[VHFcontesting] "stuck rover bonus points"
Stephen Hicks, N5AC
n5ac at n5ac.com
Mon Aug 20 09:03:36 EDT 2007
I was in EM34 (Arkansas) last weekend and suggested to KA5BOU and NM5M that
I try to work some of the Dallas/Ft.Worth folks from out there (about
200mi). The first night I talked to a few guys from a hill that was about
700' above sea level and around 200' above the average terrain. We were
unable to make some of the contacts above 900 MHz so I offered to try again
the next night, but from a higher location. The following day, I pulled out
Topo USA and searched for a better spot. I found a hill called "Skeleton
Mountain" and it appeared there was a nice, thick road on the map. I let
everyone know that I would be there around 9PM.
I took off for the hill, about 20 miles from where I was camped, about
8:30PM. I was in the middle of nowhere and it was pitch black. Everything
was going smooth until I got within 3mi of the hilltop. All of a sudden,
the roads shifted to dirt and no longer matched the maps. I had three GPS
receivers on in the car -- one going to my APRS beaconing my position for
those at home (but there was probably no receiver in the area), one a
dedicated Garmin 376C and one hooked to my computer showing me where I was
on the maps I originally looked at on Topo USA and live NEXRAD. As I drove
to the spot, I couldn't find the main road and got off on a side road
heading in the right direction. It ended up going to a flat bridge with no
railing and no signs about what could cross. I stepped out and shined a
flashlight to see what kind of construction the bridge was. I had some
concrete below it so I gave it a try and made it across but ended up in a
clearing surrounded by trees. No go.
I headed back down the road I came in on looking for an alternate way to the
hilltop. I tried to alert my friends back in Dallas (there were 8 on 144.2
waiting on me). It was now about 9PM and my cell phone would not maintain a
connection in the outback. I finally found a road heading in the right
direction and got within a 1/2 mile of the hilltop and the road changed to a
one-lane wide dirt path covered with grass and about a 10% grade. I decided
to try it and in 4WD headed up the path. As I drove, the high beams didn't
really give me any information except what was right in front of me. As I
passed trees, large spider webs were strung between branches and you could
see the large 1/2" diameter spiders in the webs. My maze of antennas
captured many of the webs. When I reached the hilltop, my antennas had
spider webs all over them. At the top of the hill was a 6-foot cross with
white shirts or fabric draped across it (you just can't make this stuff
up!). I locked the doors and spent a couple of hours handing out
band-grids. Every now and then I shined my light out the windows looking
for people. I know it's just my imagination, but I kept thinking I was
going to do that and find a lynch mob with Louisville sluggers in a circle
around my truck.
I didn't get stuck, but it was quite an experience...
73,
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dan Evans
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 06:10
To: Eric Smith
Cc: vhfcontesting at contesting.com; Mike Schumacher
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] "stuck rover bonus points"
How about a mult for every law enforcement official that checks you out?
Or a point for every curious non-ham with questions? A new mult if 6
meters is open during the visit...
A new mult for each blown pre-amp, transverter, or rig during the contest...
Bonus points for each degree below freezing, or above 100 degrees F......
An award for sticking to a planned schedule:-)
Ahh, the joys of Roving:-)
73
Dan
--
K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269
Check out the Rover Resource Page at: <http://www.qsl.net/n9rla> List
Administrator for: InHam+grid-loc+ham-books Ask me how to join the Indiana
Ham Mailing list!
Eric Smith wrote:
> Not sure about that... another "rule change??" Been stuck in snow
> (twice!) and sand roving in contests... My first rover vehicle was
> named as the result of one particular misadventure during a Spring
> Sprint... Something about "roving where one shoudn't be roving"... The
> other rover that towed me out of the snow in that contest ran the last
> mile in 4WD to get to me... and my rover vehicle was TWO wheel
> drive...
>
> Eric
> KB7DQH
>
>
>
> On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:12:47 -0700 (PDT) David Schumacher
> <dreamcatcher_two at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>> Hey thanks everyone for the warm welcome and all of the postive
>> responses. We (my brother & I) are looking forward to getting back
>> to contesting together as a multi team again, used to do it years ago
>> but we've both moved, and got away from it for awhile. The time has
>> come to have some fun again!
>>
>> About a week or so before the contest, I'll post a plan of attack,
>> we will be covering 7 grids in the two days, no circling, working
>> anyone and everyone anywhere that we can hear.
>>
>> And as far as the other post about a beer every time there is a new
>> grid, I've always wondered if you get any more points for working a
>> new grid in the dark while its raining and your stuck in the mud on
>> the side of the highway ........ you know kind of like how you get an
>> extra db or two if you climb the tower in a lightening storm after
>> midnight with the new antenna.
>>
>> 73 looking forward to making lots of contacts in the contest.
>> Dave
>> KF6LT
>>
>>
>> Dave
>>
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>>
>>
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