO loops. So I guess I don't have the mounting problem you have.

Dave Wendling KB1EAA
Home of Palm Rover Software
http://home.nycap.rr.com/nugidoors/

Dan Evans <n9rla at yahoo.com> wrote:
__________
>I would like to suggest a discussion topic:
>
>Choice of Rover Vehicles.
>
>In the last couple of years my old reliable truck has become just my old
>truck.  And it looks like I may well be in the market for another Rover
>vehicle.
>
>Here are a few of the things I think are important in a Rover vehicle:
>
>1.  ROOM.  My current setup is a 1992 Ford Ranger pickup.  With just the
>bottom 4 bands, there is just barely room enough in the truck for me and the
>rigs.  A second op is out of the question, unless I strap them to the mast!
>
>2.  Antenna mounting options.  Right now with my pickup, I set up the
>antennas on a push up mast mounted in the bed of the truck, and braced by
>the truck racks.  This way I can leave the antennas in place, and just
>extend the mast when I reach a new grid.  As a solo Rover, ease of setup is
>a must for me.
>
>3. Comfortable.  My first few Rover trips I borrowed my Dad's old van.  It
>had LOTS of room, but man it was hot in July, August, and September.  Maybe
>I'm just getting 'soft', but it seems like Air Conditioning is almost a
>necessity.
>
>
>What are your requirements?
>
>What am I missing?  I'm thinking about going with a van or mini-van.  But I
>haven't came up with a good way to mount the yagi's on a van.  I could go
>with a trailer hitch setup, but I use 12'+ yagi's and I don't like the idea
>of 6 or 7' of antenna trailing behind the van.  I could build a 'roof-rack',
>but I hate to loose the extra height and rotation of the pushup mast....
>It's a tough decision.  I may end up getting another pickup.  A full size
>pickup may give me enough room for the rigs and leave room for a future
>second op...
>
>What do you use?  How do you mount your antennas?  If you were going to
>choose a "better" vehicle, what would you choose?
>
>Hey, it beats discussing CW regulations.......
>
>73
>Dan
>Dan Evans K9ZF
>Scottsburg, IN 47170
>{EM78}
>K9ZF /R no budget Rover
>ex-N9RLA
>Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
>http://www.qsl.net/n9rla
>QRP-l #1269
>Central States VHF Society
>IN-Ham list administrator
>
>
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