[NLRS] January Rove K0PG, K9ILT -- long

[ADUHAWK@aol.com]

Lots of new stuff.  We will be using our other vehicle, a SUV this time.  The 
roof rack is set, and the new battery isolator is due tomorrow. 222 is new 
and improved. The IC375A and the 140 watt amp have found a new home in 
Alabama so there'll be a new DEMI xvrtr and a 225 watt amp on board.  There's 
a new beam for 2 meters.  It's just a 5 el K1FO, but it will be an 
improvement over the 4 element CC that's had the snot knocked out of it by 
various low hanging branches.  We'll run 100 watts on 6, 300 on 2, 180 on 432 
to a 14 el M2. 33 and 23 cm are in working order with 10 watts and 3 watts 
respectively.  

The philosophy is to have a big footprint on 2, with narrower beam widths on 
the way up.  Six meters will have the dipole.  With the exception of 6 
meters, all of the other antennas will be about 2 feet higher, so you won't 
have to lean in as close to the speaker, or press the headphones as much.

We will be a "family" rover station again, so you get to work Pat and me.  
It's important to keep the rate up!  We will be doing an all Illinois trip 
this time.  We will put out 11 grids.  This is down from our usual 14, but 
with the two of us, we're going to stay longer in each grid.  Sometimes, we 
take off with a few still calling in order to remain close to our schedule.  
We hope that this helps.  

Our start will be on a landfill golf course in EN62 at Glenview, IL.  We get 
out great from this spot, and it will give us a shot at a bunch of eastern 
grids.  Next we will go to the "hill" in EN52.  It's actually a ridge about 
10 miles west of Elgin.  Then, it's the long drive to the SE corner of EN42, 
between Elizabeth and Galena, IL. There's a hilltop tower there that has 
given us a great shot to everywhere but MN in the past.  Staying there 
longer, and making more noise toward the NW should help.  We'll drop down to 
EN41 and EN40 where we'll stop for the night near Beardstown, IL.  We'll 
probably put out EM49 before retiring.  Sunday it's the long march east 
across EM49,59, and 69.  We turn to the North near Urbana, IL and head to the 
four corners of EN50,60,51,61.  Probably a couple of hours here before the 
last 70 miles through EN61 home.  I'll have a sked with times next week.  OH 
BOY OH BOY! 73, Tim K0PG and Pat K9ILT