[ILQSO] Driving and logging

[Hank Greeb]

I know that my olde tyme friend, Hal, W1NN logs via voice recording 
while driving. He doesn't do any CW whilst driving, but has a voice 
recorder going at all times during an Ohio or Michigan QSO Party.  
(Don't know if he's ever made a foray into the ILQP.) I didn't ask him 
but he may have one side of the audio input on WWV or some other time 
source to synchronize time, or may just announce time once every five 
minutes or so and interpolate between.

There's one fellow who made a video of much of his trip during this 
year's Minnesota QSO Party, and used it as a basis for his Log.

Of course, in these cases, the mobile were all "running" - no S&P.  The 
fellow who put his video on YouTube had a large following on 20 meters - 
never seemed to run out of contacts.

Yes, I know, I know, sticklers would say you're "technically" logging to 
computer/paper after the fact, with the possibility of "massaging" the 
data.  This is "technically" not allowed, but most QSO parties wouldn't 
mind such transcriptions.

A Police Officer could cite you for most anything.  Whether the citation 
would stand up in court is another thing.

72/73 de n8xx Hg
QRP >99.44% of the time

On 10/23/2013 2:27 PM, Tuck Miller NF9T wrote:
> My question tho Mel, could a police officer technically cite you for 
> texting while driving.  I know that most hams can multi task, but many 
> law enforcement officers do not know that we can do many things.
>
> Tuck, NF9T
> Past San Diego SM and SW Div Vice Director
>
> On 10/23/2013 7:37 AM, Mel Crichton wrote:
>> K9CT asked "Anyhow, I was curious how do you log when you are driving 
>> and operating?"
>>
>> I keep telling myself that I should be the driver and somebody else 
>> should operate... but so far nobody around here has jumped at the 
>> opportunity. It doesn't work with me as the operator.... ask the XYL. 
>> The one and only time we tried that we were talking to a marriage 
>> counselor the next week.
>>
>> So I log and drive... very carefully. I rarely hit the speed limit 
>> except when trying to pass thru (no contacts). The Netbook (miniature 
>> laptop) is right in front of the car radio just below the windshield 
>> level so I can look forward and still see where the screen is... It 
>> blocks heater controls but it's safer and easier to see at that 
>> level. I bought a "laptop in bed" folding table for it to raise it 
>> above the gearshift.....
>>
>> Thus the keyboard is just to the right of the steering wheel, and I 
>> touch type.... So sometimes I make a mistake. At night there's a 
>> small lamp above the keyboard if I need to see to correct errors.
>>
>> The K3 is down on the passenger seat, but I don't touch it... TR4W 
>> does all the control (except audio) from the keyboard. If I need a 
>> fill the miniature paddel is on the console, and I don't have to look 
>> to know where it is.
>>
>> It's that simple.... there is some visual distraction but not as bad 
>> as texting, as I am watching the road most all of the time... 
>> probably more than if I was talking to another person in the car. The 
>> mental distraction is probably no worse than listening to books on 
>> tape. I use a single earbud for headphones. When on SSB I use VOX. 
>> And I always try to route through back roads to minimize other 
>> traffic and to allow for pull-offs if needed to correct problems. I 
>> pulled off a lot in this ILQP later in the day.
>>
>> Even trying to be this safe bothers me, as late in the day fatigue 
>> sets in and typing errors increase...There's less typing with SSB but 
>> a lot more yelling with only 100 watts and a puny antenna....It's a 
>> bit safer if I don't have to do CW while driving (in Indiana QSO 
>> party I can sit on a county line to hand out CW and then do SSB while 
>> driving, but there was just too much ground to cover in this ILQP)...
>>
>> but I want to quit solo mobile efforts while I am ahead. Just like 
>> when I rode motorcycles thousands of miles in a month.... one day my 
>> number will be up.... so I quit riding after 100,000 miles and before 
>> I could have my first accident.
>>
>> Mel KJ9C