[NLRS] Rovermania IV, the ARRL UHF Contest. Who is in ?

[W0ZQ at aol.com]

Hello NLRS land.

The smoke is now just  starting to clear from the June VHF contest, and 
lurking out there on the  horizon is the August UHF contest, or what we call 
Rovermanina !    This years is the fourth year of Rovermania, or, Rovermania IV.   
The  contest dates this year are August 4 and 5th, 1800 UTC to 1800 UTC, just 
24 hrs  long, and its 222 MHz and up.   Full contest rules can be found at the  
ARRLs web site at   http://www.remote.arrl.org/contests/rules/2007/uhf.html   
 .

Last year there were 191 logs.   This represented the third  straight year of 
growth, something that all Rovermania participates can hang  their hat on.  
Nice job.   This year we are shooting to go over  the 200 log mark.   Can we do 
it ?

What makes this contest the  BEST contest for rovers ?   You have heard it 
before - no 6m nor 2m,  so you can leave those big bulky antennas and rigs at 
home.   The  contest is only 24 hrs long leaving time for other weekend  
activities.   Also, AMAZING distances can be spanned on 222 and up  with moderate 
power (10 to 100 watts) and moderate size yagis given the short  feedlines that 
rovers use and good VHF locations.   Ask Bill, K0AWU  .... I work Bill, usually 
with very good signals, on 222 and 432, and now 902,  from four/five grids 
away.   Working the big guns, GHZ, KP, KM0T, is  pretty easy, and all these guys 
are going to be on for Rovermania  IV.    222/432/902 are very easy bands to 
work from as a rover,  often easier than 2m, and much easier than 6.   1296 
and 2304 are  usually more of a challenge, but things often get easier again on 
3456, 5760,  and 10gigs. 

And then we have propagation.   Will we have any  tropo ?   Well, if not, the 
"local" rovers and fixed stations will  keep activity up, but if we do, it 
will be wild !   Will you be there  or will your miss it?   

The Central States VHF Society  conference is the week before Rovermania IV.  
 I will be presenting a  paper at this years meeting on Rovermania and on how 
the NLRS has been pumping  up the action.  I hope that this additional PR 
just ahead of the contest  will help to get more people on.   

And then there is our new  Limited Rover award for Rovermania IV.   This is 
the first year that  the NLRS is sponsoring this award.   As you may recall the 
goal is to  entice the smaller rover, those with fewer bands, to give roving 
a  try.   A Limited Rover is defined as a Rovermania rover with no more  than 
three bands where those three bands are of their own choosing (ex: 222,  432, 
and 10gig).   NLRS is sponsoring both a first place and a second  place award. 
  Can someone from NLRS-land win our own award or will it  go to some "2" 
land rover ?   

John, W0JT, has updated our NLRS  website with all Rovermania data at  
http://www.nlrs.org/RoverMania/index.htm  so check it out.

So, who  wants to play ?   May you try roving ?   Take a look a the  map, ask 
questions, and head to a grid corner for a few hours to hand it out ...  its 
a hoot.   I do have a 432 and a small 222  antenna that I can  lend out, just 
ask.   If your looking for help, ask.     

W0ZQ/R will be out in full force with 222 through 24 gig.    Who else ?   
Let's start to get the discussion going.

73,  Jon
W0ZQ  




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