[AK-VHF] June VHF Rover Route

Sun Mar 11 06:07:43 EDT 2018

For BP 50, 51, and 41, you’ll do fine with a mag mount. Up on flat top, you’ll hit the peninsula with a mag mount on 2, 70, and 1.25. with 25 w and up. However, you’ll get a better signal using yagis on a portable mast. On 6m, a yagi is pretty much a requirement to hit the peninsula from flat top with less than 100 w. From BP42 (Talkeetna) and points north, you can get to Anchorage on 2m w 50 w from a lot of places, but you’re going to need a yogi for everything else. In the past, on rover trips like this, I’ve used a bud dipole mast with a tripod that gets my home made, 2 el 6m yagi up about 10 ft. then I attach smaller yagis all the way down the mast. Run your 6m horiz polarized and everything else vertical. While there are a few folks, ED KL7UW being one of them, who run horiz polarized 2 m antenna, the vast majority of folks up here run their vhf antenna vertical, whether at home or mobile.

Shannon
> On Mar 10, 2018, at 10:30 PM, Brandon Clark <kl7bsc at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Shannon,
> 
> You're right about having to plan for the number of potential contacts in each area I go. For this trip though my goal is just to have my equipment work and make at least two contacts from each grid. If I end up finding another rover or two to join in (even for part of the route) that would be ideal. Something to think about: with a group of rovers in action during the contests these events could end up being a pretty big thing here some day. You never know.
> 
> For me, contesting is all about testing my emergency communications setup under field conditions. Over the last two years I've built plenty of antennas, coax lines, and power systems that worked great in the shop but came apart in pieces (sometimes literally) out in the field. There is no better test of your emergency gear than real field testing, and the VHF contests are the best place to do it. Over a full day of operating pretty much any weakness gets shaken out and found.
> 
> As I get my mobile setup fully operational I'll do some testing on the Tuesday night nets, and will put out the word on my roving plans when I finalize the route and timetable. If you or anyone else wants to come along for even part of the route you're more than welcome. Even a mag mount antenna and a dual band handheld is enough to have a lot of fun contesting. Who wouldn't want a great excuse to get out in the open air and go for a radio-themed road trip! lol.
> 
> Brandon
> 
> 
> On 03/10/2018 09:40 AM, Shannon Methe wrote:
>> Brandon,
>> 
>> My suggestion is that you think about the /population of hams / in the areas you are planning to go to.(not many) And then think about how many of those hams actually participate in the VHF contests (fewer still).I’ve don’t this before. You’re going to get the most amount of QSOs from BP51 and 41. 2nd best is going to be BP 40 from the Seward Hwy, just south of the Beluga Point pull out. I’ve driven all the way to Talkeetna and gotten 2 QSOs for my effort and none in Wasilla. However, I will say that the year I went covering to Talkeetna and covered all those grids was the most fun and best contest I’ve ever done-even though it was largely unproductive.
>> 
>> I’ll defer to Ed on issues concerning operating down on the peninsula; that’s his area of expertise. However, I would suggest that you look at the AK VHF-Up club’s “Pathfinder Award.” If you’re going to go to all these grids, you may as well do it in a manner that you can earn the Pathfinder. June VHF contest is the best time for that.
>> 
>> If you’re going to do this, maybe I should find some motivation and coordinate with you. So we can be ind different grids all the time.
>> 
>> -Shannon
>>> On Mar 9, 2018, at 11:43 PM, Edward R Cole <kl7uw at acsalaska.net <mailto:kl7uw at acsalaska.net>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Brandon,
>>> 
>>> Pretty ambitious, though in June, long days!
>>> 
>>> At 10:24 PM 3/9/2018, Brandon Clark wrote:
>>>> Hi guys,
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks for the advice on routes. It sounds like the general idea I had is feasible, but I'll have to be mindful of timing so I can catch the main activity in the anchorage and valley areas at the right time of day. Below is a first draft of a route. I think it's ambitious, but not so ambitious it will completely fall apart. If this list of locations is feasible the next step will be making the timetable. As was suggested, I'll announce plans well in advance on the local nets and try to set up skeds.
>>>> 
>>>> 1. BO49: Happy Valley area on hwy 1, aim antennas towards Kenai & Soldotna,
>>> 
>>> I would suggest going a few more miles south and turn east onto Diamond Ridge road going about 3-4 miles to the top of hill (1100-foot above sea level).  You will have almost line of sight to Anchorage 150 miles north.  Chugach SP area is visible.
>>> 
>>>> 2. BP40: Set up somewhere in Soldotna (ideas?), use omni antennas to
>>>>   pick up local contacts,
>>> 
>>> Terrain is higher about two miles east of the Fred Meyer store.  Good areas along road in Sterling (good paths to Anch).
>>> 
>>>> 3. BP50-1: Pull to side of road on Hwy 1 just over grid boundary, aim
>>>>   back towards Soldotna again with 6M and 2M,
>>> 
>>> Road is highest from mi 64 to 62 then drops down into a canyon in sweeping right turn down to the Kenai River.  Not sure what grid mi 64-62.  Operating from parking lot at Russian River actually works back to Soldotna/Kenai (but no path to north).
>>> 
>>> Might have a shot south to Seward from Swan Lake (jct of Seward & Sterling Hwys).
>>> 
>>>> 4. BP50-2: Roadside pullout between Anchorage and Indian, work all
>>>>   bands into Anchorage,
>>> 
>>> Try either Beluga Point (across from Hope) or Windy Point (near where sheep are often seen)  Difficult to work around the bend into Anchorage but might find a bounce off mountains west of Hope across Turnagain Arm back into Anch.  Not sure I can hit those spots from Nikiski.
>>> 
>>>> 5. BP41: Kinkaid park near the nike bunker (will need help finding
>>>>   that), Work Anchorage and Valley on all bands,
>>>> 6. BP51: Mt. Baldy trail parking lot above Eagle River, work Anchorage,
>>>>   Kenai peninsula, and valley on all bands,
>>>> 7. BP41: Find a spot near Willow, work whomever I can reach through the
>>>>   trees (anyone know a high spot?),
>>>> 8. BP52: Cross the river and grab a few contacts near Susitna North,
>>>> 9. BP42: Talkeetna downtown, pick up local contacts,
>>> 
>>> NL7B (ex KL7HJ) can tell you where he worked from both grids.
>>> 
>>>> 10. Take a few hours to relax, eat, recharge, then drive to Healy area
>>>>   in the night,
>>>> 11. BP53: Healy area on Sunday morning, beam towards Fairbanks (not
>>>>   really sure what's available in BP53),
>>>> 12. BP54: Set up on side of the hwy where it drops down to Fairbanks,
>>>>   aim antennas into town,
>>>> 13. BP64: Set up in a parking lot on he hill where the university is,
>>>>   work locals again.
>>>> 14. Go comatose for a while . . . .
>>>> 
>>>> Thoughts?
>>>> Brandon
>>> 
>>> Good,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 73, Ed - KL7UW
>>> http://www.kl7uw.com
>>> Dubus-NA Business mail:
>>> dubususa at gmail.com <mailto:dubususa at gmail.com>
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