[VHFcontesting] Roving in SE Mich/NW Ohio

[David Pruett]

A heads up for stations in SE Mich or NW Ohio about a couple of rover 
operations in their area this weekend.

I plan to be active in the contest from my home station (K8CC) on 
Saturday.  However, on Sunday is the Findlay, Ohio hamfest and regular 
meeting for the contest club I belong to.  Since I live in EN82 and 
Findlay is in EN81 and only a couple of miles from EN80, it seems like a 
good opportunity for a Sunday rove.

While roving I will be using the MRRC club callsign, K8MAD to prevent 
confusion with K8CC QSOs made on Saturday.  The plan is to leave the 
K8CC QTH in EN82 around 1100Z SUnday morning.  We expect to hit the EN81 
border around 1147Z, continuing on to the hamfest and arriving about 
1300Z.  We expect to be QRT at the hamfest until 1700Z, then back on the 
air and heading towards EN80.  We expect to hit EN80 around 1709Z then 
will turn west towards EN70, and hit the border with that grid around 
1747Z.  If all continues according to plan, we should hit the EN71 
border around 1828Z, EN72 around 2021Z and back into EN82 around 2106Z.  
We expect to arrive back home around 2139Z.

While none of these are rare grids, we'll have a reasonable setup on 
four bands and should be able to provide a bunch of QSOs to active 
stations in this area.  This will be our setup:

50 MHz:  IC706MKIIG @ 100W CW/SSB, homebrew N2MH-style Moxon
144 MHZ: IC706MKII2 @ 50W CW/SSB/FM, CC A27010 yagi (5L)
222 MHz: TM-331A 2 30W FM, vertical dipole
432 MHz: IC706MKIIG @ 20W, CC A27010 yagi (5L)

These antennas are vehicle mounted and are usable while in motion.  Ken, 
W8MJ will be driving while I concentrate on operating.

Also roving with us on this trip (in a separate vehicle) will be Tim, 
K9TM operating under his call with a IC-706MKIIG and mobile whips, plus 
a Kenwood TH6A HT @ 5W for 223.5 FM.

We plan to hang out around 144.188 most of the time, then QSY to the 
other bands as opportunities arise.  Please come look for us, or simply 
call lots of CQs near the typical frequencies and we'll come find you.

This will be my first roving experience since 1999, so I'm sure it will 
be an adventure.

Hope to see lots of you on Sunday.

73,  Dave/K8CC